Might & Magic Heroes VI is an upcoming turn-based strategy video game for Microsoft Windows, the sixth installment of the Heroes of Might and Magic series. Currently scheduled for release on September 8, 2011 it is being developed by Black Hole Entertainment and published by Ubisoft. It was announced on 17 August 2010 and was featured at Gamescom.
Gameplay
The gameplay of Heroes VI represents a stepaway from the five original installments. About half of initial schematics, including spells, skills, abilities, heroes, units and buildings will remain present, with the other half being innovative. For example, every faction now features one single hero class (instead of two), evenly adept in weaponry and spellcasting. Another example is the absence of the magic guild, mandatory building for town updates in the previous games. In Heroes VI, the magic guild leveling is replaced by the hero skill/ability wheel leveling, while new spells are learned only at particular dwellings outside the town. Finally, the game will feature only three collectable resources (instead of the initial six): gold, wood and blue crystals. Multiplayer will be present.
Plot
Heroes VI is a prequel to the main campaigns of Heroes of Might and Magic V, taking place four centuries earlier in the world of Ashan. A legendary Archangel general, revived hundreds of years after perishing during the Elder Wars, plots to recover his powers and take control of Ashan while battling a supposed Demon invasion, but is impeded by the Griffin dynasty. The campaign protagonists of the five factions are members of the Griffin family, the children of Duke Slava. A hero named Sveltana has been prominently featured in screenshots to date. The campaigns can be played in any order, and are interconnected.
Factions
There will be five factions in the game: Haven, Sanctuary, Inferno, Necropolis and Stronghold. The first two factions are considered "good" and primarily master light magic. The second two are considered "evil" and mostly adorn dark magic. Stronghold is neutral between both types of magic, rather relying on the might of its warriors, however Stronghold heroes will have the possibility to learn both types of magic.