SpellForce III is a 2017 video game developed by Grimlore Games and published by THQ Nordic. It was released for Microsoft Windows on December 7, 2017. It is the third full and the ninth overall release in the SpellForce video game series. It is the first entry in the series since 2014's SpellForce 2: Demons of the Past. The plot serves as a prequel to the first game, depicting events that lead to the creation of The Circle, the group of mages whose actions were the basis for The Order of Dawn.
On May 28, 2019, THQ Nordic released a standalone downloadable expansion entitled SpellForce 3: Soul Harvest. It reintroduced dwarves and dark elves as playable races, both of which were featured in previous games but missing from this entry, and added new units including flying units as well as a new 20-hour single-player campaign.
On November 3, 2020, THQ Nordic released the second standalone downloadable expansion entitled SpellForce 3: Fallen God. It reintroduced the troll race with its own campaign, adding another 20 hours of gameplay. According to THQ Nordic, this is the last add-on that will be released for this game.
An upgraded version of the base game entitled SpellForce III: Reforced was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on December 6, 2021, a full four years after the release of the original version. This update was made available for free to current owners of the game. The update brings mechanics and designs introduced in the expansions to the base game as well as improvements to graphics, artificial intelligence and loot distribution. It includes two new game modes: "Journey Mode" allows players to play the game alone or in co-op mode on skirmish maps but also features a campaign system. Unlike in regular free play, players can create a Journey hero which will be the same for all these maps and which can be customized from the races and skill trees from the base game as well as the expansions. Players can play official Journey Mode maps (called "Contracts") but also player-made maps or skirmish maps that are "Journey Mode" compatible in order to level up their hero and gain new equipment that is then saved to the hero and available on the next map they choose. "Journey Mode" maps also contain quests that carry over between maps as well as fully voiced dialogue for the hero and various non-player characters. Secondly, there is "Arena Mode" which pits players against ever-increasing hordes of enemy units.
Source: Wikipedia, "SpellForce III", available under the CC-BY-SA License.