Heroes of Might and Magic Olden Era Review: Early Access (2026)

Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era is the first new mainline-style Heroes game in years, and its early access launch in April 2026 turned into one of the strategy genre’s biggest stories of the year. This Heroes of Might and Magic Olden Era review covers what is in the current build, how its new systems change the classic formula, what is still missing, and whether you should buy now or wait for 1.0. The short answer: if you loved Heroes III, Olden Era is already the closest thing to a true successor, but it is unfinished, and the campaign in particular is only partly there.

Quick Verdict

Buy it now if you are a Heroes veteran or a turn-based strategy fan who mainly plays skirmish, random maps, hotseat or multiplayer. That side of the game is already deep, polished and hard to put down.

Wait for 1.0 if you mostly play strategy games for their campaigns, need controller support, or are new to the series and prefer a gentler on-ramp. Only the first campaign act is available, and the learning curve is steep.

Critical and player reaction has been strongly positive for an early access game. Several outlets call it the best Heroes entry since Heroes III, praising how it pairs the classic formula with modern design. The consistent complaints are an unfinished campaign, a clunky interface, slow AI turns and balance that still needs work.

Olden Era at a Glance

What Olden Era Is

Olden Era returns to the series’ classic two-layer structure. On the adventure map you move heroes, capture mines and resources, explore, and fight neutral creatures. In towns you build structures and recruit armies. When armies meet, play switches to turn-based tactical battles on a grid. Heroes gain experience, level up and pick secondary skills that shape their role.

The setting is Jadame, a continent from Might and Magic lore, and the game is a prequel set before the events of the classic games. The art style is bright, readable and painterly, a deliberate nod to the look fans associate with the series’ golden era rather than the darker, heavier style of later entries.

Unfrozen’s stated goal was to make the game Heroes III players have wanted for decades, and the reception suggests it largely succeeded. The game sold 250,000 copies within its first day, passed half a million within three days and crossed one million on Steam within weeks, numbers that comfortably covered its reported budget.

The Six Factions

Six towns are playable, each with distinct units, magic leanings and playstyles:

Hive and Schism are the most novel additions, giving long-time players genuinely new puzzles to solve. Balance between factions is still being tuned, and a large balance patch for Battle Magic, Temple, Hive and Dungeon was planned for a beta branch after the September 2026 roadmap update.

New Systems: Focus and Law

Focus in Combat

The biggest change on the battlefield is Focus, a resource that lets units trigger active abilities. Classic Heroes battles were mostly about stack sizes, initiative and positioning. Focus adds a layer of timing: when to spend a unit’s turn on a special ability versus a standard attack or wait. Critics generally found this keeps battles fresh without breaking the familiar flow, and several described combat as fluid and satisfying from the first match.

Law in Towns

On the town side, the Law system lets you customise your kingdom with policies that grant bonuses. It adds a meaningful strategic decision on top of the usual build order, encouraging different approaches from the same faction across matches.

Campaign, Modes and Multiplayer

The campaign is the biggest gap. Early access includes only Act 1, which a developer described as 11 missions featuring four of the six current factions. It includes RPG-style dialogue choices that reviewers enjoyed, and Unfrozen has said future choices will affect story progression. Acts 2 and 3 are scheduled for the full 1.0 release.

Outside the campaign, there is plenty to do:

• Classic mode on randomly generated maps, the heart of long-term play
• Single-Hero mode, which limits you to one hero for a different challenge
• Scenario maps with hand-crafted layouts and plots
• Arena quick battles
• Multiplayer online and local hotseat
• A map editor, still in beta

The September 30, 2026 roadmap patch added Alliances (team play) and an expanded random map generator, along with hero skill changes, save interface tweaks and an emote wheel. Some players feel recent patches lean too heavily toward competitive multiplayer at the expense of solo content, which is worth knowing if you mainly play alone.

Early Access Roadmap

The publisher notes that roadmap items may change. There is no fixed 1.0 date yet.

Performance, Interface and Steam Deck

Olden Era has modest hardware demands, so most gaming PCs and many older systems run it comfortably. The weak point is usability: reviewers call the UI and controls clunky in places, AI turns can be slow on bigger maps, and quality-of-life features are still missing. There was no controller support at launch, and on Steam Deck the text is very small, which makes handheld play a chore despite reasonable performance.

