Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era

Lore & Background

Olden Era is set on the world of Enroth, the same world as the first three games of the franchise, and takes place before the events of Heroes of Might and Magic: A Strategic Quest. The story unfolds on the continent of Jadame, previously featured in Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer but not in any earlier Heroes of Might and Magic games. The campaign follows a minotaur named Gunnar who uncovers a new threat—the Hive faction—which corrupts and destroys the lands of Jadame. Former rival factions across the continent must unite to oppose the Hive's leader, the Dragonfly King.

The game includes six town types: Temple, Necropolis, Grove, Dungeon, Hive, and Schism, the last of which was revealed on August 21, 2025. A new mechanic for the series, faction laws, provides unique bonuses for each faction in exchange for a special currency. The gameplay is divided into tactical overland exploration and turn-based combat, with heroes gaining experience, leveling up, and choosing from three secondary skills and four subskills per level. Four game modes are available: Arena, Classic, Single-Hero, and Scenario.

Reader's Guide

Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era is significant as a continuation of the long-running series, widely accepted for its deep and complex gameplay and its overwhelming sense of nostalgia. It was described by some journalists as a 'new era for strategy' and was one of the most anticipated games of its year. The game sold 250,000 copies within 24 hours of its early access release, breaking even on its roughly USD $5,500,000 development costs. Within 72 hours, it sold over 500,000 copies. It reached a peak of around 50,000 concurrent players shortly after release and had more than 1.5 million wishlists on Steam. The early access release coincided with the franchise's 30th anniversary. The game is heavily inspired by Heroes of Might and Magic III, according to many journalists. Jon Van Caneghem joined Unfrozen as creative advisor in 2026. The music was composed by Paul Romero and Cris Velasco, with the Heroes Orchestra contributing orchestral in-game soundtracks.

Did You Know?

• The game was announced at Gamescom in August 2024.
• The Necropolis faction was first shown on October 31, 2024, for Halloween.
• The secret sixth faction, Schism, was revealed on August 21, 2025.