HoMM: Olden Era Early Access: 6 Factions & Gameplay

“Ten years of waiting, and it’s finally here.” This sentiment was echoed by countless veteran Heroes of Might & Magic players on the Steam community today. On April 30, 2026, developed by Unfrozen Studio and co-published by Hooded Horse and Ubisoft, Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era officially launched in Early Access on Steam and the Microsoft Store, simultaneously arriving on PC Game Pass with full Traditional Chinese support. This marks the first mainline entry in the legendary strategy series in over a decade. Early reviews are glowing, with media outlets hailing it as the “strongest entry since Heroes III.”

Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era Early Access Key Art — Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era officially enters Early Access today (Image source: Bahamut GNN, ©Ubisoft/Unfrozen)

Game Information

Game Title	Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era
Developer	Unfrozen Studio
Publisher	Hooded Horse × Ubisoft
Platforms	PC (Steam, Microsoft Store, PC Game Pass)
Early Access Date	April 30, 2026
Traditional Chinese	✅ Fully Supported
Genre	Turn-based Strategy RPG
Steam Price	Approx. NT$ 610 (Early Access Pricing)

Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era Adventure Map Exploration Screenshot — The adventure map, exploring the mysterious lands of Jadamee (Image source: Bahamut GNN, ©Ubisoft/Unfrozen)

The Return of a Legend After a Decade: A Brief History

The Heroes of Might & Magic series, born in 1995, is one of the most influential IPs in strategy gaming history. The series’ golden age was defined by Heroes of Might & Magic III (HoMM3) in 1999, widely considered one of the greatest turn-based strategy games ever made, maintaining an active player base to this day. Subsequent entries from HoMM4 to HoMM7 received mixed reviews. After the release of HoMM7 in 2015, the series entered a long period of silence.

It wasn’t until 2023, when independent developer Unfrozen Studio announced its partnership with Hooded Horse and Ubisoft to develop Olden Era, that veteran players saw a glimmer of hope. The demo became one of the most popular in Steam history (peaking at 24,000 concurrent players), and Steam wishlists surpassed 1 million. Today’s Early Access launch finally rewards that long wait.

Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era Hexagonal Combat Screenshot — Returning to the series’ roots with a hexagonal turn-based combat system (Image source: Bahamut GNN, ©Ubisoft/Unfrozen)

The Six Factions

The Early Access version of Olden Era features 6 fully playable factions, each with distinct unit compositions, hero systems, and unique gameplay mechanics. Each faction also includes 18 unique heroes, each with their own stat bonuses and specialties suited for different tactical styles.

🏰 Temple — The Light of Traditional Chivalry

The faction closest to the traditional HoMM style. Infantry, archers, priestesses, knights, griffins, and paladins form a balanced army emphasizing direct confrontation and strong defense. It is the most beginner-friendly choice.

💀 Necropolis — The Undead Legion

An undead army of skeletons, wraiths, and vampires featuring the powerful “Necromancy” mechanic—converting fallen enemies into skeletons after battle. A classic faction excelling in wars of attrition and late-game scaling.

🌿 Sylvan — The Forest Elves

A nature-based faction of wood elves, treants, druids, and mystical creatures. They excel in powerful ranged attacks and summoning natural life, offering high speed and mobility for players who prefer flexible tactics.

🐉 Dungeon — The Dark Elf Dragonkin

Centered around dark elves, assassins, minotaurs, hydras, and mighty dragons. They emphasize high damage output and assassination tactics. While their defense is weaker, their burst damage is unparalleled.

🐝 Hive — The Insectoid Swarm

A brand-new “demonic insect” faction emphasizing “swarm” tactics—overwhelming enemies with rapid unit production and group synergy. Lacking traditional ranged units early on, it is a high-risk, high-reward offensive faction reminiscent of StarCraft’s Zerg.

🌀 Schism — Cthulhu-esque Nightmares

The most unique and controversial faction. Inspired by Lovecraftian Cthulhu mythos, it blends interdimensional beings with mysterious magic. Its rules completely subvert tradition, making it the choice for players who love unconventional tactics.

Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era Six Factions Key Visual — The six factions each possess distinct characteristics and styles (Image source: Bahamut GNN, ©Ubisoft/Unfrozen)

Core Gameplay: The Three Pillars

Olden Era inherits and evolves the series’ three core gameplay pillars, allowing veterans to jump in immediately while letting new players quickly grasp the game’s depth.

🗺️ Adventure Map Exploration

Players move heroes across a large map to explore, gather resources like ore and wood, capture mines and villages, and establish supply lines. Maps include both randomly generated and handcrafted versions. With limited movement points per turn, planning routes is crucial.

🏰 Town Building

Each faction has a unique building tree. Players collect resources to upgrade structures: recruitment buildings determine unit availability, magic towers provide spells, and markets manage resource efficiency. The town is the heart of your faction.

⚔️ Hexagonal Turn-based Combat

When armies meet, they enter a hexagonal battlefield. Players take turns moving units, utilizing terrain, flight, ranged attacks, and magic. Heroes don’t fight directly but cast spells or use abilities to bolster their troops. Classic mechanics like “Wait,” “Defend,” and “Retaliate” return alongside new synergy attacks.

Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era Town Building Screenshot — The town building system, where resource management and upgrades determine strength (Image source: Bahamut GNN, ©Ubisoft/Unfrozen)

New System: Faction Laws

The most significant innovation in Olden Era is the Faction Laws system. Each faction has a unique research tree where players spend resources to unlock laws that permanently alter game rules: buffing specific units, changing resource efficiency, or unlocking new magic. This system ensures that every playthrough, even with the same faction, can lead to different strategic paths.

Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era Faction Laws Research Screenshot — The Faction Laws system provides a unique strategic experience for every game (Image source: Bahamut GNN, ©Ubisoft/Unfrozen)

What’s Included in Early Access?

While not the full game, the Early Access version offers substantial content, estimated at dozens of hours of gameplay:

✅ Six Playable Factions (Temple, Necropolis, Sylvan, Dungeon, Hive, Schism)
✅ Full Tutorial to master core systems
✅ Campaign Act 1 set in the new continent of Jadamee
✅ Single-player Modes: Classic, One-Hero Mode, and Arena
✅ Multiplayer: Online and Hotseat modes
✅ Map Editor for community-created content
✅ PC Game Pass Day One: Playable for subscribers at no extra cost

Unfrozen plans to update the game based on player feedback, adding more campaign acts, faction adjustments, and balance fixes throughout the Early Access period.

Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era Early Access Release Date Trailer Thumbnail — Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era Early Access Release Date Trailer (©Ubisoft/Unfrozen)

Media Reception: Was the Wait Worth It?

Early reviews from international media outlets have been highly positive:

Media	Quote
GamesRadar	“The legendary strategy RPG series finally returns to reclaim its throne.”
Comicbook	“A true return to form—the best since Heroes III.”
Gamereactor	“The six factions offer stunning variety and replayability.”
DualShockers	“Breathes new life into an old series; the Laws system is a highlight.”
Strategy & Wargaming	“The best the series has felt since 1997.”

Praise has focused on faction differentiation, the depth of the Faction Laws system, and the fluid turn-based combat. Common criticisms involve the incomplete campaign and balance issues—exactly what Early Access is designed to address.

Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era Steam Early Access Trailer Thumbnail — Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era Steam Early Access Trailer (©Ubisoft/Unfrozen)

Editor’s Perspective: A Decade of Silence, Replaced by Quality

As a fan who grew up with HoMM3, seeing the series return with this level of quality is truly moving. Unfrozen Studio is a team that clearly loves the series, choosing to return to the roots of HoMM3 rather than blindly following modern trends.

The Faction Laws system is particularly impressive, making every match feel fresh. Combined with random map generation, every game is a unique adventure. While it’s still in Early Access, the inclusion on PC Game Pass makes it a risk-free experience for everyone.

If you’re a veteran fan, download it on Steam or the Xbox App today. If you’re new to the series, there’s no better time to start—this is a strategy game that reveals its charm even to first-timers.

🛒 Steam Page | Official Ubisoft Page