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

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.