Funding for Ultima creator Richard Garriott's "ultimate RPG" reaches $3.5 million

Richard Garriott created the beloved Ultima role-playing game series. He traveled to the International Space Station and dove to the depths of the ocean to see the Titanic wreckage first-hand. He owns a stately castle-style home in Texas called Britannia Manor. Now he can add another accomplishment to his resume.

Garriott's crowdfunding campaign for his "ultimate RPG" Shroud of the Avatar has now reached $3.5 million from more than 30,000 total backers.

The Shroud of the Avatar Kickstarter campaign went live in March 2013 and ended in April that year with $1.9 million, well above its $1 million target. Since then, Garriott and developer Portalarium have kept donations open at the game's website, where more than $1.58 million has come through so far.

"Thank you!!! We will deliver the best game we can!!!," Garriott said on Twitter about the funding accomplishment.

Episode One of Shroud of the Avatar, called Forsaken Virtues, is expected to launch later this year for Windows, Mac, and Linux.