Heroes 3 vs Remake vs HD Edition

To play Heroes of Might and Magic 3 today, the Complete edition is the one to buy: sold on GOG and, since Aug 25, 2026, on Steam, both for $9.99, it holds the 1999 game with both expansions, nine towns and the random map generator, and it runs the fan-made Horn of the Abyss and HD mod. The 2015 HD Edition ($14.99) redraws the base game in high definition but has no expansions, no random map generator and no mod support. Heroes of Might and Magic 3 Remake, coming in 2027, rebuilds the whole game and both expansions in 3D. Ubisoft's own FAQ draws the same line between the first two: the Complete Edition "supports community-favorite mods such as the HD Mod and Horn of the Abyss (HotA)", while the HD Edition "Only includes the base Restoration of Erathia content with updated visuals" (Ubisoft on Steam, Sep 18, 2026).

Quick facts

The three versions side by side

Sources: the store pages, Ubisoft's FAQ of Sep 18, 2026, the HotA FAQ, the HD mod's site and Ubisoft's Remake announcements, all listed below.

The Complete edition (GOG and Steam)

2:36 The Complete edition is the original game as New World Computing finished it: The Restoration of Erathia (1999) with Armageddon's Blade (1999), which added the Conflux and the random map generator, and The Shadow of Death (2000), which added combination artifacts, more campaigns and more maps. It first came out as one box in 2000. Norovo, a Heroes 3 creator, argues that it is hard "to overstate just how much of the game's replayability" comes from Armageddon's Blade, above all the random map generator (Jul 9, 2023).

GOG has long sold it as "Heroes of Might and Magic 3: Complete", DRM-free, for Windows 10 and 11, with manuals, the soundtrack and a getting started guide as extras; its list price is $9.99, and GOG shoppers rated it 4.8 out of 5 from 15,934 ratings (Internet Archive copy, Oct 12, 2026). Since Aug 25, 2026, Ubisoft also sells it on Steam as the Complete Edition, "the original version of the game from 1999", for $9.99, with the map editor (h3maped.exe) and campaign editor (h3ccmped.exe) in its folder. Ubisoft says the two are the same: "Yes, both versions contain the same core game content and expansion files" (Sep 18, 2026). Microsoft's store also sells a PC "Complete Edition" for $9.99.

The Steam release had a rough start: the first download was a 23.49 KB placeholder file, which Ubisoft fixed within about a day after apologizing for "the wrong package" (Aug 27, 2026). Its Steam reviews read "Mixed", 48% positive of 243, on Oct 21, 2026. The 1999 files can misbehave on new Windows builds; Ubisoft's FAQ points to the community's DDrawCompat fix or to installing the HD mod or Horn of the Abyss, and says the game is "not officially compatible with Steam Deck".

The HD Edition (2015)

0:25 Ubisoft and Dotemu released the HD Edition on Jan 29, 2015, redrawing the game in high definition with widescreen support, an online lobby on Steam and Steam achievements (Steam). Its store page warns: "Heroes III - HD Edition content is based on the original 1999 game: The Restoration of Erathia". So it has the base game's seven campaigns, around 50 skirmish maps and a map editor, but no Armageddon's Blade, no Conflux, no The Shadow of Death and no random map generator. Its launch trailer shows the redrawn map, towns and battles, then title cards for "7 epic campaigns", "8 iconic factions" and "48 scenario maps", "available now on PC & tablets" (Ubisoft, Jan 30, 2015). Ubisoft's Remake team later wrote that "for a game like Heroes III, improved graphics alone are not enough. Players want access to the complete content experience" (Ubisoft on Steam, Aug 27, 2026).

9:21 The HD Edition cannot run Horn of the Abyss: the fan-made expansion's FAQ says it is not supported and there are no plans to support it (HotA FAQ). Critics were lukewarm: Metacritic's Metascore is 65, and PC Gamer scored it 71: "A great game, unimpressively updated. Get the bigger, cheaper version instead" (Feb 4, 2015). Players are kinder: 79% of 25,119 Steam reviews are positive (Oct 21, 2026). Its iOS and Android tablet versions of 2015 are no longer listed on the App Store or Google Play (checked Oct 21, 2026).

The Remake (2027)

0:37 Heroes of Might and Magic 3 Remake is a different kind of game to buy: the whole of the Complete edition rebuilt in 3D in the Snowdrop engine, with a free camera, 4K, voice acting, the campaigns as one story, online play for up to eight with simultaneous turns, Hot Seat, the Random Map Generator and an editor that converts old maps (Ubisoft press release, Aug 26, 2026). It is the only version coming to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. It is due in 2027 with no date or price (Remake Release Date), and Ubisoft says it "is not intended to replace the original game" (Aug 27, 2026). Ubisoft has not announced Horn of the Abyss content for it. Every change is on What's New in the Remake.

