It being October, Broadsword Online Games have announced the first of…several, I presume…Halloween features that will be added to Ultima Online during the month. Actually, I think these particular features are already live in the game:

• The Butchers are back! Visit graveyards throughout Britannia and slay the Butchers to have a chance at a Pumpkin Carving Kit.
• Carveable pumpkins can be harvested in fields across Britannia. Watch out for the Grimms as you try to harvest a pumpkin!

Additionally, there was evidently a contest held on Facebook in which Ultima Online fans were asked to submit backpack art. The winners of the contest have been announced.

And finally, it seems that there have been several account-related issues affecting the Return to Britannia event. But, as it turns out, there’s a silver lining to the issue:

I wanted to let everyone know that the system is still working to open the massive amount of accounts and should be finished by late tonight or early tomorrow morning.

That’s somewhat encouraging. I mean, it’s not a good thing that players are currently stuck in limbo, unable to access the game. But it’s interesting that the account server(s) have been overwhelmed by the number of sign-ups, even so.