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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox video game series
|title                  = Might and Magic
|image                  = File:mightandmagiclogonew.png
|caption                = The logo commonly used by Ubisoft
|genre                  = [[Role-playing video game|Role-playing]]
|developer              = [[New World Computing]] (1984-2003)<br>[[Arkane Studios]] (for ''[[Dark Messiah of Might and Magic|Dark Messiah]]'')<br>[[Limbic Entertainment]] (for ''[[Might & Magic X: Legacy|Might & Magic X]]'')
|publisher              = [[New World Computing]] (1984-1996)<br>[[The 3DO Company]] (1996-2003)<br>[[Ubisoft]] (2003-)
|creator                = [[Jon Van Caneghem]]
|platforms              = [[Amiga]], [[Apple II]], [[Commodore 64]], [[Classic Mac OS|Mac]], [[MS-DOS]], [[MSX]], [[NEC PC-9801]], [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]], [[PlayStation 2]], [[Sega Genesis|Genesis]], [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|Super NES]], [[TurboGrafx-16]], [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]]
|spinoffs               = ''[[Heroes of Might and Magic]]''<br>[[List of Might and Magic media#Spin-offs|List of spinoffs]]
|first release version  = ''[[Might and Magic Book One: The Secret of the Inner Sanctum]]''
|first release date     = 1986
|latest release version = ''[[Might & Magic X: Legacy]]''
|latest release date    = 23 January 2014
}}
{{Timeline of release years
| 1986 = ''[[Might and Magic Book One: The Secret of the Inner Sanctum|1: The Secret of the Inner Sanctum]]''
| 1988 = ''[[Might and Magic II: Gates to Another World|2: Gates to Another World]]''
| 1991 = ''[[Might and Magic III: Isles of Terra|3: Isles of Terra]]''
| 1992 = ''[[Might and Magic IV: Clouds of Xeen|4: Clouds of Xeen]]''
| 1993 = ''[[Might and Magic V: Darkside of Xeen|5: Darkside of Xeen]]''
| 1994 = ''[[Might and Magic V: Darkside of Xeen#World of Xeen|World of Xeen]]''
| 1998 = ''[[Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven|6: The Mandate of Heaven]]''
| 1999 = ''[[Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor|7: For Blood and Honor]]''
| 2000 = ''[[Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer|8: Day of the Destroyer]]''
| 2002 = ''[[Might and Magic IX|9: Writ of Fate]]''
| 2014 = ''[[Might & Magic X: Legacy|10: Legacy]]''
}}

'''''Might and Magic''''' is a series of [[role-playing video game]]s in the [[science fantasy]] genre developed by [[New World Computing]], which in 1996 became a subsidiary of [[The 3DO Company]]. The original ''Might and Magic'' series ended with the closure of the 3DO Company. The rights to the ''Might and Magic'' name were purchased for US$1.3 million by Ubisoft,<ref name="purchase">{{cite web |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/namco-ubisoft-and-ms-carve-up-3do-assets |title=Namco, Ubisoft and MS carve up 3DO assets |date=18 August 2003 |access-date=12 April 2019}}</ref> which rebooted the franchise with a new series with no apparent connection to the previous continuity, starting with the games ''[[Heroes of Might and Magic V]]'' and ''[[Dark Messiah of Might and Magic]]''.

==History==
{{Further|List of Might and Magic media}}

===Main series===
*''[[Might and Magic Book One: The Secret of the Inner Sanctum]]'' (1986; [[Apple II]], [[Classic Mac OS|Mac]], [[MS-DOS]], [[Commodore 64]], [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]], [[MSX]], [[TurboGrafx-16|PC-Engine CD-ROM²]])
*''[[Might and Magic II: Gates to Another World]]'' (1988; Apple II, [[Amiga]], MS-DOS, Commodore 64, Mac, [[Sega Genesis|Genesis]], [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|Super NES]] (Europe only), [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|Super Famicom]] (Japan-only, different from the European Super NES version), MSX)
*''[[Might and Magic III: Isles of Terra]]'' (1991; MS-DOS, Mac, Amiga, Super NES, [[Sega Genesis|Genesis]] (prototype), [[Sega Mega-CD|Sega CD]], PC-Engine Super CD-ROM²)
*''[[Might and Magic IV: Clouds of Xeen]]'' (1992; MS-DOS, Mac)
*''[[Might and Magic V: Darkside of Xeen]]'' (1993; MS-DOS, Mac)
**''Might and Magic: [[Might and Magic V: Darkside of Xeen#World of Xeen|World of Xeen]]'' (1994; MS-DOS, Mac)
*''[[Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven]]'' (1998; [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]])
*''[[Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor]]'' (1999; Windows)
*''[[Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer]]'' (2000; Windows, PlayStation 2 (Japan-only))
*''[[Might and Magic IX|Might and Magic IX: Writ of Fate]]'' (2002; Windows)
*''[[Might & Magic X: Legacy]]'' (2014; Windows, OS X)

=== Spin-offs ===
There have been several spin-offs from the main series, including the long-running ''[[Heroes of Might and Magic]]'' series, ''[[Crusaders of Might and Magic]]'', ''[[Warriors of Might and Magic]]'', ''[[Shifters|Shifters of Might and Magic]]'', ''[[Legends of Might and Magic]]'', ''[[Might and Magic: Heroes Kingdoms]]'', and the fan-made ''[[Swords of Xeen]]''.

