Demo Out Now — Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era Brings Back Classic H3 Vibes
A demo for Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era is available now, and the game is scheduled to enter early access on Steam in 2026. The title is presented as a prequel in the long-running series and aims to recreate the classic turn-based Heroes formula with a modern team at the helm.
Demo and release
The developer has released a playable demo, which includes tutorial and campaign levels. You can try the demo on Steam. Additionally, the game is planned for an early access launch on Steam in 2026.
Who made it
Ubisoft is the publisher, while Hooded Horse acted as the project partner and specialist publisher. The development team is Unfrozen, a remote studio with contributors working from countries including Cyprus, Uzbekistan, and Serbia. Hooded Horse is known for publishing strategy and city-builder titles, and Unfrozen describes itself as focused on old-school gaming.
Gameplay
Olden Era follows the traditional Heroes formula. Consequently, the game uses a turn-based strategy structure: heroes explore a fog-of-war map, collect gold, capture cities and resource mines, and encounter enemy parties. Battles use a zoomed-in tactical hex grid where units move for positioning and take turns in a combat queue.
Systems and modes
Players can level up heroes, equip items, choose skills, recruit units, and upgrade a home city to unlock new recruits and bonuses. The game also includes a draft-style arena mode and supports multiplayer features. The demo focuses on the tutorial and campaign segments.
Visuals and presentation
The art direction is a high-fantasy style with colorful, decorative visuals and small, toy-like unit models on the map. The interface is designed to be simple and clear. Battles show units on hex grids with attention to position and turn order.
Early access and timetable
The project is preparing for an early access period on Steam in 2026. The current demo is intended to preview core mechanics ahead of that launch. Historically, the series last released a mainline entry about 10 years ago, and this entry returns the original series title after previous Ubisoft naming changes.
