UO:Renaissance
What is Ultima Online: Renaissance?
Ultima Online: Renaissance (UOR) was the defining second major expansion to Origin Systems' landmark MMORPG Ultima Online, released on April 3, 2000. It marked what is widely celebrated by veterans and gaming historians as the Golden Era of classic sandbox gaming.
Prior to its release, the expansion aimed to dramatically expand player capacity, rebalance combat, refine the skill system, and deliver major engine and interface overhauls. Most famously, the official expansion doubled the world of Britannia by creating a mirror facet under divergent rules:
- Felucca: The original, uncompromising Britannia featuring full player-versus-player (PvP) combat, full looting upon death, thievery, and real risk.
- Trammel: The newly added peaceful facet with consensual-only combat, eliminating non-consensual player killing and pickpocketing.
While Trammel satisfied players seeking peaceful exploration and safe housing, many veterans and purists argued that the split fractured the community and diluted the high-stakes realism and thrill of classic Ultima Online—where every journey outside town gates demanded vigilance, teamwork, and wits.
The UO:Renaissance Vision
UO:Renaissance brings back the magic, balance, and thrill of this legendary 2000 era—without the Trammel split.
On our shard:
- A Living, Unified Britannia: A single world where all players share the same lands, dungeons, and towns. Danger is real, community interaction is paramount, and heroes and villains shape history.
- True 2000-Era Mechanics: Authentic Renaissance combat timing, spell casting, skill gain, and mechanics based on the peak pre-AOS (Age of Shadows) balance.
- Pure Skill-Based Sandbox: No character classes, levels, or item-insurance inflation. Your prowess is defined by your choices, strategy, and skill template.
- Thriving Player Economy: 100% player-driven crafting, uninhibited open-world housing, player-run vendor malls, and valuable dungeon spoils.
| Feature | Shard Specification |
|---|---|
| Era Baseline | Ultima Online: Renaissance (circa 2000, Publish 15/16 baseline) |
| Facet Ruleset | Single-Facet Britannia (Unrestricted open-world risk & reward; guarded towns) |
| Stat Cap | 225 (Maximum 100 in any single attribute before buffs) |
| Skill Cap | 700.0 (Individual skill cap of 100.0 — Grandmaster) |
| Housing System | Classic open-world housing placement across Britannia |
| Combat & Magic | Classic pre-AOS timing, spell recovery, disruption, wrestling & stun punch |
| Accounts Allowed | 3 accounts per player |
Explore the Wiki
- New Player Guide — Essential first steps in Britannia
- Razor & Client Setup — Connecting with ClassicUO and Razor
- Starting Towns — Britain, Moonglow, Trinsic, Occlo, and more
- Stat & Skill Progression — How stats and skills gain in the Renaissance era
- Young Player System — Sanctuary for beginners learning the ropes
- Skill List — Comprehensive guide to all 50+ skills
- Magery & Spells — The 8 Circles of Magery, reagents, and scrolls
- Melee & Archery — Swordsmanship, Fencing, Mace Fighting, and Tactics
- Special Moves — Classic Disarm, Stun Punch, and Concussion Blow
- Popular Character Templates — Dexxers, Mages, Bards, and Hybrids
- Blacksmithing — Weapons, armor, and runic tool craft
- Tailoring — Leather armor, cloth goods, and dye tubs
- Carpentry & Tinkering — Furniture, kegs, tools, and lockpicks
- Alchemy — Potions, mortars, and keg storage
- Resource Gathering — Mining, Lumberjacking, and Ore Smelting
- Player Vendors & Housing — Setting up shop and decorating your home
- Dungeons of Britannia — Covetous, Deceit, Despise, Destard, Hythloth, Shame, Wrong
- Boss Encounters — Ancient Wyrms, Balrons, Liches, and Daemons
- Treasure Hunting — Deciphering maps and digging for lost chests
- SOS & Fishing — Messages in a bottle, sea serpents, and high seas salvage
- Animal Taming — Dragons, White Wyrms, Nightmares, and bonded pets
- The Murder System — Murder counts, stat loss, and red life
- Bounties — Hunting red players and collecting rewards
- Factions & Guilds — True Britannians, Council of Mages, Shadowlords, and Minax
- Guilds & Warfare — Order vs. Chaos, guild declarations, and open war
- Thievery — Snooping, stealing, and contraband
- Patch Notes Archive — Complete historical patch notes archive (2012-2020) preserved for posterity
- Official Forums — Trade, guides, and discussions
- Discord Community — Chat with players and staff in real time
- Combat & Damage Calculator — Plan your stats and damage output
- Renaissance Database — Items, weapons, armor, and creatures
- Live Shard Status — Check server uptime and online counts
Joining the Adventure
Ready to step into Britannia? Visit the Getting Started portal on the main website to download the game client and connect.
Hail, traveler, and welcome to Ultima Online as it was meant to be played!