EA closing free-to-play game Lord of Ultima in May

The days of Lord of Ultima are numbered. Electronic Arts has confirmed that the free-to-play browser game from EA Phenomic will officially shut down on May 12, 2014.

"It is always hard when we are met with such choices and the decision to retire older games is never an easy one," EA said in a blog post on the game's website. "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."

EA did not say why it is closing down Lord of Ultima, but its cancellation is not much of a surprise, as developer EA Phenomic reportedly closed last year. The game, which originally launched in April 2010, is part of EA's Free Games portfolio that also includes titles like Star Wars: The Old Republic, Battlefield Heroes, Need for Speed World, and Battlefield Play4Free.

Lord of Ultima players who still have a balance of in-game currency on their accounts are encouraged to spend it before the game closes down for good. After this point, any money on your account will be lost. In addition, from now through the game's closing date, you won't be able to purchase more in-game currency or register a new account.