Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era has taken Steam by storm, selling over 500,000 copies in just 72 hours of Early Access. With 60,000 peak concurrent players, Very Positive reviews, and a spot at #2 on the Steam best-sellers chart, the nostalgic strategy RPG revival is one of 2026’s biggest launches.
Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era sold over 500,000 copies within 72 hours of launching into Steam Early Access on April 30, 2026. Developed by Unfrozen and co-published by Hooded Horse and Ubisoft, the turn-based strategy RPG climbed to second place on Steam’s global top sellers chart, sitting just behind the free-to-play Counter-Strike 2 and ahead of major titles like Windrose, Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred, and Forza Horizon 6. The game is the first new entry in the Heroes of Might and Magic franchise in over a decade, following Heroes of Might and Magic 7 in 2015.
250,000 Copies and Break-Even in Under 24 Hours
The first day alone was enough to rewrite expectations. Unfrozen and Hooded Horse announced that Olden Era sold 250,000 copies in approximately 16 hours, fully recovering its roughly $5.5 million development budget within a single day. At the time of that announcement, the game had already accumulated over 3,000 user reviews on Steam with a 91% positive rating, earning a “Very Positive” overall score.
By the 72-hour mark, total sales surpassed 500,000, the official Discord had grown to 25,000 members, and Steam reviews exceeded 6,000. The all-time concurrent player peak reached 60,885 on May 3, 2026, according to SteamDB. These numbers place Olden Era in the same launch-performance tier as games like Helldivers 2, as noted by PC Gamer.
What Makes Olden Era Different from Previous HoMM Games?
Olden Era is positioned as an official prequel to the original Heroes of Might and Magic series, set on the continent of Jadame in the world of Enroth, before the events of the first game. It was built from the ground up to recapture the spirit of Heroes of Might and Magic III, widely considered the peak of the franchise. The core gameplay loop remains familiar: explore a strategic overworld, develop towns, recruit heroes, build armies of mythological creatures, and engage in hex-based turn-based combat.
What separates Olden Era from its predecessors is the addition of modern quality-of-life features, an updated AI system, a new faction law mechanic that provides unique faction bonuses through a special currency, and the Focus system in combat. Focus is a resource that builds as units deal and receive damage, enabling powerful active abilities that add tactical depth beyond traditional move-and-attack patterns. PC Gamer called it “not a reimagining or a divisive reinterpretation” but simply “a brilliant strategy game.” GameStar wrote that Olden Era “really does feel like coming home, specifically to the best installment of the series, Heroes 3.”
Six Factions and Over 100 Unique Heroes
The Early Access build ships with six playable factions: Temple (human knights and holy warriors), Necropolis (undead armies with vampires and liches), Grove (nature spirits and druids), Dungeon (dragons, minotaurs, and underground creatures), Hive (aggressive insectoid forces), and Schism (eldritch, Lovecraftian horrors that splintered from Dungeon lore). Each faction has 18 heroes, totalling over 100 unique heroes with distinct starting armies, skill sets, and spell rosters.
Units within each faction can be upgraded along two different paths, adding replayability and build diversity. Strategy and Wargaming’s review, which awarded the game 8.5/10, noted that “each hero could be considered a sort of sub-faction” because of how deeply hero choice influences gameplay. The reviewer praised the faction variety while noting that more neutral map creatures and classic fantasy units like goblins or demons would further enrich the experience in future updates.
Four Game Modes Available at Launch
Olden Era launched with four distinct modes. Classic mode generates procedural worlds where players control multiple heroes in a race for dominance. Single-Hero restricts the player to one hero, creating a tighter, more focused strategic experience. Arena mode uses a draft system inspired by card-game mechanics: players choose a hero, then draft skills, artifacts, spells, and army units before heading into a one-on-one tactical battle. Arena has its own matchmaking and rating system. Scenario mode features hand-crafted maps with self-contained stories built by developers or community members through the in-game map editor.
