Unfrozen and Hooded Horse have officially revealed the Hive, the sixth and final faction available at the Early Access launch of Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era on April 30, 2026. The full faction showcase trailer highlights a ravenous swarm of demonic insectoids controlled by a powerful hivemind, offering a fresh and unsettling addition to the classic turn-based strategy series.
The Hive replaces the traditional Inferno faction seen in earlier Heroes games but retains a demonic flavor. Instead of classic demons, players will command hordes of corrupted insects empowered by otherworldly strength. The faction emphasizes swarm tactics, rapid unit production, and overwhelming numbers, with a strong focus on monofaction armies that benefit from synergistic abilities and “laws” that encourage building almost exclusively from Hive units.
Hive Faction Overview
Theme: Demonic insect swarm emerging from volcanoes in the Ironsand Desert on the continent of Jadame. The faction is unified under the enigmatic Dragonfly King and serves a greater infernal power.
Playstyle: High aggression through sheer numbers, fast growth, and unique abilities that reward committing to Hive creatures. The faction lacks traditional ranged units in many tiers, forcing creative use of abilities, positioning, and faction mechanics to compensate.
Lore Role: The Hive appeared suddenly and spread corruption, forcing rival nations of Jadame to form uneasy alliances against the threat. After its apparent defeat in the campaign, remnants survived as the Wasp Nest in Alvar.
The faction’s town and castle designs reflect a grotesque, organic hive structure, with buildings that feel alive and unsettling. Creature tiers include familiar insectoid types reimagined with demonic corruption, such as hornets, chanters, and higher-tier monstrous bugs.
When Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era launches into Early Access on April 30, 2026 (via Steam and Microsoft Store, with Game Pass availability), players will have access to six fully playable factions:
- Temple — Classic human knights and holy warriors
- Dungeon — Dark elves and underground creatures
- Grove (also referred to as Sylvan in some materials) — Forces of nature and fey folk
- Necropolis — Undead and vampires
- Schism — Altered elves and eldritch abominations
- Hive — Demonic insectoids
Additional Early Access features include the first act of the campaign, premade scenarios, random map generation templates, hotseat multiplayer, and a map editor. The developers plan to expand the game with more factions, campaign acts, and quality-of-life improvements throughout Early Access and beyond.
The Hive brings a distinct mechanical identity to the series. Its emphasis on swarm synergy, potentially explosive unit growth, and lack of conventional ranged options in early tiers creates a high-risk, high-reward playstyle. Fans of aggressive, horde-based factions will find plenty to enjoy, while the demonic-insect theme delivers strong visual and atmospheric contrast to the more traditional fantasy factions.
Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era aims to recapture the magic of classic entries while introducing modern quality-of-life features and fresh faction designs. The Hive reveal serves as the final piece of the Early Access puzzle, giving strategy fans a complete picture of the six starting factions they can command when the game launches at the end of the month.
Wishlisting is now open on Steam, and more updates on balance, campaign details, and post-launch plans are expected in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for more details as we get them.