What's New in the Remake

0:37 Heroes of Might and Magic 3 Remake keeps the 1999 turn-based rules, the nine towns and the hex-grid battles of Heroes of Might and Magic 3, but rebuilds everything in 3D. Ubisoft's list of changes: a 3D world with a free camera, 4K, dynamic lighting, real-time weather and shifting seasons; all the campaigns woven into one story with a new prologue (and an epilogue, per the store pages); voice acting and new cinematics; online play for up to eight players with simultaneous turns; Hot Seat and the Random Map Generator; and an editor that imports maps made for the original (Ubisoft press release, Aug 26, 2026). "We do not believe that Heroes III needs to be reinvented," the team wrote in its first developer blog; its aim is to keep "the pacing and balance that veteran players know and love" while cutting "unnecessary friction" (Ubisoft on Steam, Aug 27, 2026). This page lists each change Ubisoft has stated, with its source, and what it has not said, as of Oct 21, 2026.

Quick facts

Rebuilt in 3D

2:21 The biggest change is the view. Rebuilt "from the ground up in Ubisoft's Snowdrop engine", the Remake "trades the original's fixed 2D isometric perspective for a highly detailed 3D world and free camera control", with "4K visuals, dynamic lighting, real-time weather, and shifting seasons" (press release, Aug 26, 2026). The team says it has "recreated maps, towns, and battlefields from the ground up" while "preserving the visual identity and artistic spirit of the original" (Aug 27, 2026). In the Gameplay Overview Trailer (Aug 26, 2026), "Creatures react to your presence. Each biome has its own unique atmosphere while seasons and weather constantly change the world around you." Ubisoft has not said that weather or seasons change how the game plays; they are described as part of how the world looks and feels.

5:29 Battles keep the hex grid, now on 3D ground. "The Remake's free camera lets you see the battles from any angle", up close or from "a high vantage with a more strategic viewpoint"; tooltips give "all the intel on your troops and the enemies", and Auto Combat "offers gentle guidance when needed" (Gameplay Overview Trailer). PC Gamer, which played the Remake for a couple of hours before the reveal, found the units "considerably more detailed" than before and the combat animations "cracking", making "each attack more dramatic and weighty" (PC Gamer, Aug 26, 2026).

The Kingdom map and automated heroes

2:47 Two new tools change how the adventure map is managed. "The new Kingdom map offers a much needed strategic view" of the whole war, and players "can now automate multiple heroes' management by assigning roles, having them automatically collect resources, squire your main hero, or even transport freshly recruited troops to the front line" (Gameplay Overview Trailer, Aug 26, 2026). The adventure map itself is on Adventure Map.

Playstyles: classic or modern

After many players criticized the new art, Ubisoft said on Oct 7, 2026 that it is "exploring" a system called Playstyles, "a flexible framework that allows you to adjust key elements, such as object scale, color and lighting, and UI/UX design", so players can choose a feel closer to the classic game or a modern one. It is the first of four monthly feature cycles on Ubisoft's roadmap, and the team says it has "already begun refining several creature models" (Ubisoft on Steam, Oct 7, 2026). Playstyles is under study, not a promised feature.

One story, a new prologue and an epilogue

7:22 The Remake holds "the full original story experience, including The Restoration of Erathia and both expansion packs, Armageddon's Blade and The Shadow of Death" (Aug 27, 2026). Where the original's campaigns came as separate sets in three releases, "The entire story is now woven into a single continuous experience, complemented by a new introductory prologue campaign easing players into the world and gameplay, and a new suite of fully produced cinematics" (press release, Aug 26, 2026). The store pages add an epilogue: "Experience the original campaigns as one unified story, enhanced with a new prologue, epilogue, and cinematic scenes" (Steam). The trailer names its leads: "Witness the rise of Queen Catherine Ironfist, confront the dark ambitions of Sandro the Necromancer, and face the apocalyptic threat of Armageddon's Blade." The story still follows Queen Catherine "on her crusade to restore order to her kingdom, torn apart by her father's assassination and the onslaught of invading factions" (Story).

