What to expect from Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era

Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era, which was announced last August, is the official prequel to the entire HoMM saga, and yes, this is explicitly stated in both trailers and developer comments. The game is conceived as a journey into the ancient world of Enroth, but on the mysterious continent of Jadame, a location that has been mentioned before but never really shown. The events will take place before the Archangels came to life again, the Templars built castles, and the Naga quarreled with the Troglodytes. If you've always wondered, "what happened before Part 3?" - here's the answer.

Fast forward

• What is Olden Era and why is it important?
• The gameplay is a classic with new features that do not spoil the nostalgia
• Return to Enroth on the continent of Judam
• Factions: familiar faces, new monsters, and a bit of fantasy with a sci-fi flavour
• Modes for each hero: how Olden Era plans to keep you captive for a long time
• "Are the heroes coming back?" - the community of gamers about Olden Era: hopes, flexibility, and a little bit of fear
• Sounds of Jadam: composers, orchestra, and visual fan service that doesn't hurt your eyes
• Olden Era is not a clone of Heroes III, but an attempt to make something more than "just another part"
• To sum up

What is Olden Era and why is it important?

The game is being developed by Unfrozen, the same studio that once surprised gamers with the gloomy tactical RPG Iratus: Lord of the Dead. These guys clearly know how turn-based strategy works and are not afraid of complexity. This means that Olden Era will not be "for children 12+", but a truly thoughtful and tough gameplay, like in the good old days when you could fail a week of the game without upgrading a stable in time.

The game is published by Ubisoft itself, the copyright holder of the series since the days when the 3DO went into oblivion. And this is a rare case when Ubi managers decided not to "reform" the series beyond recognition, but to give it to those who really know how.

The release is scheduled for the second quarter of 2025 on Steam, initially in the early access format. This means that the game will still be polished together with the players - listening to their opinions, patching holes, and potentially bringing back something that will be missing.

This approach is not new, but when implemented correctly, it really works (and gives a chance to avoid a high-profile release fiasco).

The target platform is Windows, because anything else would be heresy. Heroes has always been a PC game, and no mobile or console will change that. And honestly, you're more comfortable clicking on the map with a mouse than a stick.

A map of the city (probably of Knights). Illustration: Unfrozen

The Heroes of Might and Magic series is a symbiosis of strategy and RPG that has been able to draw players into the vortex of fantasy geopolitics, resource scarcity, magic, and pixelated epics since the 90s. Against the backdrop of general nostalgia for the "better days", the announcement of Olden Era, if not caused a real stir (100 thousand views of the trailer - is it too much or too little now?), was definitely noticed.

This text is not just a "oh, look, a new game", but an attempt to break down what awaits us: gameplay, factions, modes, innovations, community reaction, and how it all fits into the great heroic saga. Because before you start a new era, you need to know at least roughly what you're eating. And from what we know, Olden Era is preparing not just a comeback, but a serious bid to regain the throne (if it is even possible now).

The gameplay is a classic with new features that do not spoil the nostalgia

The main thing: Olden Era does not break what we love about Heroes, but rather brings back the old school, but with modern features. Everything is in place: you walk around the map, collect resources, capture mines, upgrade castles, gather an army of fantastic creatures and throw it into the enemy's teeth. But now it's not just "Heroes III with new sprites", it's an evolution that respects the original.

Battles are back on hexes (yay!). Hexagonal cells are back, like true veterans of the genre. No more rectangular fields from the later instalments that looked like chess after the third drink. And now - about the new products.

Faction Laws

Each race will get its own internal "laws" that the player can choose. This opens up new tactics: do you want a Necropolis that raises even more skeletons? No problem. Or Sylvan, which specialises in disguise in the forest? You got it. Each faction is now not just about design, but about mechanics.

Energy meter for units

Units no longer just "walk and hit", but accumulate energy for special skills. Something like ultras - only in fantasy style. If used in time, it changes the course of the battle. If not, you sit there and wonder why your black dragon got hit in the neck by a goblin with a club.

Hero leveling is even deeper

Subskills have been introduced, sub-areas of skill that allow you to customise your character to suit your style. One and the same necromancer will lead an army in two different ways. And this is not about "+5 to attack", but about real changes in gameplay.

