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

A Legend Returns After Ten Years

Ten years. That is roughly the gap between the lukewarm release of Heroes of Might & Magic VII in 2015 and the Early Access launch of Olden Era on April 30, 2026. In between, the franchise survived through mobile spinoffs and collectors’ editions — but without a genuine, worthy successor.

The result of this return? 250,000 copies sold in the first 24 hours, allowing developer Unfrozen to recoup its entire estimated development budget of $5.5 million on day one. Industry-wide, the message was clear: appetite for a serious Heroes of Might & Magic has not faded.

Two weeks in, here is what Olden Era actually delivers.

Table of Contents

• Six factions with distinct identities
• Faction Laws and Focus: the real innovations
• Eighteen heroes per faction
• Hooded Horse: the publisher that picks winners
• Verdict: Early Access state and outlook

Six Factions with Distinct Identities {#six-factions}

Olden Era’s Early Access features six playable factions, each with its own visual identity, exclusive unit lineup, and Faction Laws tree. These are not just colour-swapped armies — each demands a genuinely different strategic approach:

• Temple — the human archetype: footsoldiers, archers, priestesses, mounted knights, griffins, and paladins. The most approachable faction, powerful in straightforward engagements.
• Grove — forest elves built around mobility and flying units. Positioning and terrain exploitation are the keys to unlocking their full potential.
• Dungeon — dark elves from the underground, fast and devastating but fragile. Playing defensively loses games; this faction rewards all-out aggression.
• Necropolis — the undead cornerstone of the series since HoMM II. Soul accumulation and recycling fallen units remain central mechanics, thoughtfully updated.
• Schism — a chaotic, daemonic faction centred on sacrifices and stacked buff synergies. The steepest learning curve, but the most rewarding when mastered.
• Hive — insectoids that rely on overwhelming numbers and swarm tactics. Surprising at first glance and ruthlessly effective in the right hands.

Each faction supports 18 distinct heroes, each with their own base stats, passive bonuses, and starting skill combinations that genuinely shape your playstyle. The depth of choice here surpasses what earlier entries offered at launch.

Faction Laws and Focus: The Real Innovations {#faction-laws}

If Olden Era were simply a graphically updated HoMM III, its appeal would rest on nostalgia alone. Unfrozen understood this constraint and introduced two interconnected mechanics that meaningfully evolve the formula.

The Faction Laws system is the standout addition. Every faction has a research tree where you spend in-game resources to unlock “Laws” — permanent rules that change how your faction operates. Some Laws strengthen signature units, others alter combat engagement rules or provide specific economic advantages. The practical result: two games with the same faction play out differently depending on which Laws you research and which your opponent prioritises.

Focus Points add a tactical layer to combat. Certain units generate Focus Points through their actions; other units in the same faction can then spend those points to trigger enhanced abilities or special attacks. This in-combat resource sub-system creates synergy chains to orchestrate — subtle enough not to overwhelm, deep enough to reward mastery.

Long-reach units and hero sub-skills round out a suite of innovations that, taken together, breathe real freshness into a 30-year-old formula without betraying its identity.

Eighteen Heroes Per Faction {#heroes}

The number deserves emphasis: 18 playable heroes per faction from day one of Early Access, compared to roughly 16 in HoMM III. More importantly, each hero has distinct base statistics, passive bonuses, and starting skill combinations that meaningfully determine how you play.

A Temple hero specialised in Magic will play fundamentally differently from a Temple hero built around Combat, even fielding identical units. The sub-skill system adds further granularity to progression, with specialisations that amplify particular unit types or Faction Laws interactions.

Community theorycrafting has been in full swing since launch: forums and Discords are already flooded with tier lists, hero comparisons, and optimised builds. That kind of community engagement, this early into Early Access, is an excellent sign.

Hooded Horse: The Publisher That Picks Winners {#hooded-horse}

It is worth acknowledging the role Hooded Horse plays in this success. The indie publisher already proved its judgment with Manor Lords (over 4 million Early Access sales) and keeps backing ambitious projects in the strategy and turn-based space — including the eagerly awaited Vaunted, a sci-fi tactical RPG from veterans of StarCraft.

Ubisoft, which holds the Heroes of Might & Magic intellectual property, made the unusual decision to license development to an independent studio (Unfrozen) and distribution to this boutique publisher. It is a bet on craft over marketing budget — and so far it is paying off handsomely.

Verdict: Early Access State and Outlook {#verdict}

Olden Era is not without its rough edges — it is Early Access, and it shows. Temple and Necropolis feel more polished than the other four factions, a few pathfinding bugs persist, and the single-player content is thinner than the full release will ultimately offer. Multiplayer balance is still being actively tuned.

But the fundamentals are sound. The strategic loop — exploring the map, claiming resources, recruiting units, building your town, assembling armies, and crushing the opponent in tactical combat — works exactly as it should. The new mechanics layer on top cleanly, and each match feels distinct.

The specialist press has converged on the best Heroes of Might & Magic in a decade, and after two weeks of play, that verdict is hard to dispute. For anyone who has been waiting since HoMM VII, this is the entry they were hoping for.

• Developer: Unfrozen
• Publisher: Hooded Horse (under Ubisoft licence)
• Platform: PC (Steam · Microsoft Store · PC Game Pass)
• Price: $39.99 — or included in PC Game Pass
• Status: Early Access since April 30, 2026
• Steam App ID: 3105440

For more turn-based tactical depth, our review of Xenonauts 2 is worth a read — an X-COM successor that recently hit version 1.0 and shows what patient Early Access development can deliver.