Heroes Of Might And Magic Olden Era Reveals Its Full Early Access Roadmap

Four weeks into Early Access - and after climbing to the #1 best-selling spot on Steam Charts on launch day - Unfrozen has officially unveiled the full Early Access roadmap for Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era. The roadmap spans four distinct stages, each adding meaningful systems and content while gradually closing the gap toward the full 1.0 release. For longtime fans of the series, this is the answer to the most important question after launch: what's the long-term plan? It's also the most concrete picture yet of how Unfrozen wants to expand Olden Era into a full successor to Heroes III.

Stage 1 (Q3 2026): Teamplay, RMG Customization, Hero Rebalance

The first major content stage lands in the third quarter of this year, and the headline is Teamplay Mode. Tthe highly requested co-op feature that lets players team up against AI opponents or another team of players. This is a foundational addition for multiplayer-focused players who've been asking for proper co-op since launch.

Stage 1 also delivers Advanced features for the Random Map Generator, including in-game options to change map size, set the number of players, and adjust other significant parameters directly without external tools. The Hero skills rebalance will tune hero abilities based on community feedback since launch, and the Emote wheel update will make the existing system more comfortable to use with additional responses.

Stage 2 (Q4 2026): Observer Mode, Subclass Rework, Matchmaking Overhaul

The second stage arrives by the end of 2026 and brings the long-awaited Observer Mode and Replays. Features that let players watch other matches live or recap their own most exciting moments. For the competitive multiplayer community, this is the feature set that turns Olden Era into something that can support tournament play and content creation properly.

Stage 2 also includes a Matchmaking system rework with advanced options and features for finding opponents, an Elite classes (Subclass system) rework that addresses one of the more divisive design decisions at launch, and an Alternative Creature Upgrades rebalance that should further tighten faction synergies.

Stage 3: The Road to 1.0 - Classic Features Return

Stage 3 is where Olden Era's classic Heroes DNA most fully emerges. The roadmap covers all the time left in Early Access through this stage, and it's substantial. Returning features include:

• Underground Layer: The classic Heroes feature returns, allowing players to venture into another map level that exists simultaneously with the main map. It comes with special terrain, its own object set, a brand new music theme, and more.
• Thieves' Guild: Another classic returning feature that allows players to gain intelligence on enemies and the broader game situation.
• New neutral Tier 8 Creatures: The Lich Dragon will finally get some company.
• Map Editor improvements: A major pass to make the editor more user-friendly, stable, and clear.
• Ironman mode for the Campaign: One save to rule them all - for players who want to commit to the long haul without easy save scumming.
• Match statistics: Full post-match charts and numerical breakdowns.
• Spell level cap increase: Maximum spell level rises from 4 to 5, with additional improvements to be revealed.
• Major hero specialization rework.
• City model changes on the global map when upgraded.
• New PVP win conditions.

The Underground Layer, in particular, is the kind of feature that bridges the gap between the launch version and the most beloved entry in the franchise. The second-level map was one of the defining strategic elements of Heroes III, and its return here gives Olden Era the verticality that makes the genre's exploration loop feel genuinely complete.

Stage 4: Full 1.0 Release

The final stage exits Early Access and brings Olden Era to full release. It includes:

• Campaign Acts 2 and 3: The fully fleshed-out campaign with a completed story.
• PVE Roguelike Mode: An intriguing addition that Unfrozen is keeping quiet on for now, but says more will be revealed later.
• Map Sharing support.
• Alternatives to Pick & Ban for PVP.
• More achievements.
• More Steam perks (Steam-exclusive).

The PVE Roguelike Mode is the most unexpected reveal in the entire roadmap. The Heroes franchise has historically been a traditional turn-based strategy series, and a roguelike spin on the same systems could be a meaningful evolution, which is not surprising given Unfrozen's earlier implementation of the PvP Unit Drafting Mode. Unfrozen is wisely keeping the details under wraps until they're ready to show it off properly.

Continuous Updates Throughout

Alongside the four stages, Unfrozen confirmed that bug fixes, balancing, UI improvements, and quality-of-life updates will continue throughout the Early Access period. New neutral creatures, heroes, artifacts, spells, map objects, and scenarios will also be added on an ongoing basis between major content drops. The next balance patch was also confirmed to be arriving early next week, after a slight delay from its originally planned release.

The roadmap doesn't include a specific 1.0 release date, but the structure of the stages gives players a clear picture of what to expect over the next 12-plus months. For a game that we saw as a genuine attempt to reclaim what made the series iconic, the level of detail and ambition on display in this roadmap reinforces that this is the real deal. Olden Era continues to be available on the Ubisoft Store, Steam, and Xbox Game Pass.

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This story was originally published June 5, 2026 at 2:44 PM.