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The HD mod (HoMM3 HD) is a free, fan-made and unofficial patch for Heroes of Might and Magic 3 by Alexander Barinov (baratorch) that runs The Shadow of Death, the Complete edition and Horn of the Abyss at modern resolutions, fixes bugs, adds quality-of-life options and hosts the online lobby. It is not Ubisoft's 2015 HD Edition.

Horn of the Abyss (HotA) is a free, fan-made and unofficial expansion for Heroes of Might and Magic 3 by the volunteer HotA Crew, first released Dec 31, 2011, that adds the Cove, Factory and Bulwark towns, new creatures, artifacts, campaigns and balance fixes. Version 1.8.1 (Aug 25, 2026) is the latest, and since that day it is also free on Steam and GOG.

The fan-made, unofficial Horn of the Abyss expansion adds three towns to Heroes of Might and Magic 3: the pirate Cove (Dec 31, 2011), the steampunk Factory (version 1.7.0, Dec 31, 2023) and the frozen Bulwark (1.8.0, Dec 31, 2025, long called Kronverk). None is in Ubisoft's official game or announced for the Remake.

The adventure map is where Heroes of Might and Magic 3 heroes travel each day, flag mines for the seven resources (Wood, Ore, Mercury, Sulfur, Crystal, Gems and Gold), visit buildings, fight guards and wandering monsters, and dig for the Grail with the Puzzle Map that Obelisks reveal.

Artifacts in Heroes of Might and Magic 3 are items a hero must wear in a body slot (head, neck, shoulders, torso, right hand, left hand, feet, rings and miscellaneous) to use, with an unlimited backpack for the rest; they raise skills, give spells, gold or resources, or change the rules of battle. The Shadow of Death added combination artifacts and a fifth miscellaneous slot.

Battles in Heroes of Might and Magic 3 are fought on a 15 x 10 hex grid where each creature stack moves in order of Speed and attacks, shoots, waits or defends, while each hero casts one spell a round; morale can grant an extra turn, luck extra damage, and sieges add walls, arrow towers and a moat.

The Shadow of Death added 12 combination artifacts to Heroes of Might and Magic 3, from the Angelic Alliance to the Cornucopia, each assembled when one hero has all its pieces equipped. The combined artifact keeps every piece's bonus, adds a power of its own, and can be taken apart again.

Each of Heroes of Might and Magic 3's nine towns recruits seven levels of creatures, each with one upgrade (126 town creatures in the Complete game), plus neutral creatures found on the map such as golems and the Azure Dragon. Level 7 is the Archangel, Gold Dragon, Titan, Arch Devil, Ghost Dragon, Black Dragon, Ancient Behemoth, Chaos Hydra and Phoenix.

Heroes of Might and Magic 3 has 16 hero classes with 8 heroes each (128 in all), a might class and a magic class for each of the eight towns of 1999, and Armageddon's Blade adds two more with the Conflux. Every hero has a specialty, four primary skills (Attack, Defense, Power, Knowledge) and room for eight secondary skills, and costs 2,500 gold in a Tavern.

Heroes of Might and Magic 3 ships with stand-alone scenario maps in four sizes (Small 36 x 36, Medium 72 x 72, Large 108 x 108 and Extra Large 144 x 144 tiles, each with an optional underground level), a map editor, and since Armageddon's Blade a random map generator and campaign editor; players have made thousands more maps.

A Heroes of Might and Magic 3 hero can learn up to eight of 28 secondary skills, from Archery to Wisdom, each at Basic, Advanced and Expert level. Skills are chosen from two offers at every level-up, or learned at Witch Huts, Universities and other map buildings; the official guide calls Wisdom a must for spellcasters.

Heroes of Might and Magic 3 spells belong to four schools (Air, Earth, Fire and Water) and five levels, and are either combat or adventure spells. Heroes learn them in Mage Guilds (Wisdom is needed above level 2) and cast them with spell points, 10 per point of Knowledge, while Power and the school skills make them stronger.

To start well in Heroes of Might and Magic 3, play the tutorial or an easy scenario, pick the town native to your starting terrain, build the Town Hall on day one and then halls or creature dwellings through week one, hire a second and third hero as scouts, keep your whole army on one main hero, and flag Sawmills and Ore Pits first.

Heroes of Might and Magic 3 cheat codes are typed during a game after pressing Tab, and all start with "nwc" (for New World Computing). Each version has its own set: the original game and the HD Edition use codes such as nwcgeneraldirection (reveal the map), Armageddon's Blade uses nwcrevealourselves, and The Shadow of Death, the Complete edition and Horn of the Abyss use codes such as nwcwhatisthematrix.

The usual way to play Heroes of Might and Magic 3 today is the Complete edition from GOG or Steam with the fan-made HD mod for widescreen and fixes, and usually the fan-made Horn of the Abyss on top; the HD Edition runs on its own but takes no mods. Mac, Linux, Steam Deck and Android need workarounds or the fan-made VCMI engine.

