Legendary strategy franchise Heroes of Might and Magic is back in the first new entry in over a decade — 'This is one of those generational games' developer says | Tech Radar

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Legendary strategy franchise Heroes of Might and Magic is back in the first new entry in over a decade — 'This is one of those generational games' developer says

Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era arrives at the end of this month

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The long-running Heroes of Might and Magic series is coming back in the first new entry in over a decade

Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era is a prequel helmed by a new developer

"I feel like this is one of those generational games," said the studio's community manager

The Heroes of Might and Magic series has been dormant for more than a decade, with the last mainline entry, Heroes of Might and Magic 5, dropping back in 2015. Now, it's coming back — helmed by indie developer Unfrozen and published by both strategy titan Hooded Horse and franchise owner Ubisoft.

The revival has already made quite a splash, shooting up the charts to become the tenth most wishlisted title on PC gaming platform Steam following the launch of an incredibly popular free demo back in October 2025. Things are looking promising - but it's not easy taking the reins of such a long-running and storied franchise, particularly one with such an enduring fanbase.

"I feel like this is one of those generational games," said community manager Bart Podress-Leszek in a recent interview with Tech Radar Gaming. "Three decades ago, it entered the market and created this entire genre around it, essentially."

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He pointed to the many spiritual successors, which include recent releases like Songs of Conquest and Heroes of Science and Fiction, but argued that while there have been "various successes," there is still "nothing" quite like what "the original series has done."

He added that the franchise is "its own thing" compared to other strategy titles and described it as a "mother game" that "everything else spins off." He pointed to the likes of Civilization and Call of Duty as similar examples, saying they really shaped their respective genres.

Podress-Leszek also discussed the weight of high fan expectations. "It's not just a game you're developing. It's a multi-generational title that has gone through millions upon millions of iterations and changes between all the games that were made," he said. "And even the ones that were not released."

"You're looking at [a series with] a lot of fans that have a lot of various expectations, depending on which game they played the most. And you have to meet all of that."

According to the developer, the team was also careful to respect previous titles. "There's 30 years of legacy, if you include the RPGs, then it's 40 years," he said. This led to the decision to create a prequel, with events taking place on the continent of Jadame previously featured in the role-playing game (RPG) Might and Magic 8: Day of the Destroyer.

"We have this whole new realm of possibilities because we're not infringing on what has already been made, but are creating something that is woven into that instead," he continued. "There's just a lot of creative freedom for us."

Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era is set to launch in early access on April 30, 2026.

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Dash is an experienced tech journalist who specializes in video games, electronic entertainment products, and the wider industry that surrounds them. He currently serves as the Gaming Editor at Tech Radar, leading our review, preview, feature, and news coverage of the latest and greatest releases.

Before joining the team, he was Contributing Writer at PLAY (formerly Official Play Station Magazine UK) and has written articles for many of the UK's other biggest gaming magazines including the likes of Edge, PC Gamer, and SFX.

Now, when he's not getting his greasy little mitts on the newest hardware or gaming gadget, he can be found listening to J-pop or feverishly devouring the latest Nintendo Switch otome.

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Key Takeaways

• News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets

• Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more

• Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards

• Legendary strategy franchise Heroes of Might and Magic is back in the first new entry in over a decade — 'This is one of those generational games' developer says

• Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era arrives at the end of this month