3DO and New World Computing are currently at work on Heroes of Might and Magic III: Shadows of Death. Shadows of Death will not be an add-on, but rather a stand-alone package; you won't need to already own Heroes III to play it, and if you do, you'll be able to send in for a rebate. The new game will include all of the scenario and campaign maps from the original game. In addition, Shadows of Death will also feature 38 all-new individual-scenario maps, as well as a set of seven never-before-seen campaigns (which also consist of about 38 individual maps). Shadows of Death's campaigns will play out similarly to the campaigns of the original Heroes III; they'll focus on telling more of a single story while switching between a handful of lead heroes.

　　Shadows of Death will include a number of other features, such as new terrain types (such as evil fog and holy ground, which respectively confer bonuses and penalties to evil- and good-aligned armies) exclusive to the game's map editor; new "combination artifacts" (which are essentially groups of artifacts that don't combine into one item, but confer an additional bonus when all three are in a hero's possession); and force-feedback mouse support to complement combat attacks and magical spells. Shadows of Death will also include the powerful campaign editor of the Armageddon's Blade expansion, as well as all 23 of the expansion's neutral creatures - but it won't include the Elemental Conflux town type. Look for Shadows of Death this spring.