Winning Heroes of Might and Magic 3 comes down to economy, one strong main hero fed by cheap scouts, mines flagged early, attacks timed for Day 7, and battles fought with shots, waits and gang attacks; at Hard and above the AI avoids fights that would cost it a quarter of its army, so a strong hero can hold a pass.

The official guide's fastest build order in Heroes of Might and Magic 3 is Town Hall, Mage Guild I, Blacksmith, Marketplace, City Hall, Citadel, Castle and Capitol on days 1 to 8, which reaches 4,000 gold a day on Day 1 of Week 2; its safer "balanced" order puts two creature dwellings and the Citadel before the Mage Guild.

Heroes of Might and Magic 3 was made by New World Computing, the studio Jon Van Caneghem founded, with David Mullich leading the development team and music by Paul Romero with Rob King and Steve Baca, and was published by The 3DO Company on Feb 28, 1999; Ubisoft has owned the series since buying the Might and Magic rights for $1.3 million in 2003.

Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era is a new game by Unfrozen, in early access since Apr 30, 2026 and published by Hooded Horse and Ubisoft, that PC Gamer calls a spiritual successor to Heroes 3; the Heroes 3 Remake, due in 2027, instead rebuilds the 1999 game itself with its two expansions.

The Heroes of Might and Magic series runs from the 1995 original through Heroes 2 (1996), Heroes 3 (1999), Heroes 4 (2002), Heroes 5 (2006), Might and Magic Heroes 6 (2011) and 7 (2015) to Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era (early access since Apr 30, 2026), with the Heroes 3 Remake due in 2027.

Heroes of Might and Magic 3 was praised on release (GameSpot gave it 9.1, "Superb", on Mar 1, 1999) and is still called the series' high point; PC Gamer wrote in 2026 that "it's still the gold standard". It kept a large following in Poland, Russia and Eastern Europe, where hot seat play and early translations helped, and still draws about 1,700 players at a time on Steam's HD Edition alone (Oct 21, 2026).

Heroes of Might and Magic 3 still has a competitive scene, built on the fan-made Horn of the Abyss and the fan-made HD mod's online lobby with ranked games and tournament rules. It is strongest in Poland, where 518 players signed up for the 2026 Polish Championship and Marek "Szopa666" Szczepański won the World Championship and 1,000 euros in Jan 2022.

Heroes of Might and Magic 3 supports up to eight players on one map, taking turns at one computer (hot seat) or over a network. Today most online games run through the fan-made HD mod's lobby with Horn of the Abyss, the HD Edition has its own Steamworks lobby, and Ubisoft's Remake promises online play for up to eight with simultaneous turns, plus Hot Seat.

Heroes of Might and Magic 3 is New World Computing's turn-based strategy game, published by 3DO on Feb 28, 1999, in which heroes lead armies of creatures across an adventure map, build up towns and fight on a hex grid. With its expansions it is still sold and played today, most often with the fan-made Horn of the Abyss, and Ubisoft is rebuilding it in 3D as Heroes of Might and Magic 3 Remake for 2027.

Heroes of Might and Magic 3 Remake is Ubisoft's 3D rebuild of the 1999 game and both its expansions in the Snowdrop engine, revealed at Gamescom Opening Night Live on Aug 25, 2026 and coming in 2027 to PC (Steam, Epic, Ubisoft Connect), PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, and on Ubisoft+. It has no release date, price or editions yet.

Ubisoft opened sign-ups on Oct 19, 2026 for a Closed Playtest of Heroes of Might and Magic 3 Remake in November 2026, at register.ubisoft.com. Its days within November, its size and its platforms are not announced.

Ubisoft has dated Heroes of Might and Magic 3 Remake only to 2027, with no day, month, price, editions or pre-orders as of Oct 21, 2026. It can be wishlisted on Steam, the Epic Games Store, the Ubisoft Store, the PlayStation Store and Xbox, and a Closed Playtest runs in November 2026.

Heroes of Might and Magic 3 Remake keeps the 1999 turn-based rules, the nine towns and the hex-grid battles, but rebuilds everything in 3D with a free camera, 4K, dynamic lighting, weather and seasons, weaves all the campaigns into one story with a new prologue and epilogue, adds voice acting and new cinematics, online play for up to eight with simultaneous turns, Hot Seat, the Random Map Generator and an editor that imports old maps.

Heroes of Might and Magic 3 has seven campaigns in The Restoration of Erathia (counting the secret Seeds of Discontent), six in Armageddon's Blade and seven in The Shadow of Death, each a chain of linked scenarios whose best heroes carry over from map to map.

Heroes of Might and Magic 3 is set on the continent of Antagarich, where Queen Catherine Ironfist returns to Erathia after the assassination of her father, King Gryphonheart, to drive out the invaders who sacked her homeland; Armageddon's Blade follows Lucifer Kreegan's quest for a world-burning sword, and The Shadow of Death tells how the necromancer Sandro set the war in motion.

The Castle is the human town of Heroes of Might and Magic 3, a good town native to grass whose heroes are the Knight (might) and the Cleric (magic); it recruits Pikemen, Archers, Griffins, Swordsmen, Monks, Cavaliers and Angels, each with an upgrade, and is known for the Archangel and for creatures that deal extra damage.