Horn of the Abyss and the HD mod

7:50 Much of the Heroes 3 community plays with two fan-made, unofficial add-ons that need the Complete edition (or The Shadow of Death) underneath. Horn of the Abyss, free on Steam and GOG, adds three towns (Cove, Factory and Bulwark), campaigns, artifacts and fixes; it installs over The Shadow of Death or the Complete edition but never over the HD Edition, Restoration of Erathia or Armageddon's Blade alone (h3hota.com). The HD Mod by Alexander Barinov runs the original at modern resolutions, fixes bugs and hosts the online lobby; it is fully compatible with The Shadow of Death, the Complete edition and Horn of the Abyss, and not with the 1999 base game alone (HD mod). The fan-made HD mod is not Ubisoft's HD Edition, despite the name. Norovo, who calls the HD Edition's art upgrade "a bit rushed", notes that the original runs at 800 by 600 pixels and the HD Edition at up to 1920 by 1080, but that for most players the HD mod's resolution scaling "makes the game look so much better" that the HD Edition's improvements matter little (Jul 9, 2023).

Which should you buy

• For the full game, online play or Horn of the Abyss: the Complete edition, on GOG or Steam. Ubisoft says the two hold the same content; pick the store you prefer. Both cost $9.99, less than the HD Edition.
• For the base game in HD widescreen with Steam achievements, and nothing else: the HD Edition, $14.99. It cannot be upgraded to the expansions or Horn of the Abyss.
• For a 3D version, or to play on PlayStation 5 or Xbox: wishlist the Remake and wait for 2027; a Closed Playtest runs in November 2026.

Step-by-step setup, with the fan-made add-ons, is on How to Play Heroes 3 Today.

Frequently asked questions

Which version of Heroes 3 should I buy? Buy the Complete edition of Heroes of Might and Magic 3, on GOG or Steam for $9.99: it has both expansions, nine towns and the random map generator, and runs Horn of the Abyss and the HD mod. The HD Edition has only the base game.

Does the Heroes 3 HD Edition have the expansions? No: the Heroes of Might and Magic 3 HD Edition contains only The Restoration of Erathia, without Armageddon's Blade, The Shadow of Death, the Conflux town or the random map generator. Ubisoft's FAQ confirms it "does not support the official expansions or community mods".

Is the Steam version of Heroes 3 the same as GOG? Yes: Ubisoft says the Heroes of Might and Magic 3 Complete Edition on Steam and the GOG Complete edition "contain the same core game content and expansion files" (Sep 18, 2026). Both cost $9.99 and both run Horn of the Abyss.

Can I play Horn of the Abyss on the HD Edition? No: Horn of the Abyss does not work with the Heroes of Might and Magic 3 HD Edition, and its makers say there are no plans to support it (HotA FAQ). It needs The Shadow of Death or the Complete edition.

Is the Heroes 3 Remake better than the HD Edition? Heroes of Might and Magic 3 Remake includes both expansions, nine factions and the random map generator, which the HD Edition lacks, and is rebuilt in 3D. It comes out in 2027 and so far has been playable only at events, so how the finished game plays is not yet known.

Sources

• Heroes of Might and Magic III news ("Heroes of Might and Magic III is returning to Steam!", Aug 27, 2026; "Frequently Asked Questions", Sep 18, 2026), Ubisoft on Steam
• Heroes of Might and Magic III Remake news ("Welcome Back to Erathia"), Ubisoft on Steam, Aug 27, 2026
• Ubisoft Reveals Heroes of Might and Magic III Remake at Gamescom, Ubisoft press release on Games Press, Aug 26, 2026
• Heroes Of Might And Magic III, Steam, read Oct 21, 2026
• Heroes of Might & Magic III - HD Edition, Steam, read Oct 21, 2026
• Heroes of Might and Magic III Remake, Steam, read Oct 21, 2026
• Heroes of Might and Magic III: Horn of the Abyss, Steam, read Oct 21, 2026
• Heroes of Might and Magic 3: Complete, GOG, read Oct 12, 2026 (Internet Archive copy)
• Heroes of Might and Magic 3 - Complete Edition, Microsoft Store, read Oct 21, 2026
• Heroes of Might and Magic III HD Edition, Metacritic, read Oct 21, 2026
• Heroes of Might & Magic III HD review, PC Gamer, Feb 4, 2015
• Ubisoft forgot to make sure the Steam release of Heroes of Might & Magic 3 included the actual game, Jody Macgregor, PC Gamer, Aug 26, 2026
• Horn of the Abyss Download and FAQ, HotA Crew, read Oct 21, 2026
• HoMM3 HD description, Alexander Barinov, read Oct 21, 2026
• Heroes of Might and Magic III Remake - Gameplay Overview Trailer, Ubisoft, Aug 26, 2026 (video)
• Don't Buy Heroes of Might and Magic 3: HD Edition, Norovo, Jul 9, 2023 (video)
• Launch Trailer - Might & Magic Heroes III HD Edition, Ubisoft, Jan 30, 2015 (video)