Strengths

• The most faithful successor to Heroes III in decades, with a modern polish
• Deep, satisfying turn-based battles; Focus adds tactical texture
• Six distinct factions, including two genuinely new ones
• Excellent replay value through random maps, Single-Hero and multiplayer
• Bright, readable art and a classic-style orchestral score
• Active development with a clear public roadmap
• Included with PC Game Pass, lowering the barrier to try it

Weaknesses

• Only Act 1 of the campaign is available
• Clunky UI and controls; no controller support at launch
• Slow AI turns and balance that is still being tuned
• Steep learning curve for newcomers
• Steam Deck text is too small for comfortable play
• PC only, with no console versions announced

Who Should Buy It Now, and Who Should Wait

Buy now if you are:

• A Heroes II, III or V veteran who wants the classic loop with fresh content
• A skirmish, random-map or hotseat player who rarely touches campaigns
• A multiplayer fan who wants to grow with the competitive scene
• A PC Game Pass subscriber; trying it costs nothing extra

Wait for 1.0 if you are:

• Mainly interested in a complete story campaign
• New to the series and looking for a gentle introduction
• Planning to play primarily on a controller or Steam Deck
• Bothered by balance changes and patch churn in early access

Alternatives and Classic Heroes Games

Olden Era is a PC digital release, so the natural alternatives are the games it is built to honour. If you want to see what inspired it, or need a finished campaign while waiting for 1.0, the classics remain excellent.

Heroes of Might and Magic III HD Edition

Best for players who want the remastered version of the game Olden Era is most often compared to, with its full campaigns available today.

Heroes of Might & Magic III HD Edition [Online Game Code]

Included for 'Heroes of Might and Magic Olden Era Review: Early Access' as a representative home product in this roundup; selection reflects the product set returned for this topic.

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Heroes of Might and Magic III Complete

Best for purists who want the original game with its expansions, the version many veterans still play.

Heroes of Might and Magic III Complete | PC Code - Ubisoft Connect

Included for 'Heroes of Might and Magic Olden Era Review: Early Access' as a representative home product in this roundup; selection reflects the product set returned for this topic.

View on Amazon →

Outside the series, Songs of Conquest is the most frequently cited modern take on the Heroes formula, and Age of Wonders 4 offers a broader 4X spin on fantasy turn-based strategy.

How We Put This Review Together

This is a research-based review of the early access build. We verified release details, factions, modes and the roadmap from official publisher and developer communication and established reference coverage, then summarised what independent critics and the player community consistently praise and criticise. Because the game is in active development, some details here will change as patches land.

Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era FAQ

Is Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era worth buying in early access?

Yes, if you play skirmish, random maps or multiplayer. That content is already deep and polished. If you mainly want a full story campaign, wait for 1.0, since only Act 1 is available now.

When is the Olden Era full release?

There is no fixed date. Unfrozen has said it plans to stay in early access for around a year, and the roadmap places Campaign Acts 2 and 3 in the 1.0 release, with Stage 3 content arriving in early 2027.

Is Olden Era on PC Game Pass?

Yes. Olden Era is available on PC Game Pass as well as Steam and the Microsoft Store, so subscribers can try it without buying it separately.

Is Olden Era coming to consoles?

No console versions have been announced. The game is currently Windows PC only, and controller support was not available at the early access launch.

How many factions are in Olden Era?

Six: Temple, Necropolis, Grove, Dungeon, Hive and Schism. Hive and Schism are new to the series, while the others reimagine familiar Heroes town types.

Is Olden Era like Heroes 3?

Very much so. It follows the Heroes III structure of adventure map, towns and grid-based battles, adding Focus abilities in combat and the Law system in towns. Many critics call it the best entry since Heroes III.

Does Olden Era run on Steam Deck?

It runs, but the experience is compromised. Performance is reasonable, yet the very small text and lack of native controller support at launch make it awkward on a handheld.

Final Verdict

Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era is a triumphant return for a series many thought was finished. Its core loop, factions and battles already stand alongside the genre’s best, and the roadmap points in the right direction. The unfinished campaign, rough interface and early access balance hold it back from a complete recommendation today. Strategy veterans should jump in now; campaign-focused players will get a fuller game by waiting for 1.0.