As we reach the end of May and the year of 2026, and with June fast approaching, we’ve got some great news under our belt: the recently released Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era has a roadmap in the future; The biggest WW2 tabletop in the world is being apty recreated to run in our PCs, and new details about the Army Building mechanics were unveiled; Hooded Horse is running a publisher sale with some great deals, and so much more. Join me, and let’s take a look at what’s happening in Strategy and Wargaming this week!
Bolt Action And Army Building – Dev Diary 5 Details
I know how all of you cannot get enough of Bolt Action, the up-and-coming digital adaptation of the biggest World War 2 tabletop game in the World, so let’s get down to the weeds of what was showcased in the 5th Dev Diary, which is all about building your army!
Of course, you’ll start off by picking your faction, each having its unique units and strategies. The next selection will focus on picking Platoons instead of choosing units from a pool, as in other games. Instead, each Platoon will favor a different kind of strategy, with Rifle Platoons being the backbone of every army list, essential to capture and hold lines, while Armored Platoons are built to break the enemy lines and also to counter enemy armor. There are also Reconnaissance, Artillery, Heavy Weapons, and Engineer Platoons. After picking up the platoon, it’s time to start customizing your squads inside said platoon to fit your needs. You’ll do this by blacing things like trading extra soldiers for an LMG if you need more suppression, for example.
While the team working on Bolt Action has gone out of its way to assure players that they’re not touching the fundamentals of the tabletop, they have also been keen to highlight why this digitalized version can add enjoyment to the game: The first one is an army auto-builder, a great help for new players. The visual preview of your armies, because looking at your troops is always cool. Real-time restriction checks and army lists to save and import.
The next Dev Diary is going to dive into the Dynamic Campaign Mode, and with myself being a mostly single-player enjoyer, I’m hoping for a mode that offers me the biggest amount of replayability possible.
Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era Sells 1 Million And Announces An Ambicious Roadmap
I’m so happy that Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era found success. With so much negativity constantly surrounding gaming these days, it’s very nice to hear some success stories, especially in our gaming niche, where they’re much needed. In one month, HOMM: Olden Era is already a fixture in over 1 million players, quite possibly becoming the top-selling strategy game of 2026.
The good news doesn’t end there, and a preliminary roadmap for early access was announced, aiming to tackle some of the players’ expectations for endless replayability with advanced features for its random map generator, and the addition of a roguelike mode. For those who prefer a more curated experience, the roadmap will also add the 2nd and 3rd acts of the campaign. In my in-depth review of Olden Era, I praised it for being a nostalgic trip that understood what made the original Heroes connect with the audience, boiling down to keeping the experience simple, with endless replayability, and giving the player a canvas on which they can take their adventures, craft strategies, and build up armies. That’s all we ever wanted.
Hooded Horse Sale Happening Right Now
It seems like every month Hooded Horse runs a new sale for a week or two, which is amazing, and something I wish more publishers would do as well. The strategy gaming publisher darling has some amazing titles going for less than 10 dollars, which are absolutely worth the entry price: Against The Storm, 9 Kings, and Battle Brothers are my personal standouts, and will cost only $8.99 each. If you want to spend a bit more cash, Xenonauts 2 will set you back $25.99, and MENACE will have your wallet $29.99 lighter. The sale is running until June 9th.
Panzer Strike Is Alive And Gets a Playtest
Panzer Strike wants to be an authentic recreation of the RTS gameplay of early 2000s World War 2 games Bliztkrieg and Sudden Strike, and if you want, you can help them turn the game into a reality by joining their playtest. Though they’re admitting a very small number of players, I have tried to get in and give it a go, and haven’t received any news yet, so hopefully you’re luckier than me. I named it one of my most anticipated RTS games for 2026, so here’s hoping we still get it this year!
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