World of Warcraft Classic to get hardcore mode - when you die, it's permadeath

That's it, finito - hardcore mode means permadeath, and with a heavyweight MMOG like WoW, that'll make things pretty nerve-wracking to say the least.

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World of Warcraft Classic is getting a hardcore server, meaning that when you play, if your character dies, that's it - they are permanently dead.

While there are already mods out there to let you experience this take on WoW, official support is a different kettle of fish.

However, the reveal wasn't such a big surprise seeing as the existence of a hardcore mode had previously been leaked (see the above tweet).

In a forum post, Blizzard informed us:

"As Senior Game Producer Aggrend just confirmed on the Hardcore All-Stars stream, we've been working to bring official Hardcore Classic gameplay to WoW Classic. We've been very energized by the community's enthusiasm for Hardcore, watching along with you, and doing a lot of Hardcore play ourselves."

We're then told we will get more details on the mode and how it will work soon.

However, we do have another nugget of info. In the aforementioned Hardcore All-Stars stream, there's a mention of the hardcore servers getting a PVP element in the form of players being able to challenge each other to a duel to the death. Nail-biting stuff, no doubt, if you decide to get involved in those shenanigans.

The reception to the announcement has been largely positive, although there are some concerns that Blizzard might 'dilute' the hardcore experience (of the add-on) to cater for a slightly broader audience with the official servers, perhaps.

Those who are really hardcore about WoW, mind you, will have no doubt have already pre-ordered their replica Frostmourne - yes, a real-world version of the sword - and matching ice pedestal, for the bargain price of $2,100, as we found out recently.

Darren has written for numerous magazines and websites in the technology world for almost 30 years, including TechRadar, PC Gamer, Eurogamer, Computeractive, and many more. He worked on his first magazine (PC Home) long before Google and most of the rest of the web existed. In his spare time, he can be found gaming, going to the gym, and writing books (his debut novel – ‘I Know What You Did Last Supper’ – was published by Hachette UK in 2013).

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