Studio lead reviving legendary turn-based strategy RPG after 10 years borrows Civ creator Sid Meier’s advice, says perfect sequel is “one-third old stuff, one-third improvements, and one-third something new”

Unfrozen CEO Denis Fedorov seems ready to present his studio's upcoming Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era prequel, the first new game in the turn-based strategy series in 10 years, as proudly as a newborn king. The fantasy game is a fine example of its noble lineage: late '90s games for the MS-DOS.

"The components of a good sequel are one third old stuff, one third improvements, and one third something new," Fedorov tells GamesRadar+, channeling Civilization creator Sid Meier and his "rule of thirds" – "33 percent brand new features, 33 percent improving previous features, and 33 percent staying roughly the same," as one dev diary puts it.

With Olden Era, Fedorov says Unfrozen hopes to "make something which is upscaled but foundational at the same time." That's great news, since the Heroes of Might and Magic series is still one of the most beloved city builders ever (Olden Era has already surpassed 1 million wishlists on Steam).

But some members of its sprawling fanbase are ready to collapse at the castle gates. They're starving, since – while many players on Steam appreciated the nostalgic gameplay of 2015 installment Might & Magic Heroes VII – the game is now unplayable because of ruthless bugs and crashes.

"You will be unable to even launch the game," warns one recent review. "So do NOT buy it, it's bricked abandonware."

Cue Unfrozen's white horse. Fedorov says some players have already put in over 200 hours into Olden Era's currently available demo ahead of the game's planned 2026 release.

"We're trying to satisfy everyone," Fedorov tells us. "After all: Heroes is for everyone."

Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era is a "great pleasure" and a "great responsibility" for its superfan CEO, and he's governed by one guiding principle: "Heroes is for everyone."