<s>
Might	B-Application
&	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
Heroes	I-Application
VI	I-Application
is	O
a	O
turn-based	O
strategy	O
video	O
game	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
developed	O
by	O
Black	O
Hole	O
Entertainment	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Ubisoft	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
patches	O
and	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
were	O
developed	O
by	O
Limbic	O
Entertainment	O
,	O
while	O
the	O
standalone	O
expansion	O
Shades	O
of	O
Darkness	O
was	O
developed	O
by	O
Virtuos	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
sixth	O
installment	O
in	O
the	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
series	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
October	O
13	O
,	O
2011	O
,	O
coinciding	O
with	O
the	O
25th	O
anniversary	O
of	O
the	O
Might	B-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
franchise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Heroes	B-Application
VI	I-Application
acts	O
as	O
a	O
prequel	O
to	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
V	I-Application
,	O
occurring	O
almost	O
five	O
centuries	O
earlier	O
,	O
and	O
is	O
set	O
in	O
the	O
fictional	O
world	O
of	O
Ashan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
story	O
follows	O
the	O
five	O
heirs	O
to	O
the	O
Griffin	O
dynasty	O
in	O
their	O
quests	O
to	O
repel	O
a	O
demon	O
invasion	O
and	O
assist	O
or	O
impede	O
Michael	O
,	O
a	O
legendary	O
Archangel	B-Application
general	O
plotting	O
to	O
revive	O
an	O
ancient	O
war	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
in	O
previous	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
titles	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
can	O
choose	O
between	O
single-player	O
or	O
multiplayer	O
modes	O
of	O
play	O
,	O
and	O
controls	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
heroes	O
and	O
towns	O
associated	O
with	O
various	O
factions	O
,	O
commanding	O
armies	O
of	O
creatures	O
between	O
tactical	O
overland	O
exploration	O
and	O
a	O
turn-based	O
combat	O
system	O
to	O
satisfy	O
each	O
scenario	O
's	O
victory	O
conditions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Heroes	B-Application
VI	I-Application
alters	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
series	O
 '	O
long-standing	O
conventions	O
,	O
overhauling	O
its	O
chance-based	O
skills	O
system	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
removing	O
the	O
old	O
"	O
magic	O
guild	O
"	O
spell	O
system	O
and	O
replacing	O
both	O
with	O
a	O
hero-based	O
"	O
talents	O
"	O
tree	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Heroes	B-Application
VI	I-Application
received	O
"	O
generally	O
favorable	O
reviews	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
gameplay	O
of	O
Heroes	B-Application
VI	I-Application
mainly	O
follows	O
in	O
the	O
same	O
vein	O
taken	O
by	O
its	O
predecessor	O
,	O
i.e.	O
</s>
<s>
Heroes	B-Application
VI	I-Application
takes	O
place	O
on	O
the	O
continent	O
of	O
Thallan	O
in	O
the	O
fictional	O
world	O
of	O
Ashan	O
,	O
a	O
setting	O
developed	O
by	O
Ubisoft	O
between	O
2004	O
and	O
2008	O
for	O
use	O
in	O
all	O
of	O
its	O
Might	O
and	O
Magic-related	O
projects	O
,	O
starting	O
with	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
V	I-Application
in	O
2006	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ashan	O
is	O
populated	O
by	O
approximately	O
eleven	O
factions	O
inspired	O
by	O
those	O
appearing	O
in	O
previous	O
Heroes	O
games	O
and	O
real-life	O
cultures	O
,	O
five	O
of	O
which	O
are	O
showcased	O
in	O
Heroes	B-Application
VI	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Heroes	B-Application
VI	I-Application
also	O
re-introduces	O
passing	O
references	O
to	O
the	O
Ancients	O
,	O
a	O
super	O
advanced	O
society	O
of	O
beings	O
which	O
narratively	O
connected	O
previous	O
worlds	O
featured	O
in	O
the	O
Might	B-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
franchise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Duke	O
Slava	O
,	O
Pavel	O
's	O
son	O
,	O
retaliates	O
in	O
solidarity	O
with	O
the	O
Orcs	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
Dukes	O
 '	O
bickering	O
forces	O
cause	O
the	O
Archangel	B-Application
Uriel	O
-	O
Michael	O
's	O
brother	O
-	O
to	O
intervene	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Meanwhile	O
,	O
her	O
twin	O
brother	O
Kiril	O
finds	O
himself	O
abandoned	O
in	O
Sheogh	O
by	O
his	O
mentor	O
,	O
the	O
Archangel	B-Application
Sarah	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
soul	O
of	O
a	O
demon	O
prince	O
sharing	O
his	O
body	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Heroes	B-Application
VI	I-Application
was	O
hinted	O
at	O
as	O
early	O
as	O
June	O
2009	O
,	O
in	O
video	O
developer	O
diaries	O
for	O
Might	B-Application
&	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
:	I-Application
Clash	I-Application
of	I-Application
Heroes	I-Application
:	O
Le	O
Breton	O
and	O
fellow	O
producer	O
Romain	O
de	O
