- by Pol
#10 Patch for Olden Era
(v. 0.80.24
The unit formation selected during the tactics phase is now saved for battles against AI players.
- Important details about how the system works:
- The formation is saved separately for each of the player's heroes.
- Formation saving only applies to standard battles against neutral enemies. In battles for objects or against other players, armies are placed in their default positions.
- The formation is saved at the moment the tactics phase ends in standard battles against neutral enemies.
- If for any reason (for example, due to an obstacle on the battlefield) a unit cannot be placed in its previously saved position, it will be placed in its default position instead.
- Unit placement takes into account the order in which stacks occupy the hero's army slots.
- Example: a hero had Skeletons in the first slot and Wights in the second → During the tactics phase, a formation was saved with Skeletons placed higher and Wights lower → After the battle, the player swapped Skeletons and Wights in the army slots, so Wights are now in the first slot and Skeletons in the second → In the next battle, Wights will be placed in the higher position (where Skeletons used to be) and Skeletons in the lower position (where Wights used to be).
- Improved the visual display of unit movement in tactics mode; sound has been added
Balance
- Reduced the damage dealt by the Avatar per point of hero Spell Power: 12–12/16–16/20–20 → 12–12/12–12/12–12. This change is a temporary fix ahead of an upcoming major balance update.
Bug Fixes
- Fixed a bug that caused numerous UI errors after loading a previously started Hotseat game, or when swapping positions with an AI player in the lobby of a previously started game.
- Fixed a bug where, in rare situations, the timer in the lobby settings could display "00."
- Fixed a bug where part of the progress from an old campaign profile could carry over to a new profile created in the same slot.
- Fixed a bug in tournament templates where moving a unit between slots (from a hero to a town, from a town to a hero, etc.) in the last second of the timer before a tournament battle started could result in creatures being duplicated or disappearing.
- Fixed a rare bug in tournament templates where a player who attacked a neutral stack in the last second of the timer before a tournament battle started would lose the ability to interact with that neutral stack after the battle ended.
- Fixed a rare AI bug where, under certain circumstances, the AI could freeze during its turn.
- Fixed a potentially serious bug related to checking adjacent zones for the possibility of interrupting simultaneous turns when casting adventure map spells.
- The notification about an upcoming tournament battle on tournament templates now adjusts to fit the text size.
- Fixed an error where an incorrect value was displayed in the tooltip for the "Eternal Service" sub-skill of the "Necromancy" skill.
- Fixed a bug where, after researching the "Elite Liches" law, the resurrection bonus it provides was not displayed in the Lich ability tooltips.
- Fixed a bug where the "Ambassador's Word" set effect was not triggering.
- Fixed an error where a connection loss window appeared in the following situation: one player upgrades creatures in the "Pit of Glory" while the other player simultaneously moves a hero from the garrison slot to the guest slot (or vice versa).
- Fixed an error where the extended info tooltip for a scroll continued to display over the previous cell where the scroll had been located.
- Fixed a bug where autobattle did not work when attacking objects guarded by a garrison in campaign mode.
Please see the original annoucement Patch #10: Tactics Phase Formation Saving & Bug Fixes
- by Pol
Hi folks!
All three parts of the interview with our beloved Marzhin are now up and you can find them here:
VK:HoMM_Ashan Interview with Julien Pirou "Marzhin" 1/3
VK:HoMM_Ashan Interview with Julien Pirou "Marzhin" 2/3
VK:HoMM_Ashan Interview with Julien Pirou "Marzhin" 3/3
This is not only about Ashan, mostly it's about everything including the new game on which is Marzhin working right now. This is mighty 66 questions, Marzhin smiled upon us :D
And huge Thanks for VK: HoMM_Ashan group for make it happen, hi Anavrin 
and allowing us to repost them here at celestialheavens.com. The original in russian is always available here.
- by Pol
Everything is going fine and our favourite game moved to patch #7 and first draft of Early Acces Roadmap. Let see:
Just not by the side, the horizont of 1 milion copies sold was already surpassed and the game is having almost 17 thousands reviews confirmed, with 'Positive label' in the Steam.
