Work is apparently ongoing on version 2.0, and Docent Picolan (project leader) has asserted hopes that the next build will support WoG's ERA engine for scripting. However, in 2011, the team regrouped in a redoubled effort to finish version 1.0, and triumphed by the (very) end of the year in delivering the Cove, Heroes of Might and Magic III's de facto tenth town (with a small campaign). A disgruntled insider leaked a bugged beta version, which included a playable yet crash-prone first version of the Cove town, but nothing official immediately followed. In the spirit of a classic expansion pack, new heroes, artifacts, objects, terrains, spells, gameplay and features were intended for inclusion.Ī sudden dispute within the HotA development team significantly crippled its progress, and for months on end it seemed certain that it would never be released. The mod promised three new factions would be added to H3, with a new one coming in each of the three global versions: the pirate-focused Cove town, the snowy Kronwerk/Crownwork populated by Dwarves and Giants, and the Cathedral, a dark antithesis to the Castle town led by inquisitors. The mod gained a very considerable following, with this thread alone receiving hundreds of thousands of views from enthusiasts, and countless comments. HotA was initially announced at Heroes Community in May 2008 (see the archived post below this one), and was tentatively scheduled for a release within that year, but this estimate was pushed forward several times due to various technical difficulties.

It is the first fan mod in the history of the entire series to successfully add a mostly-stable, all-new town, without replacing any other factions in doing so. HEROES OF MIGHT AND MAGIC III: HORN OF THE ABYSS is, its current form, a mod crafted by the Russian-speaking Heroes community for Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Shadow of Death. If this note is still here, the answer is that nobody knows. Until that time, please do not clutter the thread with demands to know when the English language version will be released. When that happens, this post will be changed to reflect a projected release date.

PLEASE NOTE: The HotA team will publish release date information about the English version when they are ready.

An English version is underway and is expected soon, and further versions are planned to enable compatibility with WoG and the ERA scripting system. Version 1.0 has been released to the public, adding the Cove town to the game and a short introductory campaign, but this build currently exists in Russian only, and can only be installed on Heroes of Might and Magic III: Complete. Until further notice, updates to this master post are carried out by Corribus - January 14, 2013 Updates to this master post are carried out by Cepheus - January 1st, 2012 Heroes of Might & Magic III: Horn of the Abyss

Hero forge 2.0 beta