The Conflux is the elemental town Armageddon's Blade added to Heroes of Might and Magic 3 on Sep 29, 1999, home to Planeswalkers and Elementalists, recruiting Pixies, the Air, Water, Fire and Earth Elementals, Psychic Elementals and Firebirds, which upgrade to Phoenixes. Its Magic University teaches all four schools of magic, and its army leans on mid-level creatures.

The Dungeon is Heroes of Might and Magic 3's underground town of the evil side, home to Overlords and Warlocks, recruiting Troglodytes, Harpies, Beholders, Medusas, Minotaurs, Manticores and Red Dragons, which upgrade to Black Dragons immune to all spells. It is slow and sulfur hungry to build but, in the official guide's words, produces strong armies and is a great support center for spellcasters.

The Fortress is Heroes of Might and Magic 3's swamp town, home to Beastmasters and Witches, recruiting Gnolls, Lizardmen, Serpent Flies, Basilisks, Gorgons, Wyverns and Hydras, which upgrade to Chaos Hydras that strike every adjacent enemy without retaliation. The official guide calls it "a real bargain": the cheapest creature dwellings and strong defenses, but slow armies that lack top-end punch.

The Inferno is the demon town of Heroes of Might and Magic 3, an evil town native to lava whose heroes are the Demoniac and the Heretic; it recruits Imps, Gogs, Hell Hounds, Demons, Pit Fiends, Efreet and Devils, each with an upgrade, and is known for the Arch Devil, the Castle Gate and the Pit Lords' raising of Demons.

The Necropolis is the undead town of Heroes of Might and Magic 3, an evil town native to dirt whose heroes are the Death Knight (might) and the Necromancer (magic); it recruits Skeletons, Walking Dead, Wights, Vampires, Liches, Black Knights and Bone Dragons, each with an upgrade, and is known for Necromancy, which raises enemies killed in battle as Skeletons.

The Rampart is the elven forest town of Heroes of Might and Magic 3, a good town native to grass whose heroes are the Ranger (might) and the Druid (magic); it recruits Centaurs, Dwarves, Wood Elves, Pegasi, Dendroid Guards, Unicorns and Green Dragons, each with an upgrade, and is known for the spell-immune Gold Dragon and its hunger for crystal.

The Stronghold is Heroes of Might and Magic 3's barbarian town on rough terrain, home to Barbarians and Battle Mages, recruiting Goblins, Wolf Riders, Orcs, Ogres, Rocs, Cyclopes and Behemoths, which upgrade to Ancient Behemoths. It is cheap to build and strong in attack but stops at Mage Guild level 3, so the official guide calls it best suited to short games and might heroes.

The Tower is the wizards' town of Heroes of Might and Magic 3, a good town native to snow whose heroes are the Alchemist (might) and the Wizard (magic); it recruits Gremlins, Stone Gargoyles, Stone Golems, Mages, Genies, Nagas and Giants, each with an upgrade, and is known for the Titan, its Library and being the most expensive town to build.

Heroes of Might and Magic 3 has nine towns (factions): Castle, Rampart and Tower (good), Inferno, Necropolis and Dungeon (evil), Stronghold and Fortress (neutral) in the 1999 game, and the Conflux from Armageddon's Blade; the fan-made Horn of the Abyss adds Cove, Factory and Bulwark.

Armageddon's Blade is the first expansion for Heroes of Might and Magic 3, released Sep 29, 1999, which added the Conflux town of elementals, six campaigns, 38 new maps and the random map generator. It is included in the Complete edition but not in the HD Edition.

Heroes of Might and Magic 3 Complete is the 1999 game with both expansions, Armageddon's Blade and The Shadow of Death, in one package, first released in 2000 and sold today on GOG and, since Aug 25, 2026, on Steam for $9.99. It is the version the fan-made Horn of the Abyss and HD mod install over.

Heroes of Might and Magic 3 HD Edition is Ubisoft and Dotemu's Jan 29, 2015 remaster of the base game, The Restoration of Erathia, with widescreen HD graphics, sold on Steam for $14.99. It has neither expansion, no random map generator, and it cannot run the fan-made Horn of the Abyss.

To play Heroes of Might and Magic 3 today, buy the Complete edition (GOG, or Steam since Aug 25, 2026, both $9.99): it has both expansions and runs Horn of the Abyss and the HD mod. The 2015 HD Edition ($14.99) has only the base game, no random map generator and no mod support, and the Remake (2027) rebuilds everything in 3D.

Heroes Chronicles is a series of eight stand-alone campaign episodes built on Heroes of Might and Magic 3, released from Sep 27, 2000 to Jun 1, 2001 by New World Computing and 3DO, following the immortal barbarian Tarnum. They need no copy of Heroes 3 and have no multiplayer.

The Shadow of Death is the second, stand-alone expansion for Heroes of Might and Magic 3, released Mar 21, 2000 with the full base game, seven campaigns about the necromancer Sandro, 38 new maps and combination artifacts. Its rules are the base that Horn of the Abyss and competitive play build on.