If you are looking for a more difficult challenge in Diablo 4, then you might want to look at Hardcore mode (HC). This game mode is a tradition that Blizzard has kept since the earlier Diablo games, and dying while playing it will result in your character being deleted and inaccessible in any other mode in the game.
This game mode is not for the soft-hearted or the people who don’t have a silky smooth connection. If you are interested, then keep reading as this guide will go over what Hardcore mode is, and the special mechanics that are unique to it.
Make sure you have a stable connection before playing this mode as characters that die due to lag or disconnection will still be deleted.
How does Diablo 4 Hardcore mode work
When you create a character, you get the chance to select Hardcore mode during the creation process. Activating this option will place your character in the Hardcore realm, and not in the Eternal realm. This means that some things that your characters from the Eternal realm have, will not be moved to the characters in the Hardcore realm.
What moves from Softcore to Hardcore mode:
- Your mounts and all their cosmetics
- Access to the Tree of Whispers if it was unlocked on any of your Eternal Realm characters
What does NOT move from Softcore to Hardcore mode in Diablo 4:
- All the accumulated renown
- Fog of war on the map
- Altars of Lilith, and waypoints
- Legendary Aspects & Dungeon Completion status
- Storage
- Account-wide Skill points and Paragon points
- Any currency that is accumulated like Gold, Red Dust, and Murmuring Obols.
- Potion capacity
When you die in Hardcore mode, the following things happen
- If your character is below level 10 and they die, they will be completely deleted.
- If your character is above level 10 and they die, they will be moved to the Halls of Fallen Heroes, and won’t be playable anymore.
- Anything that is shared between characters in the same realm (Renown, currencies, storage) will remain the same for any future Hardcore characters.
I recommend you keep any valuables in your storage while playing in Hardcore. This is just a precaution in case you die for natural reasons and you don’t have an Elixir of Death Evasion or a Scroll of Escape.
Also, in case you disconnect, your character will be idle for 10 seconds, and this means that dying due to a disconnection or lag will still delete the character (unless you have a Scroll of Escape).
How to view Fallen Characters in Diablo 4
Hardcore characters that die and are at least level 10 will join the Hall of Fallen Heroes, otherwise, they will be deleted completely. To view Fallen Characters, you need to visit the collection on any of your characters and navigate to the Fallen Characters tab.
Up to 8 characters can be stored in the Hall of Fallen Heroes, and from that menu, you can see all the characters that died in Hardcore mode, given that they were above level 10. You can also see the gear that these characters had, and some other stats like how they died, how far they got in the main story, and how much play time was accumulated on this character.
Diablo 4 Hardcore mode consumables
In Hardcore mode, there are two exclusive consumables that can be used to save you from death, and they are:
- Elixir of Death Evasion
- Scroll of Escape
The Elixir of Death Evasion is a single-time use consumable that lasts for 30 minutes and is crafted at the Alchemist. This Elixir allows you to cheat death and leaves you immune for 2 seconds when you are near death. After that, there is a 5-minute cooldown before you can use the Elixir again. You can get the recipe for the Elixir by defeating monsters all over Sanctuary in Hardcore mode.
The Scroll of Escape, on the other hand, is like a Town portal but without any cast time and can be used during combat. This consumable can be placed in your quick wheel for immediate use and can be looted from any monster in Hardcore mode after your character has reached level 20. Keep in mind that this item is super rare and not very easy to come across.
