The wait is finally over. If you have had Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era sitting on your Steam wishlist, you can mark April 30 on your calendar right now.
Developer Unfrozen and publisher Hooded Horse confirmed the Early Access date this week, and the good news keeps stacking. The game lands simultaneously on Steam, the Microsoft Store, and Xbox Game Pass on day one, so you have options on how to get in.
A decade in the making
Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era is the first new entry in the Might and Magic series in over ten years, built specifically to mark the franchise's 30th anniversary. That is a long time for a fanbase to wait, and the appetite for this one has been visible from the moment it was added to Steam, where it climbed into the top 10 most wishlisted games on the platform.
Unfrozen is the studio behind Iratus: Lord of the Dead, so this is a team that knows its way around turn-based strategy. The pedigree matters here.
What you are actually getting on April 30
The Early Access build is not a stripped-down preview. Players get access to a dedicated narrative campaign, skirmish modes, an arena mode, and a mix of developer-made and procedurally generated maps. Six factions are playable at launch, covering the classic fantasy spectrum from the chivalric knights of The Temple to the undead armies of Necropolis.
Both solo and multiplayer are supported from day one.
danger
Unfrozen has stated the Early Access period is planned to last roughly one year, though that timeline could shift based on player feedback and how development progresses.
There is also a new game mode aimed at players who are either new to the series or just curious about a fresh spin on the formula. The key here is that the developers are not just repackaging nostalgia. They are using the Early Access window specifically so players can, in their own words, "actively participate in the development of the game."
From wishlist darling to playable game
The series has history that goes well beyond the last decade of silence. Heroes of Might and Magic III, released back in 1999, remains one of the most beloved turn-based strategy games ever made, and that legacy has kept a loyal community alive through years of no new releases. The announcement of Olden Era at Gamescom in August 2024 hit that community hard, in the best way possible.
What most players miss in the wishlist numbers is what they actually signal: there is a real, waiting audience for this style of game that major publishers have largely ignored. Unfrozen and Hooded Horse are stepping into that gap directly.
What comes next after launch
No full release date has been confirmed yet. The plan is to gather player feedback throughout the Early Access period and shape the final game around it. If you want to follow the development closely or just keep tabs on what the community is saying, the website for Olden Era has a solid overview of the game's background and development history.
April 30 is less than a month away. Turn-based strategy fans have been patient for a long time. The clock is finally running down. Make sure to check out more:
