Random Map Generator

3:00 Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era builds its skirmish and ranked maps with a random map generator that follows templates: rule sets such as Jebus Cross, Jebus Outcast, Crossroads, Harmony, Sprint, Galaxy and Mix that fix a map's zones, guards, rewards and win conditions while everything inside them is rolled fresh. Unfrozen says it has offered "over 50 random map templates" since Early Access began, and on Sep 30, 2026 the Roadmap Patch (v0.81.02) added a second way to play: the Advanced Random Map Generator, which builds a completely random map from a player's own settings for size, players, Alliances, richness, difficulty, symmetry and win conditions (Unfrozen). Unfrozen calls its generator, five years in the making, "the most advanced random map generator in the series".

Quick facts

How templates work

Unfrozen explained its generator in Devlog #6 on Dec 16, 2024 (Unfrozen). By its rough estimate, about 15% of Heroes 3 random games are "borderline unwinnable" because the map came out too unfavorable: crossroads far from one player's town, too few dwellings or too little experience near the start, roads pushed to the edges, paths blocked by huge neutral stacks. Its own generator:

• guarantees paths are never blocked by a random enemy;
• places "mandatory content" in a zone no matter what (a sawmill near the starting town, dwellings, hero stats, visibility), with the rest drawn at random from a "bag" that differs per zone;
• keeps the distance from each start to the richer zones similar for all players;
• lets a template choose its Pandora's Box types per biome, allow or ban artifacts, spells, units, heroes and skills, switch biomes off ("no lava"), and set win conditions and whether heroes can be hired;
• can make a map of any size the game supports.

Unfrozen also tests templates with tools that simulate "a thousand generations" to check, for example, how many Dragon Utopias a zone gets on average. A template is therefore more predictable than a fully random map, which is why the ranked modes use them (Multiplayer).

Templates by name

The patch notes name these templates, with the sizes and changes they give (Unfrozen, Unfrozen, Unfrozen):

Other templates named in the notes include Universe, Infinity, Last Fortress, Sand Clover, Zookeeper, Symmetry, Vendetta, Blitz, Miracle, All Around, Helltide, Massacre and Chosen One, and Unfrozen's own screenshots show Diamond (XL, 144 by 144), Expanse, Ikarus, Arena Outcast and OctoJebus. The Roadmap Patch added 5 templates for team play; Unfrozen's screenshot of the Alliances filter shows Countdown, Horns, Mayhem, Syndicate and Three of a Kind, Mayhem being eight players in four alliances on 144 by 144.

4:07 Since Sep 30, 2026 every template shows "detailed info and a short description of what to expect", and Quick Start can sort and filter templates by tags (Unfrozen).

The Advanced Random Map Generator

3:07 Players of casual PvE told Unfrozen, in its paraphrase, "We're not interested in predictable templates. Let everything on the map be generated completely at random!" (Unfrozen). The answer, in the Roadmap Patch of Sep 30, 2026, is a mode that makes a map from scratch without the template pool, "a less predictable, much more chaotic experience" for games against the AI. Its settings:

• game mode: several heroes or Single Hero;
• map size and number of players;
• Alliances: on, players are put in random teams where possible;
• zone richness and content density;
• overall map difficulty;
• symmetry (an asymmetrical map "may be completely unpredictable");
• win conditions.

4:16 After that the player picks faction, hero and AI difficulty as in any Quick Start game. At launch it is single-player and in Quick Start only; Unfrozen says the settings "will be expanded" and templates stay for PvP and for players who want balance. This was the roadmap's Stage 1 promise of "changing the map size, setting the amount of players and adjusting other significant options directly in the game" (Early Access Roadmap). Community Feedback #5 had shown a work-in-progress version of the setup screen on Jul 28, 2026.

Your own templates and maps

Unfrozen promised two tools in Devlog #1 on Sep 13, 2024: a Map Editor that is "very approachable" and a Template Editor that is "rather advanced" (Unfrozen). Early Access shipped with "a pre-release version of map editor" (Unfrozen); no announcement up to Oct 21, 2026 says a template editor is in the game (Map Editor). Mirror templates were promised for after the underground arrives (Unfrozen).

Frequently asked questions

What is Jebus Cross in Olden Era? Jebus Cross is Olden Era's main Classic mode template and is always in the Classic ranked pool; it is 160 by 160 in the live game and grows to 176 by 176 in the balance update beta. Jebus Tournament and Jebus Arena are its variants.

What is the biggest map size in Olden Era? The largest map size Unfrozen has named is Jebus Cross at 176 by 176 in the Oct 15, 2026 beta; in the live game Jebus Cross is 160 by 160. Unfrozen says the generator can make a map of any size the game supports.

Can I make my own template in Olden Era? Not yet: Unfrozen promised an advanced Template Editor in 2024, but as of Oct 21, 2026 only a pre-release map editor is in Olden Era. The Advanced Random Map Generator lets you set size, players, richness, difficulty, symmetry and win conditions for a fully random map.

Can I play fully random maps in Olden Era? Yes, since Sep 30, 2026: the Advanced Random Map Generator in single-player Quick Start builds a whole map from your settings without using a template.

How many templates does Olden Era have? Unfrozen said on Sep 30, 2026 that it had offered over 50 random map templates since Early Access began, including 5 made for Alliances.

Can I play random maps with friends in Olden Era? Yes: templates work in online lobbies and hotseat, including team play with Alliances, but the fully random generator is single-player only for now.

Sources

• BETA Patch: Balance Update - New Damage Formula, Smarter AI & New Creatures, Unfrozen, Oct 15, 2026
• Alliances & Updated Random Map Generator, Unfrozen, Sep 30, 2026
• Patch #13: The Mysterious Island, Unfrozen, Aug 20, 2026
• Patch #12: Bug Fixes & Improvements, Unfrozen, Jul 10, 2026
• Patch #11: Necromancy Update, UI Tweaks and Balance Changes, Unfrozen, Jul 6, 2026
• Patch #8: Skills Rework, Balance Pass & Exploit Fixes, Unfrozen, Jun 1, 2026
• Building the Future - HoMM: Olden Era's Early Access Roadmap is here!, Unfrozen, May 28, 2026
• Patch #1: Template Tweaks and Bug Fixes, Unfrozen, May 1, 2026
• Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era Released!, Unfrozen, Apr 30, 2026
• Devlog #15: How and Why We Chose the Artstyle of Olden Era, Unfrozen, Apr 24, 2026
• DEMO Update is available NOW!, Unfrozen, Oct 17, 2025
• Devlog #6: A sneak peek into Olden Era's templates and the Random Map Generator, Unfrozen, Dec 16, 2024
• FAQ: Part 2, Unfrozen, Dec 6, 2024
• Devlog #1: Everything Everywhere All At Once: Game Modes, Unfrozen, Sep 13, 2024
• Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era - Early Access Overview!, Unfrozen Official, May 1, 2026 (video)
• Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era | Q3 Roadmap Patch: Introducing Alliances!, Unfrozen Official, Sep 30, 2026 (video)
• Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era | Community Feedback #5: Upcoming PvE Content and Events!, Unfrozen Official, Jul 28, 2026 (video)