Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era is a new prequel in Ubisoft’s long-running strategy series, set on the previously unexplored continent of Jadame before the events of the first Heroes of Might and Magic. It entered PC Early Access on April 30, 2026, with six factions, three modes, the opening campaign act, scenarios, and a map editor.
What is Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era?
Olden Era is an official prequel to Heroes of Might and Magic, developed by Unfrozen and published by Ubisoft. Its story takes place in Enroth on Jadame, a continent referenced in the series but not previously explored in a mainline game. Ubisoft presented the earlier setting as a way to tell a self-contained story that newcomers can follow without requiring knowledge of the wider franchise, while adding context for longtime fans. Ubisoft’s 2024 announcement quotes Brand Director Eric Damian-Vernet describing the aim as a story that “could be played separately from the rest of the franchise.”
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Heroes of Might & Magic III HD Edition [Online Game Code] | $14.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Might & Magic Heroes VII Deluxe Edition - PC | $49.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Heroes of Might & Magic 4 - PC | $5.80 | Buy on Amazon |
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Heroes of Might and Magic - PlayStation 2 | $20.95 | Buy on Amazon |
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Heroes of Might and Magic IV Complete | PC Code - Ubisoft Connect | $9.99 | Buy on Amazon |
The central conflict brings Jadame’s rival factions into an alliance against the Hive, a demonic, insectoid force. That gives the prequel a clear starting point even if a player has never visited the series’ earlier settings.
When did Olden Era enter Early Access?
Olden Era launched into PC Early Access on April 30, 2026, through Steam and the Microsoft Store’s Game Preview program. Unfrozen said it would also be available on PC Game Pass on launch day. The date replaces the earlier first-half-of-2025 window announced at reveal. The launch announcement called it the first new Heroes game in more than ten years.
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It is a PC Early Access release; the official materials cited here do not establish a console version.
How does Olden Era update the classic Heroes formula?
The familiar two-part structure remains: explore a strategic adventure map, then fight tactical battles with the army gathered along the way. Players guide a hero, collect resources, develop towns and castles, recruit units, and improve heroes and factions. Battles take place on hexagonal grids, recalling Heroes of Might and Magic III.
Hero, faction, and unit development
At reveal, Ubisoft described faction-specific abilities, new ways to learn skills and magic, and artifact sets that grant bonuses when heroes equip more than one item from a set. Units also have secondary abilities that become available after an energy meter fills. These systems add decisions both before and during battles, alongside the series’ familiar army-building and positioning.
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- The Deluxe Edition contains an exclusive hero, a scenario map, the full digital soundtrack and Heroes III - HD Edition
- Develop and manage your economy
- Lead armies of legendary creatures to battle
- Build up Heroes of Might & Magic with hundreds of abilities and powerful artifacts
Ubisoft’s announcement framed Heroes III as “easy to learn, hard to master.” That is the development team’s characterization, not an independent assessment of how Olden Era plays.
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Ubisoft announced a nonlinear campaign with consequential choices. Its examples included missions that ask players to support either the Sylvans or Temple, with potential consequences for Jadame’s map, faction standing, and character fates. Those are announced story-design details; they should not be taken as a description of every campaign act currently playable in Early Access.
What can you play in Early Access?
The current Steam listing describes a playable Early Access build with six factions, three modes in both single-player and multiplayer, the opening act of the narrative campaign, a map editor, and self-contained scenarios. The available mix is intended to cover both story play and replayable matches while the rest of the game is in development.
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- Bring hero-characters into battle as super-soldiers in your army
- More than 140 hours of gameplay and 6 unique campaigns
- 11 starting Hero classes, 37 advanced classes
- All-new magic system
- Control up to 8 armies
Factions
The six factions named in Unfrozen’s press kit are:
- Temple
- Necropolis
- Sylvan
- Dungeon
- Hive
- Schism
Modes and scenarios
The press kit names the multiplayer modes Classic, One-Hero, and Arena. The modes are also listed for solo play in the Early Access store description.
- Classic: the series-style mode built around strategic exploration and tactical battles.
- One-Hero: a skirmish format centered on a single hero.
- Arena: a tactical battle mode. Ubisoft’s reveal described players drafting heroes, artifacts, skills, and creatures before a match.
The Early Access build also includes the opening campaign act, self-contained scenarios, and an in-game map editor. Ubisoft’s launch materials additionally describe procedurally generated and hand-crafted maps, though the store listing is the clearest source for the current build’s core contents.
What is planned for the full release?
Steam says the full version is planned to add the remaining campaign acts, more scenarios and map templates, editor improvements, and an Underground map layer. The store listing cautions that the price may increase as content and features are added, but does not confirm a specific future price change.
Ubisoft’s May 28, 2026 roadmap separates feedback-driven work from broader goals. Its planned work includes teamplay, hero-skill rebalance, random map generator improvements, observer mode, an Elite Class rework, and matchmaking improvements. Broader Early Access goals include Underground Terrain, map-editor improvements, and an Ironman campaign mode; longer-term goals include finishing the single-player campaign, map sharing, and a new PvE mode. Ubisoft warns that these roadmap items may change, so they are plans rather than guaranteed delivery dates.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How successful has the launch been?
Ubisoft’s May 28, 2026 roadmap reported that Olden Era sold 250,000 copies in its first 24 hours and more than one million copies in its first month. These are publisher-reported figures, not independently audited sales totals.
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- How to Claim: Open Ubisoft Connect (PC), select three lines icon in top left corner, choose “Activate a Key,” enter key in “Activation Code” field, select “Activate,” and your game will be available on the “Games” tab
What PC does Olden Era require?
Steam lists the following minimum requirements for Windows. These are store-listed specifications, not independently tested performance guarantees; check the Steam listing for changes before buying or troubleshooting.
| Component | Minimum listed requirement |
|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 10 64-bit |
| Processor | Intel Core i3-10300 or AMD Ryzen 3 3100 |
| Memory | 8 GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GTX 1650, AMD RX 5500 XT, or Intel Arc A580 |
| DirectX | Version 11 |
| Storage | 8 GB available space; SSD required |
How does Olden Era fit into the Heroes series?
Olden Era uses recognizable series foundations—adventure-map exploration, town development, army recruitment, hero progression, and turn-based hex battles—while introducing a story set before the original game on Jadame. Its campaign, skirmishes, multiplayer modes, and Arena offer several ways into the strategy systems, but the Early Access build is only a portion of the planned full release.
For franchise history rather than game guidance, Ubisoft has also highlighted Heroes of Might and Magic: 30th Anniversary Retrospective, a Dark Horse book by Neal Hallford covering the series through its present, with artwork, documentation, and interviews. It is a companion history book, not an Olden Era strategy guide. More information appears in Ubisoft’s 30th anniversary recap.
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