2026 is going to be the year of Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era, and I don't even need the strategy RPG to launch in full for that to be true

It's been four months since Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era's gargantuan Steam Next Fest demo became one of the most-played entries of Valve's October festivities, and I still can't stop thinking about it. Or playing it, for that matter.

I'm definitely not the only one who can't shake Olden Era's chainmailed embrace. The medieval strategy RPG not only doubles down on everything that made Heroes 2 and 3 so memorable, delivering the most similar gameplay to those early entries out of any other in the franchise, it seeks to actively improve upon it all.

True, there's still no sign of an Early Access release date even as we get stuck into January, but that makes it all the more important for my fellow adventurers to keep their eyes firmly fixed on developer Unfrozen's next move – or check the demo out on Steam if you've yet to do so.

The great unknown

Stepping out into Jadame, whether it's your first time or your fiftieth, is an exhilarating experience. As the game currently stands – remember, this is just the demo I'm talking about – features four of the six playable factions coming to Early Access, quick-play Arena Mode, two PvE modes, four maps with discrete gameplay and winning conditions, and scores of unique heroes to recruit throughout. It's a big, beautiful beast, and it's only getting bigger from here.

One of the most exciting things on the way is the campaign itself. I know this because, during my hands-on with the latest build, I got to sample it for myself. Unfrozen's bid to expand upon the RPG side of strategy-RPG is already evident, with plenty of recorded NPC dialogue and more elements of player choice and consequence than past series instalments. I was also told by lead game designer Leonid Parmenov that the campaign comes with its own set of unique gameplay rules – like, for example, an "endless day" with unlimited movements per turn.

I've also already fallen in love with the two newest factions, though for very different reasons. You'd probably run into a faun or two while playing the demo yourself, but that's just the tip of the fey iceberg when it comes to what the incoming Sylvan faction has in store for us.

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It's like chalk and cheese next to the likes of Hive, though – I'm as surprised as you are that bugs are winning me over rather than fairy dragons, but I can't wait to get my hands on the queen bee herself and reign supreme over my kingdom of insectoid minions. It's this blend of the novel and the familiar that has me well and truly hooked. So much of it feels like home to me, as someone who grew up playing Heroes 3 like it was some sort of religion.

Even the sound design is nostalgic, with each new day heralded by a short musical sting that may or may not be exactly the same as the one which plays out in Heroes 3. But at the same time, there's so much to see, do, and explore that I still don't feel I've seen it all yet.

Unfrozen puts a loving, magical spin on the core of Heroes while leaving plenty of room to surprise and delight even the most staunch franchise fan. The best bit? The studio isn't ruling out adding even more to its content plans, or at least that's what I gleaned from CEO Denis Fedorov's cryptic yet open "let's wait and see" response when I asked what lies on the furthest horizon.

All of this runs through my head each time I play Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era. It doesn't make it any less enjoyable, knowing what's to come while loyally playing the demo to make the wait more bearable . If anything, it makes me appreciate Unfrozen's ambition in leaving so much in players' hands already.

It speaks to the studio's confidence – not only in that fact that the game is good enough to simply leave in our hands already, but that all the new content coming our way will elevate the already polished experience it's handed over for free. Games like these don't crop up every day, and that's why I'm calling it here and now: Olden Era is about to be absolutely everywhere in 2026.