Why Did Ubisoft Partner With Hooded Horse for Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era?

If you enjoy independent indie game coverage, consider supporting Indie-Games.eu on Patreon. It helps keep the site independent.

Ubisoft’s decision to partner with Hooded Horse as a co-publisher for Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era, which is being developed by studio Unfrozen, while retaining IP rights is a strategic move rooted in business and operational considerations. Olden Era is set to release on PC via Steam later this year.

Hooded Horse has a strong track record in publishing successful games like Manor Lords, Against the Storm or Catacliusmo. It actually makes them ideal partner to improve Olden Era’s marketing and global reach, particularly among its core audience of strategy fans. Unfrozen said themselves in a press release that this partnership brings “more marketing support, better visibility, and helps extend our reach to more regions.”

Handing over publishing duties could be a cost-saving measure for Ubisoft. By sharing publishing responsibilities, Ubisoft reduces its financial risk and operational burden while still retaining a stake in the game’s success, especially given Olden Era’s delay to late 2025 for further polish based on community feedback.

In other words, partnering with Hooded Horse allows Ubisoft to offload the day-to-day publishing responsibilities such as marketing, distribution, and community engagement to a publisher better equipped to handle a niche strategy title, while still benefiting from the game’s potential success. Additionally, Ubisoft has faced significant internal restructuring, including a partial split in 2025 where a Tencent-flavored subsidiary took over major IPs like Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry.

Olden Era already has over 600,000 wishlists on Steam, ranking it among the top 50 most-wishlisted upcoming games. Let’s not forget to mention that The Heroes of Might and Magic IP is a long-standing and iconic franchise with a dedicated fanbase dating back to 1995. Ubisoft has owned the IP since acquiring it from 3DO after New World Computing’s closure in the early 2000s.

Retaining IP rights ensures Ubisoft maintains control over the franchise’s creative direction, future projects, and potential monetization opportunities like sequels, spin-offs, or licensing.