Artifact sets

Treasures make sense again! If you collect a complete set, you will receive additional bonuses. And this is an incentive to climb into every cave, every abandoned temple, and even where it says "don't mess with it - it will kill you".

Map and campaign editor

Yes, there will be one. A full-fledged one. With the ability to create your own adventures in Enroth, invent new scenarios, share them with others, and play forever not only what the developers have come up with. This is what once made Heroes III an immortal game. And here this tradition is back.

This is what the map looks like in the game. Everyone can draw their own. Illustration: Unfrozen

In other words, Olden Era takes the good old HoMM skeleton and builds new muscles on it - carefully, tastefully, and without plastic. And it looks like this experiment may turn out better than many expected.

Return to Enroth on the continent of Judam

Olden Era finally brings us back to the world of Enroth, the one where Altair had never heard of assassins, but there were Archangels, Lichs, and castles that gave +1 morale. It was here that the events of the first three parts of the series took place, which are still considered the "gold standard" for the entire genre. For fans, it's like returning to a house where everything is familiar, but the dust has already been blown away and new furniture has been brought in.

But the main scene of Olden Era is not the familiar landscapes of Erratia or Bracada. We are thrown to the continent of Jadam, a mysterious land that was previously mentioned only in passing in Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer, but never appeared in HoMM. Now it's a new arena for adventures, battles, and quite possibly new factions, biomes, and magical conflicts. We can expect unusual creatures, unexpected plot branches, and pieces of lore that will finally come out of the shadows.

It's also interesting that Heroes has historically always been a "fantasy facade" for the crazier world of Might and Magic, where spaceships were hiding under the mountains and dragons turned out to be cyborgs.

The world of Enroth has this techno-fantasy foundation, it's just that the Heroes series was in no hurry to introduce it to players.

Whether Olden Era will go deeper into this sci-fi subtext is still a mystery. But the fact that we're back in Enroth opens the door to lore clues, Easter eggs, and perhaps even taking the series to a new level - where magic and technology collide again in one round session.

The hexagons are back in the game. Illustration: Unfrozen

In a word: Olden Era is not just "new on an old engine", but an attempt to re-open a map that has not been opened for a long time. And if there is something more than just new units, it will be a lore revolution. Or at least a very deep "thank you" to the fans who have been waiting for this for years.

Factions: familiar faces, new monsters, and a bit of fantasy with a sci-fi flavour

Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era will have six factions - and if you thought you'd see "knights, necromancers, and someone else with horns" again, then... you're partially right. But with nuances. Five have already been officially revealed, and each entails not only armies and heroes, but also unique mechanics - all thanks to the Faction Laws system, which forces the player to choose the style of the kingdom, and not just "take the castle with the most beautiful flag".

Temple

Classic people, knights, paladins and everything that smells like steel, fanaticism and orders. Emphasis on discipline, balance and, most likely, fan love for the "good old heroes".

Necropolis

You can't do without them. Necromancers, skeletons, the rise of the dead right on the battlefield. Villagers are turned into skeletons, enemies are hidden in the shadows. Everything is just like in 1999, only with updated animation. Last Halloween, the developers showed a short video announcing this faction (they chose the right time). It includes 11 heroes, all dressed in costumes that would win prizes at a carnival. They also showed a couple of dozen soldiers of the faction, all of whom looked like they had just taken a holiday for a walk from hell.

Sylvan

Forest, elves, fairies, arrows, magic and speed. The case when beauty is combined with deadly accuracy. They run fast, hit from afar, and are likely to be annoying with their evasion.

Dungeon

The good old underground club of anonymous intriguers. Minotaurs, jellyfish, troglodytes, hydras, dark elves - everything is dark, slippery and poisonous. Ideal for those who like to do harm and stay in the shadows. Dragons belong to the underworld - now there are 4 of them, after the black one comes an even more powerful one - the ash one. And not only dragons and hydras can make collective attacks. Minotaurs with jellyfish can also do it (yes, the jellyfish bow will now shoot at squares). So far, 7 heroes of the faction have been shown, and there may be more at release:

Hive

A swarm of insect-like creatures controlled by a demon lord with shades of Inferno. These are not just insects - it's organised chaos that comes at you in waves. It looks like it will be the most aggressive faction in the game. There is also a video demonstrating their capabilities:

?? (the Sixth Faction) is still under wraps, but the developers hint that it will be an ice city with a touch of sci-fi. Perhaps this is the moment when Heroes will once again say "hello" to the technologies that have been hiding somewhere under the fantasy facade. Plasmodragons, cyborgs, white wizards with a cold processor instead of a heart? We'll see.

