Paul McNally has been around consoles and computers since his parents bought him a Mattel Intellivision in 1980. He has been a prominent games journalist since the 1990s, spending over a decade as editor of popular print-based video games and computer magazines, including a market-leading PlayStation title. Paul has written high-end gaming content for GamePro, Official Australian PlayStation Magazine, PlayStation Pro, Amiga Action, Mega Action, ST Action, GQ, Loaded, and the The Mirror. He has also hosted panels at retro-gaming conventions and can regularly be found guesting on gaming podcasts and Twitch shows. Believing that the reader deserves actually to enjoy what they are reading is a big part of Paul’s ethos when it comes to gaming journalism, elevating the sites he works on above the norm.
Heroes of Might and Magic III Remake: Everything we know so far about Ubisoft’s 2027 strategy revival
By Paul McNally
One of the most celebrated turn-based strategy games ever made is returning, with Ubisoft officially revealing Heroes of Might and Magic III Remake during Gamescom Opening Night Live 2026.
This is a full ground-up remake rather than another remaster. Ubisoft’s studios in Chengdu and Shanghai are rebuilding the 1999 classic using the Snowdrop engine, transforming its fixed isometric maps into fully 3D environments while preserving the campaigns, factions and community-created content that helped Heroes III survive for more than 25 years.
Here’s everything we know about Heroes of Might and Magic III Remake so far.
When is the Heroes of Might and Magic III Remake coming out?
Heroes of Might and Magic III Remake will be released in 2027. Ubisoft has not announced a specific release date or even narrowed that window down to a particular quarter. That’s remarkably vague considering we aren’t that far fro the turn of the year now and you should already be thinking about starting buying Christmas presents.
The game can already be added to wishlists, but pre-orders are not yet available and no price has been confirmed.
Heroes of Might and Magic III Remake platforms
Heroes of Might and Magic III Remake has been confirmed for:
- PlayStation 5
- Xbox Series X|S
- PC via Steam
- PC via the Epic Games Store
- PC via Ubisoft Connect
- Ubisoft+
There has been no announcement of a Nintendo Switch 2 version, nor any indication that the game will appear on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One.
Watch the announcement trailer
Ubisoft revealed the remake with a trailer during Gamescom Opening Night Live on August 25, 2026.
The footage shows the familiar world of Erathia reimagined in 3D, including exploration, town management, hero movement and the grid-based battles that defined the original game.
Is this a remake or a remaster?
This is a complete remake built from the ground up in Ubisoft’s Snowdrop engine. It is significantly more ambitious than 2015’s Heroes of Might & Magic III – HD Edition, which updated the original game’s presentation but did not include the two expansions.
Heroes of Might and Magic III Remake replaces the original fixed 2D isometric viewpoint with a detailed 3D world and freely controllable camera. Despite the substantial visual changes, Ubisoft says it intends to remain faithful to the foundations of the 1999 release.
“Heroes of Might and Magic III Remake is our way of highlighting the rich legacy of the 1999 original and updating that experience for a new generation of players,” said Xavier Poix, Senior Vice President at Ubisoft and head of the studios working on the game.
“The remake gave us the perfect foundation to expand upon an already beloved game while setting the stage for the franchise’s next chapter.”
What is Heroes of Might and Magic III?
Originally developed by New World Computing and released in 1999, Heroes of Might and Magic III combines turn-based exploration, resource management, town development, RPG-style hero progression and tactical combat.
Players recruit heroes, explore fantasy maps, capture mines and settlements, collect artefacts and build armies composed of increasingly powerful creatures. When two opposing armies meet, combat moves to a separate grid-based battlefield where positioning, spells, unit abilities and morale can determine the outcome.
Its range of factions, campaigns, multiplayer options and user-created maps helped give Heroes III an unusually long lifespan. More than two decades later, the original remains widely regarded as the high point of the series.
The complete original game and both expansions are included
Unlike the previous HD Edition, Heroes of Might and Magic III Remake includes the complete content of the original game alongside its two major expansions:
- Armageddon’s Blade
- The Shadow of Death
The remake will contain all of the original campaigns and all nine classic factions:
- Castle
- Rampart
- Tower
- Inferno
- Necropolis
- Dungeon
- Stronghold
- Fortress
- Conflux
Ubisoft is combining the campaigns into one continuous experience rather than presenting them as completely separate packages.
