Early Access Roadmap

0:58 Unfrozen's Early Access roadmap for Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era, published on May 28, 2026, has four stages: Stage 1 in Q3 2026, Stage 2 in Q4 2026, Stage 3 over "all the time left in Early Access", and Stage 4, the 1.0 full release, plus regular new content throughout (Unfrozen). As of Oct 21, 2026, Stage 1 is delivered (on Sep 30, 2026), Stage 2 is under way with one item in a public beta, and nothing from Stages 3 and 4 has shipped. The underground layer, the Thieves' Guild and campaign Acts 2 and 3 have no dates; neither has 1.0 (1.0 Release Date).

Quick facts

Regular updates

0:49 Throughout Early Access, Unfrozen promised bug fixes, balance, interface and quality of life work, and "fresh content" on a regular basis: "New neutral creatures, heroes, artifacts, spells, map objects, scenarios and so on" (roadmap). What has come so far (Patch Notes):

• Maps and scenarios: The Mysterious Island, a large single-player map by Papyjama, on Aug 20, 2026 (Patch #13); the custom map Broken Alliance and the scenario Prisoners on Sep 3, 2026 (Patch #14).
• Templates: Jebus Tournament, Outcast Tournament, Mix and Galaxy (Patch #11), five Alliance templates on Sep 30, and Jebus Arena in the beta.
• In the public beta only: the neutral creatures Mummy (Tier 5) and Kitsune (Tier 7), the skill First Aid, 15 new artifacts on Oct 15 and the Orb of Poison on Oct 21 (beta update), and the map object "Hell Light Spire" (Balance Update Beta).

Stage 1: Q3 2026 (delivered)

1:31 Stage 1 arrived whole in the Roadmap Patch of Sep 30, 2026, which Unfrozen presented as on time, with all the features it had promised.

1:46 Alliances go beyond what the roadmap promised: turns are always simultaneous, allies can trade and request resources, which Unfrozen calls "a feature new to the series", share armies and artifacts through Remote Footholds and the Pocket Dimension spell, and both win when either meets the victory conditions. The same post declared "the Q3 Roadmap goals complete". The hero skills rebalance had no single patch; Unfrozen counted the Patch #8 skills rework and the Necromancy rework of Patch #11 toward it.

Stage 2: Q4 2026 (under way)

5:50 With the Q3 goals in, Unfrozen turned to the Q4 list on Sep 30, 2026, and said it was also deep into work on computer opponents with a wider range of strategies against human players.

6:07 The Oct 15 beta is the "biggest balance update since Early Access": besides the alternative upgrades it brings a new damage formula, a much smarter adventure map AI, Temple prayers and anti-streak protection for Morale and Luck. Unfrozen expects the test to last "several weeks" and will announce the release date afterward.

0:39 Observer Mode was "already announced previously": Unfrozen premiered a spectator mode in a video on Sep 19, 2025 as a first for the series (Unfrozen), but the roadmap still lists it as to come. See Multiplayer.

Stage 3: the road to 1.0 (not started)

Stage 3 "includes all the time left in Early Access", and Unfrozen will "share more details on this content as we get closer to the end of Stage 2" (roadmap). None of it has shipped as of Oct 21, 2026:

• Underground layer: a second map level with its own terrain, objects and music, "the classic HOMM-series feature". The Mysterious Island's story is to grow once it exists (Patch #13).
• Thieves' Guild: more information about enemies and the state of the game.
• New neutral Tier 8 creatures: "Lich Dragons will get some company!" (Neutral Creatures).
• Map editor improvements: "much more user-friendly, stable and clear" (Map Editor).
• Ironman mode for the campaign, with a single save.
• Match statistics after a game.
• Spell levels raised from 4 to 5 (Magic and Spells).
• A major hero specialization rework (Heroes).
• Town models on the adventure map that change with upgrades.
• New PvP win conditions.

Stage 4: 1.0, the full release

In Stage 4, "we aim to exit the Early Access and fully release Olden Era (more details about that in the future)" (roadmap). It brings campaign Acts 2 and 3, "Fully fleshed out campaign with a completed story" (Campaign); a PvE Roguelike Mode; map sharing; alternatives to pick and ban in PvP; more achievements; and more Steam perks, for Steam only. No date has been given.