Each faction is not just a "visual style" or a set of creatures, but a full-fledged gameplay experiment. Thanks to the "laws of factions", the player will be able to customise the economy, combat tactics, and even the magical doctrine of their kingdom. And this is no longer an "either/or", but "everything will be in its own way".

So, Olden Era is preparing not just the classic "choose your castle", but a whole faction identity with deep mechanics. And if the sixth faction shoots, there will be more to this war than just war gnomes with axes.

Modes for each hero: how Olden Era plans to keep you captive for a long time

Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era doesn't just go back to basics - it immediately tries to guess how you want to play and gives you a choice even before you hit "end of turn". There's something for everyone - if you want a story, if you want PvP, if you want to die as a single hero, you're welcome.

Let's start with the campaign. It's not linear - that is, it's not "go here, beat this" - but with choices that really affect the plot, alliances, and even who you will see in the final. Some missions branch off and lead to completely different scenarios. So if you have an obsession with going through everything differently, this is the place to do it.

For those who don't believe in friendship, there is an online multiplayer for up to 8 players at a time, with custom rules, 1v1 duels, and all the delights of strategic survival. If you want real hardcore, go to the ranking mode with tables, elos, leaders, and drama every turn.

And now for the new features.

One-Hero Mode

It's like playing chess with one queen: one hero, one chance. Once he's dead, it's over. Ideal for those who believe that control is paramount, and there is no luxury of a spare hero.

Arena Mode

Just a battle, without a map. You choose a hero, artefacts, skills, creatures, and then go into the cage. No mines, castles, or map marathons - just you, your opponent, and tactical minimalism. The community is already comparing it to something like a "heroic hardstone", and there is something to it.

Hotseat

The same hotseat that used to make you fight with your brother, friend, or father because he spent 40 minutes playing one character. Yes, the mode for multiple players on one PC is back - and without it, Heroes is simply not Heroes.

Units will get more upgrade options and more animations. Illustration: Unfrozen

There will also be a single player map mode and a random map generator, because no matter how many campaigns Ubisoft makes, players will still get stuck in endless random worlds at 200% size with one hero and a bunch of artefacts in the swamp. In short: Olden Era is not a game, but a real platform for strategic sticking in any format. Instead of "mastered and forgotten", here it will be "one more match and then go to bed". Well, or one more.

"Are the heroes coming back?" - the community of gamers about Olden Era: hopes, flexibility, and a little bit of fear

The news about the announcement of Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era made as much noise as the appearance of the Black Dragon in the first week of the game. Reddit, fan forums(1, 2, 3), the Steam community - everything is buzzing.

Finally, people say, something like Heroes III, not another experiment with mixing genres, factions, and wallets.

Most posts are the classic "give us the same, but better". Players cling to every detail that reminds them of the third part: a hexagonal field? An enrotte? A kind of fantasy childhood home. An election campaign? Give me two. Even the journalists in their texts openly say: yes, there is a lot of the spirit of the Troika here - and this is not a criticism, but a compliment.

Arena Mode and One-Hero Mode are the most discussed modes, which are fresh and can attract not only old fans but also a new audience. Some see it as a chance to return to the series without committing to 60 hours, while others see it as a new format for tournaments and streams. After all, who doesn't want to watch their hero die in one hit because you didn't calculate the move?

But not without a spoonful of criticism in the cauldron of hope. Graphics have become a stumbling block: some players say it looks like "tablet gameplay", while others emphasise that it's still better than the plastic styling of the last few titles. The developers promise that the visuals are "drawing classics with a modern twist". We will see if it works in battle. By the way, here is the first official gameplay video:

A separate topic is the sixth faction, which is kept secret. The Internet is already full of theories: from ice cyborgs to the "random artefacts from MM8 lore" faction. And this anticipation is the best news. Because when a community fantasises, it means it believes.