A new introductory prologue campaign is also being added to familiarise new players with the setting and its mechanics. The story will be supported by a new collection of fully produced cinematics.
What is the story?
The central campaign follows Queen Catherine as she returns to Erathia following the assassination of her father, King Gryphonheart.
Her homeland is being torn apart by invading factions, while the murdered king has been resurrected by necromancers and transformed into an undead warlord. Catherine must restore order to Erathia, uncover the truth about her father’s death and confront the armies threatening the kingdom.
The two expansions considerably widen that story. Armageddon’s Blade concerns Lucifer Kreegan’s attempt to construct a weapon capable of setting the world ablaze, while The Shadow of Death follows the lich Sandro’s search for two powerful artefacts.
How is the gameplay changing?
The core combination of exploration, army building, hero progression and tactical combat will remain intact. Ubisoft has nevertheless promised quality-of-life improvements intended to make the game more intuitive.
These include new planning and decision-making tools, although the publisher has not yet provided detailed examples of how they will work.
That will be one of the remake’s most delicate balancing acts. Heroes III has retained such a dedicated following partly because of the depth and predictability of its systems, so even seemingly minor alterations could have a significant effect on established strategies.
Ubisoft appears aware of that concern and has repeatedly emphasised that the remake will remain faithful to the original.
The new 3D world and visual upgrades
The switch to Snowdrop brings some of the remake’s most immediately noticeable changes.
Confirmed visual improvements include:
- Fully 3D environments
- Free camera control
- 4K visuals
- Dynamic lighting
- Real-time weather
- Shifting seasons
- Rebuilt battlefields
- Newly produced cinematics
Erathia’s biomes, towns, creatures and battlefields have all been recreated in 3D. The free camera should allow players to inspect maps from different positions rather than remaining locked to the original’s fixed isometric angle.
Weather and seasonal changes should also make maps feel more alive, although Ubisoft has not confirmed whether either system will affect gameplay or remain purely visual.
Multiplayer and Hot Seat mode
Heroes of Might and Magic III Remake can be played solo or with up to eight players.
Online multiplayer is being overhauled with improved matchmaking and a simultaneous-turn system. Allowing players to take their turns at the same time should reduce the amount of waiting involved in large multiplayer matches, particularly during the early stages of a map when armies are still some distance apart.
The fan-favourite Hot Seat mode will also return. This allows multiple players to compete locally on the same machine by taking turns, preserving one of the most fondly remembered ways to play the original.
Ubisoft has not yet confirmed whether the remake will support cross-platform multiplayer.
Original custom maps will remain compatible
Potentially the most important announcement for long-term Heroes III players is that the remake will be compatible with thousands of existing community-made maps and campaigns.
That means players should be able to bring content created for the original game into the remake rather than starting again with an We are also getting updated editing tools and an in-game user-generated content hub. The hub will let players discover, download and share custom maps and campaigns without relying entirely on external websites.
The exact import process and any restrictions on older maps have not yet been explained, but Ubisoft says the community’s existing work will be accessible from launch.
Audio is also being rebuilt
The remake will feature a modern audio system with voice acting, layered music, environmental ambience and additional sound effects.
New audio cues will respond to actions including combat, spellcasting and changes in morale. The intention is to make the world more atmospheric without losing the tone of the original.
It has not yet been confirmed whether the classic soundtrack will appear in its original form, be rearranged or be replaced by entirely new recordings.
Is Heroes of Might and Magic III Complete available on Steam?
Alongside the remake announcement, Ubisoft released the original Heroes of Might and Magic III Complete on Steam.
This is the original 1999 game rather than the remake or 2015 HD Edition. It includes the base game, Armageddon’s Blade and The Shadow of Death, marking the first time the complete package has been officially available through Steam.
Is Heroes of Might and Magic III Remake related to Olden Era?
Heroes of Might and Magic III Remake is separate from Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era.
Olden Era is a new instalment developed by Unfrozen, while the newly announced project is a ground-up recreation of Heroes III. The two games form part of Ubisoft’s broader attempt to revive the strategy series, but they are being made by different developers and offer different campaigns.
Heroes of Might and Magic III Remake is currently scheduled to launch on PS5, Xbox Series and PC in 2027. It will also be included with Ubisoft+.
