UPDATE: The Ultima Online Web site has been updated with a Stygian Abyss launch page.

Stygian Abyss, the eighth expansion for Ultima Online, launches today as a digital download that will be available through the EA Store and UO Gamecodes. The expansion costs $29.99 for existing players. Also, new players can buy the full game for $39.99 with 30 days of game time added.

Shards were brought down approximately an hour ago for their final maintenance period before the launch of Stygian Abyss. The expansion will be available for purchase once the maintenance is complete.

The expansion focuses on the addition of Gargoyles, a new playable race. You can explore Ter Mur, home of the Gargoyles, and fight through the new Stygian Abyss massive dungeon. You can also try out the Mysticism, Throwing, Imbuing and Flight skills that have been added to the game. For more details, check out the full features list for the expansion after the jump.

New Features Include:

• All-New Player Race - Gargoyles
• Massive New Dungeon – The Stygian Abyss
  • Explore and seek out the Chamber of Virtue, Silver Sapling, Mad Magician Sutek, and Cavern of Discarded
• New Lands to Explore – Ter Mur, home of the Gargoyles
  • Additional Encounter areas: Void Plague, City of Kings, Tomb of Kings, Human Underworld Dungeon
• New Game Systems
  • 4 New Skills - Mysticism, Throwing, Imbuing, Flight
  • Plus,an expansive Staining system and Battle Chicken breeding 
• 5 New Boss-Level Encounters
• 41 New Creature Types 
• 37 Weapon Classes
• 35 New Armor sets
• 3 New Housing Wall Sets
• All-New Music Soundtrack
  • 14 individual music tracks for the Stygian Abyss

Gargoyles

• Flight
• Access Gargoyle-Only Flight Areas

Stygian Abyss Dungeon

• Cavern of the Discarded
• Champer of Virtue
• Sutek the Magician
• Silver Sapling

Ter Mur

• Holy City
• Tomb of Kings 
• Royal City
• Holy City Percolem Quests

Underworld

• Underworld Trap Maze
• Underworld Puzzle Room
• Fountain of Fortune

Imbuing

• Capacity to craft a unique weapon or item with multiple attributes/abilities

Throwing

• 3 New Special Attacks

Additional Features 

 

• New Gargoyle wearables
• Additional crafting enhancements
• Chicken Coop/Battle Chicken Breeding
• Player-placeable traps
• Scroll Binders
• Lucky coins
• New stealables 
• 41 New Creatures + multiple creature types
• 2 New champ spawns
• 3 New Peerless encounters
• 35 New Armorsets
• 37 New Weapon Types
• Volcano
• New housing tile sets
• Snake Charming
• 14 New Music Tracks
• Basketweaving
• Snake Charming
• Custom Carpets
• NPC and Potion Pet Resurrection
• New Craftable pet recipes
• New Artifacts and artifact stealables