EA Phenomic-developed free-to-play browser-based title Lord of Ultima will cease operating on Monday, May 12 at approximately 7:00 a.m. UTC, according to an announcement on the game's official page.
From now until its retirement, the functionality to purchase Play4Free Funds and the ability to register new accounts are disabled. EA is offering players a code for four ministers to use until the game's closure.
"It is always hard when we are met with such choices and the decision to retire older games is never an easy one," the announcement reads. "We cannot thank those who have supported us enough, and throughout the years of Lord of Ultima's existence it has been the pleasure of both past and present developers to have been on this journey with you."
Last November, veteran developers of the now closed EA Phenomic formed a new development studio based in Germany called Envision Entertainment. The studio is comprised of former EA Phenomic Vice-President Dirk Ringe as CEO , Volker Wertich as creative director, Boris Kunkel as development director, Martin Löhlein as producer and Mark Novolozhilov as technical director.
EA Phenomic staffed 60 personnel and was shuttered last July. The studio had also developed other strategy titles such as Spellforce and free-to-play Command & Conquer: Tiberium Alliances.