HoMM Olden Era Patch 13: The Mysterious Island brings a solo map and a new Arena

Patch 13 for Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era, released on August 20, 2026, adds The Mysterious Island, the game’s first large solo map, and overhauls Arena Mode. Unfrozen announced the map on June 15, together with the arrival of its author, Papyjama, as a level designer.

Update, October 26, 2026: Patch 14, on September 3, added two new custom maps, Prisoners and Broken Alliance, the latter playable in custom lobbies and hotseat. The Steam notes published through October 22 do not yet mention the underground level promised for The Mysterious Island.

The Mysterious Island, a six-faction solo map

According to the official patch notes, The Mysterious Island is a large-scale solo map with six playable factions and a narrative inspired by Jules Verne’s novel. It is the official remake of the map Papyjama created for Heroes III, rebuilt with Olden Era’s mechanics and atmosphere. The press covered it the same day.

The story is not complete. Unfrozen says it will grow in future updates, as mechanics such as the underground level are introduced. The June announcement already presented this map as the first of a series of creations by Papyjama.

Arena Mode: rerolls and starting bonuses

Arena Mode gets the most concrete changes in the patch. During the artifact, spell and creature drafts, each player can now refresh the choices offered. Players have 4 reroll points by default and gain one during each artifact and creature draft phase.

Three other rules frame the draft. Heroes who specialize in a creature guarantee that units of that tier appear for both players. Some very powerful spells no longer go above level 1 by default. Finally, some heroes get a starting bonus to their primary attributes, adjusted from their results in Arena.

The Shift+U hotkey to hide the interface is back. The patch also rebalances six factions: Temple, Necropolis, Grove, Schism, Hive and Dungeon. For example, Hive Parasites lose one point of speed and Scorpions gain initiative.

What to watch

The risk is waiting too long for the underground level: without it, the map is still presented as the start of a story. Patch 14 shows that Unfrozen wants to speed up the pace of PvE maps, with more frequent patches promised. The real lifespan of The Mysterious Island can only be judged from player feedback.

Going further

• Our Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era hub: every article on the game.
• The Mysterious Island and Papyjama announcement: the map’s background.
• The Alvari Cup, first official tournament: the summer’s competitive scene.
• September patch: two new maps and the upcoming Alliances