What is not in yet implemented:
- Well, there's no underground
- Neither naval combat or ships
- Decent AI si being stuffed in on the go
As there's a new patch practically every three days, things are moving swiftly and you can check the patch log. I would like to say only one thing, demo and early access version now differs so much, that demo is only for tasting the mood and the philosophy. Some units have different graphics, skill and abilities now, the demo is more than a half year back of this game lifetime.
| Comments (2) |
- by Anavrin
VK:HoMM_Ashan Interview with Julien Pirou "Marzhin"
Good afternoon. Let me introduce myself: I'm the Anavrin, administrator of the Might and Magic: Heroes | Ashan | NVC community on VK. We're fans who absolutely love Ashan and this is the link to the original interview. We recently interviewed Erwan Le Breton, and it was a great experience, but he recommended you for some questions. These thoughts inspired us to interview you. I'd be very grateful if you could answer some of these questions:
#1 Tell us about your experience working on the Might and Magic brand. We know you were a huge fan. What was it like to be the one to influence the development of a sequel to your favorite childhood games?
Looking back, I think I was very young and somewhat arrogant. It should probably have felt more daunting. Working on Might & Magic is a huge responsibility, but I was just thrilled to be working on it.
On the other hand, because I didn’t feel that heavy weight, I felt free to propose some ideas such as making a game like Might & Magic X, so I guess the naivety of youth has some bright sides too.
#2 You joined Might and Magic while Ashan games were being developed. If you had a choice, which universe would you prefer to play in?
So, I’m first and foremost a fan of the original Might & Magic worlds. I really got into the series with World of Xeen and Mandate of Heaven, and this strange mix of fantasy and sci-fi really was a big part of what made Might & Magic so unique to me. I know some people don’t like the sci-fi elements but I’m definitely not one of them. There’s no wondering why I was constantly pushing to bring a little bit of that back :D
That being said, over time I came to really respect Ashan and the vision Erwan Le Breton had for it (as well as the other people involved in shaping that lore: Kurt McClung, Jeff Spock, Mathieu Gaborit, Richard Dansky…). I still feel that on paper, Ashan was a really strong setting, which sadly was not always translated in the best possible way into the games themselves (Heroes V was probably the worst offender due to being developed when Ashan was still being designed, but even the following games had their own issues in that regard).
#3 Your favorite character and your favorite faction?
Oh, this is a tough one… It really depends on the game. I’d probably say Adrienne + Fortress (the swampy one) in the NWC games, and Zehir + Academy in the Ashan games...
Read on: VK:HoMM_Ashan Interview with Julien Pirou "Marzhin" 1/3
- by Pol
Olden Era Ubisoft Twitch with Denis Fedorov, Unfrozen CEO
..answers a few questions ;)
| Comments (2) |
- by Pol
Olden Era Released in Early Access
Hey there, folks!
The portals to Jadame are wide open! Thanks to your support, Olden Era has over 1000 reviews now! We're bursting with happiness here in the studio over all the kind words we're hearing from you! You folks are our Heroes — both of Might and Magic!
We've also seen your calls for co-op / teams / teamplay mode — we're aware that it is highly demanded and are prioritising its addition for Early Access!
Those of you who haven't done so yet, if you like our work and would like to further support us, please consider leaving a review — it is important for us to see your feedback and act upon it! Thank you SO much and may you always roll maximum damage!
- by Anavrin
HoMM_Ashan Interview with Eric Damian-Vernet
Good afternoon.
Let me introduce myself: I'm the administrator of the Might and Magic: Heroes | Ashan | NVC community. We are a group of fans who love Ashan. Our community features all kinds of Ashan-related content, including posts with information from the games, ongoing discussions about the universe's lore, and subscriber-created creations based on the games (figures, fan art, mods, etc.). We'd love to ask you the following questions. If you don't want to answer any, just skip them. Thank you in advance for your time.This is the original text of the interview in russian.
Tell us about yourself and how you came to manage a franchise? Was this something you'd wanted from the very beginning of your career, did you see potential in it while working there, or was it a forced move due to circumstances (such as the departure of previous employees)?
As many things in life, it was a bit of luck and catching the moment. I was working for Ubisoft in China and there was a lot of interest there to develop new Might and Magic games, the Heroes series is pretty famous there and many studio leads or owners are big fans. Myself a player of Might and Magic from early on, I saw this as the opportunity to work on a series that meant a lot to me. It was also the time when the Might and Magic IP team – Erwan , Julien , etc – decided to move on to new projects so there was need from someone to step in and keep this brilliant franchise alive. That was me together with veteran from the Ashan era, Vicky Malineau our IP narrative director and Theo Gallego IP game director (now a creative director on the Oblivion remaster at Virtuos) later replaced by Jean-Felix Monin, creative director. We also work closely with our awesome Community team, Yiran and Anna and of course with our dev partners and other IP partners such as Archon Studio (Boardgame and miniatures) and Modiphius (Tabletop RPG)
Is there a single Might and Magic Team now? If so, how many people does it include? Are there permanent writers who develop plots for several games in advance? Do you plan to promote all games with a single team, as before, or do you have separate marketing for each game?
