It’s been an absolutely earth-shattering week for strategy fans. We’ve got the legendary king of fantasy strategy reclaiming its throne with Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era, new, amazing details about Total War: Warhammer 40K, a release date for Modern Naval Warfare, and Bolt Action returns to the spotlight with a new developer diary that gives us a glimpse into some of its core systems. Let’s go!
Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era Out Now
After several delays, the king of fantasy strategy has arrived! Unfrozen Studios and Hooded Horse did pour their hearts out for Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era, and the game has already sold over 250,000 in its first 24 hours, and earned a “Very Positive” Steam rating of 92%, with players praising the game’s return to it’s Heroes of Might & Magic 3 roots, the nostalgic, fantasy vibes the game exudes, and its endless replayability. In my review, I exclaimed that “this new Heroes entry proves that the formulas of old, if properly worked on, updated, and brought up to modern standards, are still very much beloved by gamers all over the World”. 2026 has been an amazing year for strategy games.
Modern Naval Warfare Releases May 13th
Matrix Games and Wave Ops have finally placed a pin on the map: Modern Naval Warfare is set to launch on May 18th. This uncompromising simulation of the Virginia-Class nuclear submarine looks to be the “Silent Hunter” of the modern era. With advanced acoustic modeling and 3D sound propagation, it’s a game where sound is your only sight. Clear some space on your desk, and prepare your head-noodle to learn how to command this vessel; you’re going to want the full setup and attention to this one.
Total War: Warhammer 40K New Details
The latest Show and Tell livestream from Creative Assembly has me excited for what Total War: Warhammer 40K can be, because what they just showed looks oh so amazing, and filled with potential. Planets look massive, they’ll have different biomes and civilization types, like a biome being temperate, but having an agric civilization type in there. These will, in turn, have a direct impact on the game’s real-time strategy maps. Combat maps appear to be way larger than traditional Total War maps we have grown used to; there are now cover zones for units, and some of the terrain is destructible as well, alongside buildings. Total War: Warhammer 40K still has a “to be announced” tag, so we’ll probably have to wait quite some time until we’re able to play, but it’s one of the games that has me most excited for the future of the franchise and strategy as a whole.
Bolt Action Dev Diary 4
Slitherine and Warlord Games have released the latest deep dive into the digital adaptation of Bolt Action. Dev Diary #4 focuses on “Pins, Morale, and Indirect Fire.” The update explains how the Pin system—representing the mounting psychological pressure on a squad—will be the core of tactical decision-making, because every unit hit, even if it takes no casualties, will reflect the suppressive effect of incoming fire. While most games exclusively pin infantry, in Bolt Action, vehicles will suffer from the same malaise. Morale checks and Indirect Fire will work as expected. It’s clear they are staying incredibly faithful to the tabletop rules while making the most of the digital medium, a worry that the community raised when the game was first announced.
Leave a Reply