Electronic Arts is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the classic MMO game Ultima Online, which originally launched on September 25, 1997, with special in-game activities and rewards, plus a new amnesty program that invites former players back to try out the major game update, Ultima Online Kingdom Reborn, for free.

The "Return to Brittania" campaign will allow past subscribers in good standing to play for free through October 9, 2007 using their former account name and password.

During the in-game 10th anniversary celebration, players both old and new will be able to take part in a monster hunt with special prizes including an ankh pendant necklace, map of Brittania, an Ultima Online commemorative sculpture and virtue armor set. Additionally, all players will receive 10 décor tokens and a wand of fireworks in their characters' inventory.

Gamasutra is also planning a 10th anniversary celebration of its own for Ultima with a special feature on the game, to debut in the near future.

"Ultima Online has thrived for 10 years and achieved the status of an MMO classic, thanks in large part to the devoted player community," said Mark Jacobs, VP and general manager, EA Mythic. "We are very excited to celebrate this special anniversary with players."

[The preceding feature originally appeared on Worlds in Motion sister site Gamasutra.]