The IP team is me, Vicky and Jean-Felix, we are involved in different capacity on every Might and Magic IP projects , no matter they are video games (PC, mobile) , consumer products (board games, figures etc) or Transmedia (music, books etc). Together we give a common direction and identity to all these projects, providing lore and branding guidelines, playing a key role in the early conception phase, providing a multi-year roadmap and helping pitch new projects to ensure the long-term future of the Might and Magic franchise.
Do you involve the team's old writers? Do you consult with Erwan Le Breton, Julien Pirou, or anyone else from the old team when developing games?
Vicky was part of Erwan’s team and she’s still very close to the “old” crew. We do keep in touch with Erwan and Julien and they participated in some of our projects – 30th anniversary retrospective book and the Legacy of Heroes documentary - although not games for now. Maybe in the future? It would be a pleasure to team up with them again.
I really like that there are board games based on heroes of might and magic. I like that the franchise is developing in other directions too – not just computer games, but also something else entirely. Can we expect books, films, or TV series based on the franchise? Theatrical productions? Cooking shows? A Disneyland of its own? I think a film adaptation of stories featuring Sandro (or, for example, Alejandro Dela Segadora) could interest many fans.
I also like that diversification a lot! I love video games but I also collect table top game guides, RPGS minis, and watch tons of movies, series and animes. Working on those non-video game project is super fun for us, although it is quite a lot of work (especially for Vicky) as we treat them with the same care and attention as our video games project. In the past year we had the Anniversary book by Dark Horse and new expansions for the Heroes III board game. This year we have the Heroes of Might and Magic TTRPG, a new Card game by Archon, high quality figures based on Heroes III, a miniature wargame, a vinyl, Heroes Orchestra concerts and more to be announced. TV series and movies would definitely be exciting projects to tackle and we did work on some possible treatments and storylines but for now it remains a longer term objective.
In your previous interview for Acidcave, you (EricDV) gave a great example of Age of Empires and how different parts of the games can coexist. Is there a chance of getting expansions for past games, such as a Heroes 6 expansion with the Academy faction or Heroes 7 expansion with the Demon and/or Naga faction? (An expansion for Heroes 7 could wrap up many of the unfinished storylines for Ashan's characters.)
Read on: VK:HoMM_Ashan Interview with Eric Damian-Vernet
- by Pol
22nd April - Olden Era Stress Test
Greetings Everyone!
On April 22nd, from April 22, 2026 11:00 AM to April 22, 2026 11:00 PM , we’re hosting a massive online multiplayer stress-test, and we want you there!
The goal is to get as many people online at the same time as possible to see how our servers handle a crowd. By jumping in and playing, you’re helping us find and fix those last-minute bugs before the official launch. Your help makes a huge difference.
No sign-ups or extra steps are needed. Just head to our Demo during the test window, download the build, and start playing. We’ll take care of the data on our end.
⚔️ Only Arena mode will be available during that time! ⚔️
~src: Discord
| Comments (5) |
- by Pol
Olden Era EA starts on April 30th 2026
Greetings, heroes!
With great pleasure, we are thrilled to announce that Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era EA starts on April 30th 2026!
It has been more than 10 years since the last Heroes game, and we are honoured to add a new chapter to the legendary legacy we all grew up with!
Here’s what you can expect from the Early Access:
- Six unique factions: Temple, Dungeon, Schism, Grove, Necropolis, and Hive and in-game tutorial
- The first act of the campaign. More acts will be added with the full release of the game
- Premade scenarios with self-contained stories, with even more coming during Early Access
- Classic, Single Hero and Arena modes, available in both single-player and multiplayer
- Matchmaking, ranked play and leaderboards for all three modes in multiplayer
- A wide variety of Random Map Generator templates for unlimited replayability
- Hotseat mode, allowing you to play against friends and family one after another on a single PC
- A series of puzzle-style challenges
- A pre-release version of map editor to create your own adventures
Wishlist Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era now!
Join us on the Steam forums and our other social media channels to share your feedback. Whether it’s about the content revealed so far or your own experience with the demo released last year, your stories will help us shape the game as we continue our work during Early Access! We cannot wait to finally put the maps leading to Jadame in your hands!
Discuss the game here, at our newly opened Olden Era Forum.
Why Early Access?
“We love considering and implementing ideas from players, and we will use Early Access to both expand and improve the game. Early Access provides a great way of involving players in the development process, and we are looking forward to working with the community to make a better game together.”
Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?
“We plan to remain in Early Access for a year, but that could change depending on how the design develops with player feedback.”
How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?