Later statements

1:47 Unfrozen has added to the plan since May:

• Jun 15, 2026: Papyjama, the author of the Heroes 3 map The Mysterious Island, joined Unfrozen as a level designer so maps and scenarios could come "at a regular pace" (Unfrozen).
• Jul 28, 2026: Alliances and the advanced generator "later in Q3", and more classic skirmish maps planned from feedback (Community Feedback #5); more official tournaments, including ones open to sign-ups (Unfrozen).
• Sep 3, 2026: a major balance patch on a beta branch after the Roadmap Patch, with a new skill for Hive's and Dungeon's "bleeding problems", new units in the update after the Roadmap Patch, and a "major update" to computer opponents in the works (Patch #14).
• Sep 30, 2026: work begun on "the features and changes planned for the end of the year", AI opponents being trained "in new tricks and tactics", more PvE map news in October (Unfrozen).
• Oct 15, 2026: new story maps and single-player adventures in progress, with announcements "coming soon" (Unfrozen).

New factions are not on the roadmap. Before launch Unfrozen said only that it was "considering adding more factions" through possible DLC later (Devlog #13, Aug 29, 2025).

Frequently asked questions

When is the underground coming to Olden Era? In Stage 3 of the roadmap, "all the time left in Early Access", which has no date. As of Oct 21, 2026 Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era has no underground layer, and Unfrozen has not said when it will arrive.

When are Olden Era campaign Acts 2 and 3 coming? With the 1.0 full release, Stage 4 of Unfrozen's roadmap. No date for 1.0 has been announced as of Oct 21, 2026; Early Access has Act 1.

Is there a Thieves' Guild in Olden Era? Not yet. The Thieves' Guild is planned for Stage 3 of the Olden Era roadmap, before the full release, with no date as of Oct 21, 2026.

Will Olden Era get new factions? None is on the roadmap. Unfrozen said in Aug 2025 that it was "considering" more factions through possible DLC later, and nothing more has been announced as of Oct 21, 2026.

When do Observer Mode and replays come to Olden Era? They are planned for Stage 2, in Q4 2026, but had not shipped as of Oct 21, 2026.

What did the Olden Era Roadmap Patch add? The Roadmap Patch of Sep 30, 2026 (v0.81.02) added Alliances for co-op and team play, a fully random map generator, an updated emoji wheel and matchmaking changes with a ranked reset, completing Stage 1.

Sources

• Devlog #13: On Schism and Their Eldritch Powers, Unfrozen, Aug 29, 2025
• Premiere: SPECTATOR MODE in Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era, Unfrozen, Sep 19, 2025
• Building the Future - HoMM: Olden Era's Early Access Roadmap is here!, Unfrozen, May 28, 2026
• Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era Early Access roadmap, Ubisoft News, Brittany Spurlin, May 28, 2026
• Patch #8: Skills Rework, Balance Pass & Exploit Fixes, Unfrozen, Jun 1, 2026
• Upcoming PvE Content: The Mysterious Island!, Unfrozen, Jun 15, 2026
• Patch #11: Necromancy Update, UI Tweaks and Balance Changes, Unfrozen, Jul 6, 2026
• Announcing the first official tournament for Olden Era: The Alvari Cup!, Unfrozen, Jul 28, 2026
• Community Feedback #5: Upcoming PVE Content and Events!, Unfrozen, Jul 28, 2026
• Patch #13: The Mysterious Island, Unfrozen, Aug 20, 2026
• Patch #14: More PvE Content and Plans for the Future!, Unfrozen, Sep 3, 2026
• Alliances & Updated Random Map Generator, Unfrozen, Sep 30, 2026
• BETA Patch: Balance Update - New Damage Formula, Smarter AI & New Creatures, Unfrozen, Oct 15, 2026
• BETA Patch: Balance Tweaks - Spells, Heroes & a New Artifact, Unfrozen, Oct 21, 2026
• Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era | Community Feedback #5: Upcoming PvE Content and Events!, Unfrozen Official, Jul 28, 2026 (video)
• Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era | Q3 Roadmap Patch: Introducing Alliances!, Unfrozen Official, Sep 30, 2026 (video)
• Premiere: SPECTATOR MODE in Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era, Unfrozen Official, Sep 19, 2025 (video)