All modes support both single-player and multiplayer, including online PvP for up to eight players and local hot-seat play. The first act of the narrative campaign, which follows a minotaur named Gunnar confronting the rising Hive threat, is also playable in the current build. The game is also available on PC Game Pass and Game Pass Ultimate from launch day.
Jon Van Caneghem Returns to the Franchise
One of the most significant developments surrounding Olden Era is the return of Jon Van Caneghem, the original creator of the Might and Magic franchise and founder of New World Computing. Announced in January 2026, Van Caneghem joined Unfrozen as creative advisor, marking his first involvement in the series since Heroes of Might and Magic IV over 20 years ago. He is contributing to game design, worldbuilding, and creative direction alongside the guidance Ubisoft provides as the IP holder.
The musical legacy of the franchise is also preserved. Paul Romero, the iconic composer behind the soundtracks of every previous Heroes game, returned to compose original music for Olden Era. He is joined by Cris Velasco, known for his work on God of War, StarCraft II, Bloodborne, and Mass Effect, along with Mateusz Alberski and the Heroes Orchestra, who handle the orchestral arrangements.
How Does It Run? Performance and Steam Deck Compatibility
Performance reports have been overwhelmingly positive. Strategy and Wargaming noted zero crashes and a smooth 120 FPS experience on PC. On Steam Deck, the game runs at 40 to 50 FPS on the overworld map and hits a steady 60 FPS during combat, though it currently lacks native gamepad support and relies on keyboard-and-mouse emulation through Steam Input. RPG Site confirmed that multiplayer performance on Steam Deck mirrors offline play quality. The game requires an SSD for storage and supports 16 languages, including full interface and subtitle localisation for major European languages.
Early Access Roadmap: What Comes Next?
Unfrozen plans for the Early Access period to last approximately one year, though the timeline may shift based on community feedback. The full release is expected to include additional scenarios, new map templates, improvements to the map editor, an Underground map layer, and the remaining acts of the narrative campaign. The developer has also indicated that the price may increase as more content is added during Early Access.
The current Early Access price is $29.99 / €29.99 / £26.24 with a 25% introductory launch discount running until May 14, 2026. The standard price is $39.99. The game had already surpassed 1.5 million wishlists on Steam before launch, placing it among the top 10 most wishlisted games on the platform at the time of its Early Access date announcement.
Critical Reception So Far
Professional reviews have been broadly positive. PC Gamer praised it as a brilliant strategy game that avoids being a divisive reinterpretation. GamesRadar+ called it “a triumphant return for the legendary strategy RPG series.” IGN’s early access review highlighted that Olden Era captures “the essence of that one-of-a-kind turn-based strategy that has gone all but missing in the scene for decades.” Strategy and Wargaming gave it 8.5/10, noting that the simplicity, addictive “just one more turn” loop, and faction depth make it a worthy successor, while flagging the occasional repetitiveness of late-game neutral encounters as an area for improvement.
On the user side, Steam reviews stand at “Very Positive” across over 7,600 total reviews in all languages, with English-language reviews running at 89% positive from more than 2,200 reviews. The game’s Gamereactor Turkey review noted that its Early Access build already has “nearly all the elements needed to be the successor fans have waited decades for.”
Why Olden Era Matters for Strategy Fans in 2026
2026 has been an unusually strong year for strategy gaming, with titles like MENACE, Slay the Spire 2, and Task Force Admiral already making waves. Olden Era’s explosive launch proves that the classic turn-based strategy formula, when executed with care and respect for its roots, can compete with modern blockbusters. The involvement of original series creators, a passionate development team, and the sheer nostalgia factor for HoMM III fans combined to create one of the year’s most compelling Early Access stories.
Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era is available now on Steam and through PC Game Pass. With active developer communication, rapid bug-fixing post-launch, and a clear roadmap ahead, it is shaping up to be a defining strategy title for both veterans who remember swapping Game Boy batteries over hex grids and newcomers discovering the franchise for the first time.
