So this is interesting: it turns out that inXile Entertainment now holdshas applied the trademark for Autoduel. The original Autoduel was actually (despite the title) an RPG — featuring car combat, it is worth noting — published by Origin Systems in 1985; it was set in a near-future, dystopian version of the United States’ Eastern Seaboard, and was based on Steve Jackson Games’ Car Wars IP.

The trademark was actually applied for at the end of July. Whether that means we’ll soon be seeing inXile announcing an Autoduel 2 Kickstarter campaign, I have no idea. One thing I will say, though, is that we probably shouldn’t infer anything Ultima-related from this. I don’t know if inXile has ever expressed any interest in doing an Ultima-like game, but…while Autoduel is indeed an old Origin Systems title, its trademark was previously held by Steve Jackson Games, rather than by EA.

So…don’t read too much into this. But it’s still a rather interesting development, and I’ll be curious to see what inXile and Brian Fargo have in mind for their newly-acquired IP.

(Hat tip: Infinitron Dragon)