Ubisoft’s Botched Release of Classic Might and Magic Game Was a Hilarious Blunder

For more than 25 years, Heroes of Might and Magic 3 has been one of the defining games in turn-based strategy. Players explore a fantasy world, gather resources, build up towns, recruit armies and develop powerful heroes before sending those forces into tactical grid-based battles.

So when Ubisoft announced that the complete version of Heroes of Might and Magic 3 was finally coming to Steam, longtime fans had plenty of reason to be excited. The announcement came during Gamescom Opening Night Live, where Ubisoft also revealed Heroes of Might and Magic 3 Remake. The remake is scheduled for 2027 and will rebuild the classic in 3D using Ubisoft’s Snowdrop engine. The original Heroes 3 Complete, meanwhile, was made available on Steam for $10.

There was just one problem: Ubisoft apparently forgot to include the game.

Ubisoft forgot to upload Heroes 3

Players who bought Heroes of Might and Magic 3 Complete on Steam initially received a nearly empty download. Instead of the roughly 770 MB game, the package contained a 23.49 KB file that failed to launch properly.

Players who tried to start the game were greeted by an error message and a dummy executable that opened a Command Prompt window. One early Steam reviewer described the release as so broken that “they did not even include the game files.”

The mistake was particularly awkward because the new Steam release was being marketed as the complete version of Heroes 3.

heroes-of-might-and-magic-iii_-the-restoration-of-erathia-in-game-screenshot-3.jpg

Ubisoft’s 2015 HD Edition included only the base game and left out both expansions, Armageddon’s Blade and The Shadow of Death. The new release was meant to correct that omission by bringing the original game and both expansions to Steam in one package.

Instead, players paid for what was effectively a placeholder.

Ubisoft eventually corrected the problem. Around 10 or 11 hours after launch, players reported receiving a 770 MB update that added the missing game files. The game was then playable, though some buyers said they planned to leave negative reviews anyway.

Longtime fans aren’t sold on the remake

The Steam mishap would have been embarrassing enough on its own, but Ubisoft’s other Heroes 3 announcement also prompted a skeptical response from longtime fans.

Heroes of Might and Magic 3 Remake will retain the original’s turn-based strategy, hero progression and tactical combat while adding a fully 3D world, free camera control, 4K visuals, dynamic lighting, changing weather, and shifting seasons. It will include all nine factions, the original campaigns and both expansions. Ubisoft also says the remake will support up to eight players, bring back Hot Seat multiplayer and remain compatible with community-made maps and campaigns.

On paper, that sounds like a comprehensive revival. But the first gameplay footage has left many fans concerned that the remake is changing the wrong things.

The biggest criticism is directed at the art style. In Reddit discussions about the reveal, longtime players complained that the new designs look too generic, too clean and too far removed from the original’s distinctive fantasy illustrations. Several compared the visuals to a mobile game or suggested — without evidence — that parts of the trailer looked AI-generated.

Fans will find out for sure how Heroes of Might and Magic 3 Remake turned out when the PC game arrives in 2027.