Waubert	O
wore	O
shirts	O
sporting	O
a	O
Might	B-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
:	I-Application
Heroes	I-Application
VI	I-Application
logo	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
an	O
interview	O
with	O
PlanetDS.de,	O
the	O
producers	O
dropped	O
further	O
hints	O
relating	O
to	O
the	O
project	O
's	O
existence	O
,	O
with	O
de	O
Waubert	O
stating	O
"	O
I	O
'm	O
such	O
a	O
fan	O
of	O
Might	B-Application
&	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
that	O
I	O
wear	O
its	O
future	O
like	O
a	O
second	O
skin	O
,	O
very	O
close	O
to	O
my	O
heart.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Le	O
Breton	O
,	O
Nival	O
Interactive	O
were	O
considered	O
to	O
reprise	O
their	O
role	O
as	O
series	O
developer	O
,	O
but	O
Ubisoft	O
could	O
not	O
agree	O
on	O
a	O
common	O
vision	O
with	O
the	O
Heroes	B-Application
V	I-Application
team	O
,	O
most	O
of	O
whom	O
had	O
already	O
been	O
transferred	O
to	O
work	O
on	O
Allods	B-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
;	O
Black	O
Hole	O
Entertainment	O
impressed	O
Ubisoft	O
as	O
experienced	O
,	O
talented	O
and	O
passionate	O
people	O
,	O
and	O
were	O
selected	O
to	O
create	O
the	O
sequel	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
the	O
date	O
was	O
changed	O
to	O
October	O
13	O
weeks	O
prior	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
coincide	O
with	O
the	O
25th	O
anniversary	O
of	O
the	O
Might	B-Application
&	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
franchise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
April	O
17	O
,	O
2012	O
,	O
Ubisoft	O
announced	O
that	O
Black	O
Hole	O
Entertainment	O
was	O
no	O
longer	O
working	O
on	O
Might	B-Application
&	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
Heroes	I-Application
VI	I-Application
;	O
instead	O
,	O
Limbic	O
Entertainment	O
would	O
be	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
previously	O
helped	O
Black	O
Hole	O
Entertainment	O
with	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
final	O
stages	O
of	O
development	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
all	O
,	O
27	O
patches	O
were	O
released	O
for	O
Heroes	B-Application
VI	I-Application
,	O
23	O
of	O
them	O
for	O
the	O
original	O
and	O
4	O
for	O
the	O
expansion	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Rob	O
King	O
and	O
Paul	O
Romero	O
,	O
who	O
were	O
responsible	O
for	O
the	O
sound	O
design	O
and	O
music	O
composition	O
on	O
all	O
previous	O
entries	O
in	O
the	O
Heroes	O
series	O
and	O
four	O
of	O
their	B-Application
sister	I-Application
role-playing	I-Application
video	I-Application
games	I-Application
,	O
returned	O
to	O
work	O
on	O
the	O
game	O
alongside	O
new	O
composers	O
Jason	O
Graves	O
and	O
Rick	O
Knight	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
soundtrack	O
consists	O
of	O
several	O
new	O
compositions	O
and	O
a	O
"	O
medley	O
of	O
iconic	O
themes	O
"	O
from	O
previous	O
Might	B-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
games	O
,	O
including	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
II	I-Application
,	O
III	B-Application
and	O
V	B-Application
,	O
Dark	B-Application
Messiah	I-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
,	O
Might	B-Application
&	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
:	I-Application
Clash	I-Application
of	I-Application
Heroes	I-Application
and	O
Might	B-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
VI	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Mandate	I-Application
of	I-Application
Heaven	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
stand-alone	O
expansion	O
,	O
named	O
Might	B-Application
&	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
Heroes	I-Application
VI	I-Application
:	O
Shades	O
of	O
Darkness	O
,	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
May	O
2013	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
the	O
original	O
game	O
and	O
its	O
DLC	B-Protocol
,	O
Shades	O
of	O
Darkness	O
was	O
developed	O
by	O
Virtuos	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Its	O
main	O
protagonist	O
is	O
the	O
Dark	O
Elf	O
Raelag	O
,	O
who	O
first	O
appeared	O
in	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
V	I-Application
,	O
and	O
features	O
the	O
return	O
of	O
the	O
Dungeon	O
faction	O
,	O
led	O
by	O
the	O
Dark	O
Elves	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
September	O
25	O
,	O
2013	O
,	O
Ubisoft	O
declared	O
that	O
there	O
would	O
be	O
no	O
more	O
online	O
support	O
on	O
Heroes	B-Application
VI	I-Application
,	O
bringing	O
an	O
official	O
end	O
to	O
the	O
updates	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
received	O
generally	O
favorable	O
reviews	O
according	O
to	O
the	O
review	B-Application
aggregation	I-Application
website	O
It	O
is	O
listed	O
as	O
an	O
IGN	O
Editors	O
 '	O
Choice	O
,	O
citing	O
"	O
addictive	O
turn-based	O
strategy	O
"	O
gameplay	O
and	O
"	O
major	O
improvements	O
to	O
a	O
fantastic	O
formula	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