PC Gamer played "the simple campaign prologue" before the reveal (Aug 26, 2026).

All nine factions

3:48 "From day one, players will have access to all factions" (Aug 27, 2026), and the press release counts "all nine iconic factions": the eight towns of 1999 and the Conflux from Armageddon's Blade (Towns). No new faction has been announced. The roadmap runs a separate track of "faction reveals, visual direction, dedicated faction videos" alongside the feature cycles (Oct 7, 2026).

Planning tools and quality of life

6:54 Ubisoft promises "enhanced planning and decision-making tools, making for a more intuitive experience while staying faithful to the original" (press release, Aug 26, 2026), and "more intuitive information displays, smoother controls, and optional ways to tailor the experience" (Aug 27, 2026). One is already known: PC Gamer could see the movement ranges of enemy troops, to tell which of its own units were at risk on the enemy's turn, "something that exists in the later HoMMs, but not HoMM 3 or its 2015 HD remaster" (Aug 26, 2026). The Gameplay Overview Trailer shows more: "a completely revamped hero character page" with updated portraits, "A new inventory system" for stats, equipment and army, and, in towns, a "new Wishlist system to plan and execute your next building task" and a view of available troops "at a glance". Game modes and quality of life are the second feature cycle on the roadmap (Oct 7, 2026).

4:50 Mortismal Gaming, who played a remote demo for a couple of hours, describes the town planner from his session: normally "you have to go into each city every turn", but the Remake adds "a planner of sorts that effectively allows you to plan and manage the upgrades" without micromanaging each town (Aug 26, 2026). He also saw the hero role automation and the new inventory.

6:00 In battle, he found the free camera rotates the field "from any which angle", with a zoomed-out bird's-eye view, and that a key ("I think it's alt by default") shows "the movement range of all of the units", so a player can stand just out of an enemy's reach. Those are his impressions of a preview build; Ubisoft has not published the controls.

Sound and voice

The Remake has "a modern audio system, featuring voice acting, layered tracks, and rich, ambient sound effects", with "New sonic cues tied to gameplay actions, including combat, spellcasting, and morale shifts" (press release, Aug 26, 2026). Steam lists full audio in English, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese, and twelve languages in all (Steam, read Oct 21, 2026). Ubisoft has not said whether the original soundtrack is included.

Online play, simultaneous turns and Hot Seat

8:09 The original game was played on one computer or over a local network (Multiplayer). The Remake is "Playable solo or with up to eight players in a revamped online mode, improved matchmaking and a simultaneous turn system", and "the game also sees the return of the favourite Hot Seat mode" (press release, Aug 26, 2026), in which players take turns at one screen. "Classic features such as the Random Map Generator and Hot Seat mode will also return in full" (Aug 27, 2026). Multiplayer is the fourth roadmap cycle: "Hotseat, PvP, and beyond" (Oct 7, 2026). Ubisoft has not said how simultaneous turns work in detail, or whether players on different platforms can play together.

Maps, the editor and mods

8:22 The Random Map Generator, which first came with Armageddon's Blade, returns (Maps). The Remake "preserves compatibility with thousands of maps and campaigns created by players over the past 25 years", with "Updated editor tools and a new in-game UGC hub" to find and share community content (press release, Aug 26, 2026). The developer blog is specific: "the map editor will allow creators to import maps made for the original game and convert them for use in the remake", and the in-game toolkit will let creators "build their own maps, scenarios, and modifications" (Aug 27, 2026). The Steam page adds editing tools "that let you adjust balance and design maps or campaigns". CD-Action reported that mods will come through mod.io, on consoles too (CD-Action, Sep 1, 2026). The Gameplay Overview Trailer adds that the editor tools allow "custom balancing, or even personalizing the sound and music", all shared "directly from inside the game". User-generated content is the third roadmap cycle.

