The latest Ultima Online newsletter has been sent out by Broadsword Online Games, and it gives a few details about the upcoming Publish 93:

I would like to start off with stating we were having issues with the pictures sent in for the contest, the engineer has since resolved this so please resubmit your pictures.

As everyone probably knows we are looking to release Publish 93 at the end of May. Starting the 1st of June you will have to go to the Origin store to purchase Sovereigns. These will be sold in packs of 500, 1000, 2000, and 5000. The break down will be 100 Sovereigns equal 1 USD. You will use these in game to purchase in game items only. Good news is you will be able to buy more than one item at a time. Some limits will be put in place to reduce the delivery time which we will announce at a later time.

If you purchased a code, gametime or otherwise, from a third-party site, we cannot verify the validity or integrity of said code(s). If you are sold an invalid code from one of these third-party sellers, we would not be able to assist in refunding the purchase. Please be aware that Origin is the only guaranteed provider of game time codes for Ultima Online.

As most of you know next year is our 20th Anniversary so start saving your pennies because we are going to have a party here in Virginia to celebrate and we hope you can join us. More details will be given at a later date.

Broadsword also discuss how they were inspired to create the Time of Legends expansion, drawing on the history and lore of the Ultima series to do so:

Ultima Online is fortunate enough to be able to draw on more than three decades worth of franchise history as inspiration for future content. When deciding on which features to include in the Time of Legends we looked to popular features within UO to include popular systems to expand on. Game features are only part of the process though, and we strive to include a compelling story to go along with that content – a story that makes sense within the broader context of the Ultima franchise and UO’s history. For the Time of Legends we drew the majority of the inspiration from Worlds of Ultima: The Savage Empire and introduced the Valley of Eodon as a new area to explore with new creatures and new treasures to discover! We are committed to fleshing out the entirety of the Valley of Eodon and how it sits within the fabric of Ultima Online’s Britannian history. We are very excited for Publish 93 to continue the battle against the Myrmidex and continued exploration into the Valley and its unique history!

Oh, and if you were curious about whatever became of getting the game released on Steam:

UO cannot go onto Steam unless EA gives its final approval. As stated earlier by Mesanna, we do not have an answer as to when UO will be going to steam.

If you want to get in on future newsletter send-outs, sign up at UO.com.