The general mood is one of cautious optimism with the hope of a major revision of the past. Everyone wants it to be not just "Heroes in a new wrapper", but a real successor. And if Olden Era really catches that magic, the series will have a future again. And maybe even tournaments in the kitchens of 2025.

The sounds of Jadamu: composers, orchestra, and visual fan service that doesn't hurt your eyes

The music in Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era is not just anyone, but Paul Romero himself - the man whose tunes from Heroes III still live on in fans' playlists, along with the soundtracks from the Hobbit films and the famous "10 Hours of Necropolis Theme". His return is at least half the reason why old players are already excited.

Romero is joined by Cris Velasco, who has worked on such cult games as God of War, Mass Effect, and StarCraft II.

This means that there will be not just background music for digging mines, but a full-fledged epic sound drama with goosebumps.

Another trump card is the Heroes Orchestra, who have long proved that the music from Heroes can be played in a philharmonic. They are also in the game, so get ready for a real audio nostalgia with a twist.

As for the visuals, Olden Era is not a "new fashion", but respect for the classics. It's a colourful, rich, slightly fairy-tale style that makes you feel like you're not in a game, but in a book that has been brought to life. The city screen is not just a static diagram with buildings, but a living picture. In battle, there are flashes of magic, creature animations, and special effects that don't hurt your retro love, but don't look like 1999 at maximum settings either.

The game will run on Unity, which promises stability and a wide range of graphics settings - from "my laptop is pulling it" to "we're using all the potential of your video card that you forgot about" (although you can probably leave ray tracing out).

In short, the developers want you not just to play, but to immerse yourself. And it seems they succeed - at least at the level of music and pictures.

Olden Era is not a clone of Heroes III, but an attempt to make something more than just "another part"

So far, Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era looks like a full-fledged application to gather fans around the campfire again, where the map of Enroth is crunching and the kettle is smoking for 300 turns. And here it is important: this is an official prequel. Not a fan fiction, not a remake, not an experiment on a mobile phone engine, but a return to where it all began - to Enroth.

The developers are clearly not hiding their inspiration from Heroes III: Hexagonal Field? Yes. Classic factions such as Temple, Necropolis, Sylvan and Dungeon? Map exploration, tactical battles, artefacts, castles, and "who the hell doesn't have a tree again?" are all there. But Olden Era isn't the same old Ctrl+C from 1999.

New systems have been introduced to the game that have the potential to change the pace and depth of gameplay:

• Faction Laws - now your kingdom lives by its own laws (literally), and you choose which ones.
• Unit energy meters - attack for timing, not just "move and hit".
• Hero subskills - character customisation goes deeper than just attack/defence.
• Artifact sets are another reason to climb into every cave.
• The storyline campaign is non-linear, with elections that affect alliances and the development of events. The geography is new: the mysterious continent of Jadam, which used to be somewhere in the lore, has now become the main stage.

And most importantly, new modes: One-Hero Mode for thrill-seekers and Arena Mode for those who want a tactical focus without running around the map. All of this means one thing: Olden Era is not trying to be "just another Hero".

It wants to be a bridge - between those who still remember Paul Romero's soundtrack on cassette and those who will download the game on Steam for the first time.

And this is what the spellbook will look like. Illustration: Unfrozen

And if this design holds up, it could be not just a comeback, but a new era. And yes, the name is very appropriate.

In a nutshell

Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era is not just another attempt to revive the glorious past, but a potentially new chapter in the legendary saga that has every chance of becoming something more than just "another Heroes". An official prequel, a return to Enroth, a soundtrack by Paul Romero himself, visuals that are drawn rather than rendered, new modes, old factions, a hexagonal field, and pumping with depth - all this sounds like a love letter to fans written not by CAPS LOCK, but with respect for the source.

Yes, so far we have only announcements, screenshots, and early access in the coming weeks. But even at this stage, it is clear: Unfrozen Studio is not playing "modernisation for the sake of trends", but is trying to really take the spirit of the classics and breathe new life into it. Without pathos, but with ambition.

Will it work? We'll see. But at least now the fans have a reason to wait - not for a new copy of Heroes III, but for a game that is ready to step out of the shadow of its predecessors and say: "This is not The End. This is The Beginning". Or at least "Your turn, hero".

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