Throwback strategy game Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era is delayed to 2026, but a new demo on Steam means you can play some of it right now for free
Good news, bad news.

It's going to take a little longer than expected for Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era, the throwback turn-based strategy game announced in 2024, to be ready for its early access release. Instead of rolling out this year as planned, Unfrozen and Hooded Horse now say the game will arrive sometime in 2026.
This is actually the second time HOMM: Olden Era has been delayed. It was originally set to launch in the second quarter of 2025, but developers said in June—very near the end of that release target—that they were postponing to later in the year, "to ensure we give Olden Era the care it deserves."
As it turns out, that wasn't quite enough time to get things done, as the team now says it wants to "conduct more tests, improve the UI, and redesign some of the units," which is going to push it out into 2026.
The good news amidst the bad is that a demo for HOMM: Olden Era is now available on Steam, offering players access to the game's tutorial and three different singleplayer modes, using four "very different factions" of the six planned for the early access release. There's no time limit on the demo, so you can play as much as you like.

"We'd love to hear your thoughts after trying the demo," the developers wrote. "Your reviews and feedback help us identify what works, what doesn't, and where we can improve for the Early Access release." All of the above can be shared with the dev team and other Heroes of Might and Magic fans on the Unfrozen Discord.
2025 games: This year's upcoming releases
Best PC games: Our all-time favorites
Free PC games: Freebie fest
Best FPS games: Finest gunplay
Best RPGs: Grand adventures
Best co-op games: Better together
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.