Gamescom 2026's coverage

Thanks to Ubisoft and our good relation with the Might & Magic brand, I was honored to again take part in Gamescom. After signing yet another NDA, I could talk with all the developers and got access to see almost all the trade fair had to offer. During this journey I was accompanied by: Ana & Gueray from the Heroes Take Turns YT channel, Magdalena Katańska, an illustrator and a concept artis (HoMM the card game, the vinyl covers), François, known as "Papyjama" (the creator of the map Mysterious Island).

A truly impressive stand, designed to look like a castle, was waiting for us there. There, Gamescom attendees were also able to try out the game and receive a commemorative keyring. Whilst the at-home reception of the trailer was rather negative, the players who had actually the chance to play the game were positive about the remake.
The first day was reserved almost exclusively for the press, the media, and other Very Important People ;). At the first closed-door Might & Magic panel, we were able to ask questions of the developers and Jon Van Caneghem, who was a special guest. Naturally, I had to ask about the legendary Forge and their stance on it. Some were more enthusiastic about it, whilst others were a little less so (but still!). In theory, if sales are good, it might be possible to introduce it. Sales of the board game expansion will also be a good indicator of players’ interest. The idea itself had been also discussed to some extent.
We asked whether Jon had already played the Remake, but he’d only just arrived and hadn’t had the chance yet.
We asked about additional features for mapmakers, such as hiding artifacts behind objects or digging along the coastline to block access to enemy ships. These elements, like many others, weren’t planned in the original, but NWC decided to keep them because the community had ‘discovered’ them and thought they were cool. In the Remake, due to the switch to 3D, hiding objects is not currently supported, but the developers are now aware of this and have added it to their list of features to consider.

The following parts of the event had already been made public. You can watch them in the official video below; the segment on Heroes III Remake begins at 02:54:00. There was a brief presentation of the game, fans asking questions, and, in my opinion, the most interesting part: Magda talking about her work as a consultant on several pieces of artwork. You can see, amongst other things, a lot of sketches and various comments that led to an improved version of, for example, the horned demon. It’s also clear that this was definitely not generated by AI.It was also nice to pop in and visit the Archon stand, where, of course, the board game was on sale.



The following day, private visitors could also enter the fair. We, however, were invited to Ubisoft’s 40th birthday celebration (for a moment, I naively thought it was the 40th anniversary of Might & Magic ;P). All the invited guests were shown on screen and briefly introduced. Acid Cave received thanks for keeping the brand in the spotlight when it was in a more ‘dormant’ phase. Ubisoft’s CEO, Yves Guillemot, appeared on stage and cut a special cake. After a brief refreshment break, each group of fans from the 4 franchises was given the chance to ask him a few questions. Nothing particularly revealing, but I took the liberty of asking whether Yves actually still plays games. It turns out he does, and mainly Ubisoft games, though not exclusively. He also sometimes plays with his children, who are now adults.
2 cosplayers employed by Ubisoft also turned up that day. Sandro didn’t have his signature skull on the first day, but this was rectified the following day with a quick fix (3D printers FTW!).

In the afternoon, Alex Tarren, a developer of HotA, joined us. I was absolutely delighted that he recognised me. We had the chance to have a good chat with him for a while about all the announcements, the brand, and future plans for the expansion’s development. I should mention that I asked about The Forge and its various developments on different fronts (the board game vs HotA). We also learnt about new features planned for the expansion. As I’m bound by an NDA, I can’t reveal any more to you.
We then headed to the stage, where we were treated to a presentation of User Generated Content. Both the expansion and the Papyjama map were warmly received by the audience. We know that Ubisoft collaborates with fans to some extent. They’re aware of the elements that fans enjoy, and something will certainly come of it. They didn’t give anything away, but there were some strong hints. You can watch this clip below from 03:12:29.


On the last day, I played a match with one of the developers on a modified version of the ‘Arrogance’ map. The map featured Gamescom events that gave players free resources. It was limited to 4 playable factions: Castle, Inferno, Tower, and Necropolis. The terrain (tailored to each faction) and decorations had also been altered. I’d had the chance to play this map a week earlier with Acid, amongst others. However, as a player who isn’t an expert in PvP modes, I suffered a defeat. As you may have noticed, I tried to showcase the new elements of the game and the interface. I feel that, in a way, I represented a casual player who tends to focus on single-player/PvE gameplay. It’s also clear that I didn’t use the new automation options or any hotkeys.

The gameloop is still just as much fun and just as addictive as ever. I must point out, however, that I found some of the objects on the map difficult to spot. My distance from the monitor may have played a part in this, but I believe the map’s readability could still be improved.
Behind closed doors, we also had the chance to test the game without any restrictions. All maps and factions were available. All elements were fully playable and definitely improved the experience the more you got to know them. We learnt that a demo version is planned, which I think will win over quite a few (though certainly not all) players.

My train and flight were scheduled straight after our panel, so for me that marked the end of this wonderful adventure. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Ubisoft for the invitation and my friends, the other VIPs who kept me company throughout the event.
Finally, here’s a photo of the goodies available at the fair.