“We plan for the full version of Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era to have additional content influenced by community feedback during the Early Access period. We plan to add additional scenarios and map templates alongside improvements to the map editor and an additional Underground map layer. Players will also be able to experience the full story of Olden Era across all acts of the narrative campaign.”
What is the current state of the Early Access version?
“The Early Access version is fully playable, featuring 6 unique factions and three different game modes available to play in both single and multiplayer. Players can also engage with the opening act of the narrative campaign, design their own maps using the map editor, and explore scenarios featuring self-contained stories.”
Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access?
“We might increase the price during the Early Access period as additional content and features are added.”
How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?
“We love involving the community in development and are active on our Discord and the Steam forums. We want to hear all suggestions, bug reports, and player feedback in order to make a better game together.”
| Comments (4) |
- by Anavrin
VK:HoMM_Ashan Interview with Erwan Le Breton
Reposted at CelestialHeavens with kind permission from Anavrin, VK.com HoMM Ashan Community Admin. This is the original text of the interview in russian.
Our team recently contacted Erwan Le Breton and asked him a series of questions, which he kindly agreed to answer. There were many, and we thank everyone who helped put them together. Without you, none of this would have happened! We wish everyone a pleasant reading experience.
Good morning! First, I should introduce myself: I am the administrator of the Might and Magic: Heroes | Ashan | NVC community on the VK social network. We are a group of people united by our love of games set in Ashan.
So, Erwan, you've been with us all this way, starting with the creation of the world of Ashan. Tell us what it's like to create a new setting for a series that already had a world before you? If you were to create the world of Ashan again, would you perhaps change some aspects of the universe (the number of factions, the dragon gods, or something else)?
When we acquired the IP, the existing continuity (Varn, Cron, Terra, Xeen, Axeoth) was fragmented and the existing documentation was hard to find. To be honest, it was quite confusing for us at Ubisoft. After several internal meetings, I recommended to creation of a unified, consistent, and accessible “pure fantasy” universe that could serve as a foundation for all future games across different genres, and that would be 100%, owned, documented and managed by Ubisoft.
If I were to do it again, I would contact Julien Pirou right away to help us create a consistent bible of the pre-Ubisoft world, and use it for Heroes V and Dark Messiah, keeping the Sci-Fi elements, but only as subtle, mysterious hints.
That doesn’t change the fact that I love what we’ve done with Ashan, especially with its core pillars like the Dragon Gods. The main thing I would change is to create more “blank” pages or spaces. We sometimes detailed huge chunks of the world or the timeline that were not present in any game and that came back to bit us later as it limited the creativity of teams who wanted to set their games in these places or periods.
The lesson from it is “if it’s only on paper and the community doesn’t know about it, then it should not be referred to as canonical”.
Were you familiar with the Might and Magic franchise before you started working on it? Which MM or HoMM games had you played? How did you like it?
I had played Might & Magic VI and VII, and Heroes III and IV (campaigns only, not skirmish or multiplayer / hotseat). I enjoyed them all.
Heroes 5 celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. The game is still popular with many fans. But there's a question that's been nagging me for years. According to Fabrice Cambounet, more content was planned for the game after patch 3.1. What exactly was that? New maps, neutral creatures, another Sanctuary expansion? Fans have stumbled upon lizardmen and Naga models, as well as some buildings. If this wasn't supposed to be in Heroes 5, was it supposed to be used elsewhere? Perhaps it's time to lift the veil of secrecy?
Development on Heroes V stopped after Tribes of the East because Nival moved to a first iteration of Heroes VI that obviously was never released (the project was cancelled and transferred to Black Hole). The Lizardmen models were from this ambitious Heroes VI project that had terraforming as one of its core pillars.
I’m always excited when fans unearth lore and assets from cancelled or unused projects. Sometimes, we’ve been able to give them a “second life”. For example, content originally created for the cancelled Might & Magic Raiders eventually found their way into Might & Magic X, Duel of Champions, and Heroes VII.
Some residual information indicates that, at some point after Ubisoft acquired the rights, the new game was going to be set on Axeoth? Some examples. Early versions of town descriptions in H5 occasionally mention things like "refugees from Erathia". And in the Russian localization of Dark Messiah, the dates are marked as "After the Cataclysm" (like in MM9 on Axeoth). There is also the "Beta Ashan" map that references Palaedra from H4. Can you tell us more about that supposed "Axeoth stage"?
Ashan was developed in parallel with Heroes V and Dark Messiah and the first iterations of those games used references to Axeoth (but generally they were little more than name-dropping, and “all over the place”, something that would have enraged the community).
Read on: VK:HoMM_Ashan Interview with Erwan Le Breton
Page 1 of 15
