Heroes of Might and Magic is ready for a grand comeback

Fantasy, role-playing, and strategy have always been a good combination, and there are few things on this earth that have combined the concepts as well as Heroes of Might and Magic. This venerable series is a household name in the gaming world thanks to its long presence and popularity, stretching back to the 1990s. Just like with Age of Mythology and Command & Conquer: Generals, it was originally a spin-off. It started with Might and Magic, created in the 1980s by Jon Van Caneghem and New World Computing. That series was known for its first-person perspective and interesting fantasy world. Then, as Might and Magic grew as a brand, the brand would expand into new genres.

It was in 1995 that the first game in the series was released under the name Heroes of Might and Magic: A Strategic Quest. This title was directly inspired by the first Kings Bounty, with a structure that was similar with a few differences such as city building. You gather resources, recruit troops, upgrade your hero, and fight in turn-based battles. This series was an evolution of the one we saw in Kings Bounty and I would argue that Caneghem is as important a name to Might and Magic, as Sid Meier is to Civilisation. Another clear sign of this inspiration could be discerned when Heroes of Might and Magic: Quest for the Dragon Bone Staff was released for the PlayStation 2. This was not Heroes of Might and Magic but a remaster of Kings Bounty under a new name, where small changes such as music and cosmetic adjustments are clearly discernible, but the gameplay is intact.

Of the non-PC titles, it was the Gameboy Colour versions of the original and sequel that impressed most. They were more similar to their PC counterparts and were released in 2000-2001. The second was particularly unique because of the way it combined aspects of all three mainline games on the PC, where even though it wasn't perfect, the format worked very well portably. I particularly liked the second game at the time, even though the music in the first was a cut above. Also, despite the limitations of the format, it was possible to have fun with this edition as well, where it felt modern even with limited graphics and sound. Unfortunately, it's unclear how many copies these two titles sold on their format, but it was well worth a try.

The 3DO Company and New World Computing would release four main titles for PC in this popular sequel series, and there were plans for a fifth instalment and an online title. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to keep the companies alive. Both went under in 2003 and Ubisoft bought the Might and Magic rights for nearly $14 million. Caneghem would go on to make games but not within this brand unfortunately. It's a bit of a shame he hasn't been more involved in the modern titles considering what expertise he holds about his creation. His last title was released in 2017 under the name Creature Quest, and he was also involved in Victory Games' defunct Command & Conquer: Generals 2. What he's working on at the moment is a bit unclear, however, we do know that Creature Quest's servers have been permanently shut down in early 2024.

Ubisoft took on the responsibility of producing the next Heroes of Might and Magic after the acquisition and produced a relatively successful fifth instalment with the help of developer Nival. The fifth instalment sold more than 350,000 copies that year and was considered a commercial success by Ubisoft. Unfortunately, the series' sequels would receive increasingly poor ratings and reviews via both journalists and gamers with their sixth and seventh titles. Reviewers felt that the games were less premium, more broken, and too symmetrical in their design than before. They described these games as not being as entertaining and interesting in their core structure. My personal opinion is that I think the sixth and seventh looked significantly better design-wise than the fifth, yet unfortunately, both were too focussed around the multiplayer mode and symmetry that they lost their charm as a consequence.

With the seventh title selling well below expectations, it would be a long time before we saw signs of life from the brand again. I personally thought this was the killing blow for the series, as it would be nine years before Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era was announced. Developed by Unfrozen, it will take place in the realm New World Computing once created. We will be travelling across a whole new continent and the idea is that this will be an attempt to get back to its roots. In several interviews, Unfrozen has pointed out how popular the first titles are and they wanted to offer their own interpretation of that world.

We at Gamereactor have not yet been able to test the new title, therefore we cannot comment on its qualities and shortcomings at this time. One thing that is certain is that Might and Magic didn't quite become the cash cow Ubisoft was counting on. We can also see this in the main series, which has not yet received a new title beyond Might & Magic X: Legacy from 2014. If Olden Era sells well, we might even see new life in the main series, but it's worth saying that we've also been fortunate that King's Bounty hasn't been completely forgotten, as that series received its last title in 2021. The fact that both of these iconic brands are still alive today is nothing short of awesome, but the question remains whether there is still a place for these fossils in the modern day. We know that the older games still sell well today, however, we don't know how well they sell. It all depends on whether Unfrozen manages to deliver on its promises and offer something interesting enough to both older and new players of the series.

Caneghem is not as well known as, say, Meier or Chris Taylor in the strategy sphere, but his importance to the genre cannot be underestimated, as without him, many developers would have lost two important sources of inspiration for their creations. Heroes of Might and Magic 3 still has a large community around the world and a vibrant competitive scene with annual tournaments. The third instalment is, according to Gog themselves, their best-selling title since its launch in 2008, and this shows that several of the iterations have managed to remain both popular and relevant today.

Next year, Heroes of Might and Magic celebrates its 30th anniversary, and if you've been with them since the beginning, like me, you'll no doubt have something to celebrate next year. I've been following Heroes of Might and Magic since the beginning and always appreciated the concept. There is a joy and a timeless quality to building small kingdoms and fighting for the resources of those worlds. It's so different from Age of Wonders, Songs of Conquest, Kings Bounty, and Disciples that it remains unique in its genre. In modern times, the trilogy has also been given a board game variant, which I have yet to try.

Despite the developer and publisher changes, it's still clear that there's room for the series in the modern era. It also remains to be seen if Caneghem will return to the series he once co-created, although if he did, it's unlikely that he would be more than a consultant. Regardless, I can't wait for 2025 and hope that Unfrozen succeeds in its project.