In August 2003, [[Ubisoft]] acquired the rights to the ''Might and Magic'' franchise for US$1.3 million after 3DO filed for [[Chapter 11, Title 11, United States Code|Chapter 11]] bankruptcy.<ref name="purchase" /> Ubisoft has since released multiple new projects using the ''Might and Magic'' brand, including a [[Heroes of Might and Magic V|fifth installment of the ''Heroes'' series]] developed by [[Nival (company)|Nival]], an action-style game ''[[Dark Messiah of Might and Magic]]'' developed by [[Arkane Studios]], a puzzle RPG ''[[Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes]]'' developed by ''[[Capybara Games]]'', and the mobile strategy RPG titled ''Might & Magic: Elemental Guardians''.

==Gameplay==
The majority of the gameplay takes place in [[medieval fantasy]] settings, while later sections of the games are often based on [[science fiction]] tropes, the transition often serving as a plot twist. The player controls a party of [[player character]]s, which can consist of members of various [[character class]]es.  The game world is presented to the player in [[First-person shooter|first person]] perspective. In the earlier games the interface is very similar to that of ''[[The Bard's Tale (1985 video game)|Bard's Tale]]'', but from ''[[Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven]]'' onward, the interface features a three-dimensional environment. Combat is turn-based, though the later games allowed the player to choose to conduct combat in real time.

The game worlds in all of the Might and Magic games are quite large, and a player can expect each game to provide several dozen hours of gameplay.  It is usually quite combat-intensive and often involves large groups of enemy creatures.  Monsters and situations encountered throughout the series tend to be well-known fantasy staples such as giant [[rat]]s, [[werewolf]] curses, [[dragon]] flights and [[zombie]] hordes, rather than original creations. ''Isles of Terra'' and the ''Xeen'' games featured a more distinct environment, blending fantasy and science fiction elements in a unique way.

The ''Might and Magic'' games have some [[replay value]] as the player can choose their party composition, develop different skills, choose sides, do quests in a different order, hunt for hidden secrets and [[easter egg (media)|easter eggs]], and/or change difficulty level.

==Plot==
Although most of the gameplay reflects a distinctly fantasy genre, the overarching plot of the first nine games has a science fiction background. The series is set in a fictional galaxy as part of an alternative universe, where planets are overseen by a powerful race of space travelers known as Ancients who seeded them with humans, elves, dwarves, goblins and others. In each of the games, a party of characters fights monsters and completes quests on one of these planets, until they eventually become involved in the affairs of the Ancients. As such, ''Might and Magic'' is an example of [[science fantasy]].

The [[Video game producer|producer]] of the series was [[Jon Van Caneghem]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=9&cId=3139081#83|title=CGW's Hall of Fame|publisher=Computer Gaming World|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160614071402/http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=9&cId=3139081|archive-date=14 June 2016|url-status=dead|access-date=12 April 2019}}</ref> Van Caneghem has stated in interview<ref>{{cite web |title=RPG Codex Retrospective Interview: Jon Van Caneghem on Might and Magic |date=18 August 2012 |url=https://rpgcodex.net/content.php?id=8379 |publisher=RPGCodex |access-date=12 April 2019}}</ref> that the ''Might and Magic'' setting is inspired by his love for both science fiction and fantasy. He cites ''[[The Twilight Zone]]'' and the ''[[Star Trek]]'' episode ''[[For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky]]'' as having inspired ''Might and Magic'' lore.

The first five games in the series concern the renegade android Sheltem created by the Ancients to be the Guardian of the planet Terra, who becomes irrevocably corrupted, developing a penchant for throwing worlds into suns to sabotage the Ancients' Great Experiment, as his faulty programming views them as a threat to Terra. Sheltem establishes himself on a series of flat worlds known as nacelles (which are carried inside giant spaceships) and Corak, a second Guardian and creation of the Ancients, pursues him across the Void with the assistance of the player characters. Eventually both Corak and Sheltem are destroyed in a climactic battle on the nacelle world of Xeen.