Balance

Ubisoft's brand director for the series, Eric Damian-Vernet, told GRYOnline.pl that the Remake launches with the original game's balance, while Ubisoft stays open to options such as the balance of the fan-made Horn of the Abyss (GRYOnline.pl, Sep 9, 2026). Which version's numbers it starts from (the 1999 game's or The Shadow of Death's updated ones) has not been said.

What is not known

As of Oct 21, 2026, Ubisoft has not announced:

• Any content from Horn of the Abyss, the fan-made, unofficial expansion with the Cove, Factory and Bulwark towns; it says only that it talks regularly with the HotA team (GRYOnline.pl, Sep 9, 2026).
• Cross-play between PC and consoles, or versions for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 or Xbox One (GamesHub, Aug 26, 2026).
• Whether weather and seasons affect gameplay.
• Balance details, new creatures or heroes, and the final creature designs, which are being refined.
• A release date, price or editions (Remake Release Date).

How the Remake compares with the versions sold today is on Heroes 3 vs Remake vs HD Edition.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Heroes 3 Remake 3D? Yes: Heroes of Might and Magic 3 Remake is rebuilt in full 3D in Ubisoft's Snowdrop engine, with a free camera in place of the original's fixed isometric view, and 4K visuals. Battles keep the hex grid.

Does the Heroes 3 Remake include the expansions? Yes: Heroes of Might and Magic 3 Remake includes The Restoration of Erathia and both expansions, Armageddon's Blade and The Shadow of Death, with their campaigns woven into one story.

How many factions are in the Heroes 3 Remake? Heroes of Might and Magic 3 Remake has the nine original factions, all available from day one: Castle, Rampart, Tower, Inferno, Necropolis, Dungeon, Stronghold, Fortress and Conflux. No new faction has been announced as of Oct 21, 2026.

Can I play old Heroes 3 maps in the Remake? Ubisoft says the Heroes of Might and Magic 3 Remake map editor "will allow creators to import maps made for the original game and convert them for use in the remake", and that it keeps compatibility with thousands of community maps and campaigns.

Does the Heroes 3 Remake have hot seat? Yes: Ubisoft confirms that Hot Seat returns in Heroes of Might and Magic 3 Remake, alongside online play for up to eight players with simultaneous turns.

Does weather change gameplay in the Heroes 3 Remake? Ubisoft has not said that weather or seasons affect gameplay in Heroes of Might and Magic 3 Remake; it describes "real-time weather, and shifting seasons" as part of the visual overhaul, as of Oct 21, 2026.

Sources

• 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 Remake: Return to Erathia in 2027, Brittany Spurlin, Ubisoft, Aug 25, 2026
• Heroes of Might and Magic III Remake news ("Welcome Back to Erathia", Aug 27, 2026; "Community Roadmap, Playtest, and Events", Oct 7, 2026), Ubisoft on Steam
• Heroes of Might and Magic III Remake, Steam, read Oct 21, 2026
• I've played Heroes of Might and Magic 3: Remake, and I still can't believe we're getting 2 HoMMs in the same year, Fraser Brown, PC Gamer, Aug 26, 2026
• Zapytaliśmy twórców Heroes III Remake, jak chcą uspokoić fanów, Przemysław Dygas, GRYOnline.pl, Sep 9, 2026
• Horn of the Abyss otrzymało wsparcie warsztatu Steama, mody do remake'u Heroes 3 zawitają też na konsole, Maciej Szymczak, CD-Action, Sep 1, 2026
• Heroes of Might and Magic 3 Remake: everything we know, Paul McNally, GamesHub, Aug 26, 2026
• Heroes of Might and Magic III Remake - Gameplay Overview Trailer, Ubisoft, Aug 26, 2026 (video)
• Heroes Of Might & Magic 3 Remake - Early Preview, Mortismal Gaming, Aug 26, 2026 (video)