The sixth, seventh and eighth games take place on Enroth, a single planet where a large continent also named Enroth is ruled by the Ironfist dynasty, and chronicle the events and aftermath of an invasion by the Kreegan (colloquially referred to as "devils"), the demon-like archenemies of the Ancients. It is also revealed that the destruction wrought by the Ancients' wars with the Kreegan is the reason why the worlds of ''Might and Magic'' exist as medieval fantasy settings despite once being seeded with futuristic technology – the worlds have been 'cut off' from the Ancients and descended into barbarism. The first through third games in the ''[[Heroes of Might and Magic]]'' series trace the fortunes of the Ironfists in more detail. None of the science fiction elements appear in the ''Heroes'' series besides the appearance of Kreegan characters in ''Heroes of Might and Magic III'' and ''IV''. ''Might and Magic IX'' and ''Heroes IV'' take place on Axeoth, another planet which the survivors of Enroth were brought to through portals after it was destroyed in an event called the Reckoning.

The Ubisoft release ''[[Might & Magic X: Legacy]]'' departs from this continuity and is set in the world of Ashan, a separate setting established by Ubisoft in ''[[Heroes of Might and Magic V]]'' and subsequent ''Heroes'' games after New World Computing went out of business.<ref>{{cite web |title=RPG Codex Interview: Might and Magic X – Legacy |date=5 April 2013 |url=https://rpgcodex.net/content.php?id=8895 |publisher=RPGCodex |access-date=12 April 2019}}</ref> Ashan is a [[high fantasy]] setting with no science fiction elements in its lore.<ref>{{cite web |title=Discover World of Ashan |url=https://mmh7.ubi.com/en/blog/post/view/discover-ashan |publisher=Ubisoft |access-date=12 April 2019}}</ref> The original setting remained abandoned until the 2025 game ''[[Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era]]'', a prequel taking place on Enroth's continent Jadame, which was first featured in ''[[Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zerbinatto |first=Murillo |date=August 23, 2024 |title=New Heroes of Might and Magic Game Announced |url=https://gamerant.com/new-heroes-of-might-and-magic-game-olden-era/ |website=GameRant}}</ref>

==Reception==
''Might and Magic'' is considered one of the defining examples of early role-playing video games, along with ''[[The Bard's Tale (1985 video game)|The Bard's Tale]]'', ''[[Ultima (series)|Ultima]]'' and ''[[Wizardry (video game series)|Wizardry]]'' series.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/130124/the_history_of_computer_.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425092816/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/130124/the_history_of_computer_.php|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 April 2012|title=The History of Computer Role-Playing Games Part 2: The Golden Age (1985-1993)|last=Barton|first=Matt|date=23 February 2007|website=Gamasutra|access-date=12 April 2019}}</ref> By March 1994, combined sales of the ''Might and Magic'' series totaled 1 million units.<ref name="sales2">{{cite magazine |title=READ.ME: NTN Networks With New World |issue=116 |date=March 1994 |page=14 |magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]] |url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_116.pdf |access-date=12 April 2019 }}</ref> The number rose to 2.5 million sales by November 1996.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive.org/details/powerplaymagazine-1996-11|title=Power Play Magazine (November 1996)|date=1 November 1996|website=Archive.org|access-date=18 April 2019}}</ref> and 4 million by March 1999.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/000302/ca_3do_1.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000412083404/http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/000302/ca_3do_1.html|title=3DO Ships Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer|website=[[Business Wire]]|publisher=[[Berkshire Hathaway]]|via=[[Yahoo! Finance|Yahoo.com]]|archive-date=12 April 2000|date=2 March 1999|access-date=17 June 2019}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20000816215432/http://www.3do.com/products/mmworld/ Official franchise website (2000)] (archived)
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20140904211324/http://might-and-magic.ubi.com/universe/en-US/home/ Official franchise website (2014)] (archived)
*{{MobyGames|id=-group/might-and-magic-series|name=''Might and Magic'' series}}
* [http://www.celestialheavens.com/viewpage.php?id=373 The plot and history of the Might and Magic series on Celestial Heavens]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20091026223918/http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Labyrinth/6382/mmlist.txt List of ''Might and Magic'' releases including games, books, and other collectibles]
* [http://www.mightandmagicworld.de/ Might and Magic World]

{{Might and Magic series}}
{{Ubisoft}}

[[Category:Might and Magic| ]]
[[Category:Ubisoft franchises]]
[[Category:New World Computing games]]
[[Category:Video game franchises]]
[[Category:Video games about magic]]
[[Category:Science fantasy role-playing video games]]
[[Category:Video game franchises introduced in 1986]]
[[Category:First-person party-based dungeon crawler video games]]
[[Category:High fantasy role-playing video games]]
[[Category:Video games about ancient astronauts]]