Remnant: From the Ashes has officially moved more than one million units across PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, and now the developers are set to release a Hardcore Mode for that horde of fans to enjoy. Those sales numbers are great for the so-called Dark Souls with guns, and those who love to grind their teeth over brutally difficult gaming sessions will sure dig the addition of Hardcore Mode.
One of the most requested additions by fans, Hardcore Mode will come to the title as a free update on October 31st. According to the press release that accompanied the news, Remnant: From the Ashes' "new mode will challenge players to complete the game with only one life." In order to get going in Hardcore Mode, players will need to create a brand new character. If they die, that's it for that freshly made persona. If players want to take their Hardcore Mode character online, they'll be able to do that, too; but, they'll only be able to play with other Hardcore Mode characters. What's more, those sessions will have to be initiated directly through an invite, so no random matchmaking can kick off a Hardcore Mode online session.
On the plus side, the World Bosses players manage to beat will drop new rings with powerful effects. "These items will be available to all of the characters on a player’s account (old and new, Standard and Hardcore) after they’ve obtained them," according to the press release, so "all future characters, including those in Hardcore mode, will begin their journey with greater potential." At least there's a chance that the torment brought by that permadeath will have a silver lining.
Hardcore Mode isn't the only thing being added to the game. That same press release indicated that October 31st will also see the release of other "new in-game content and rewards that will enhance players’ experience" to celebrate the word of breaking one million sold. There's more coming down the line, too, as the presser teased that developer Gunfire Games has more DLC planned for 2020.
Being tasked with completing a game without dying is an old mechanic that's standard for hardcore modes across all sorts of titles, from arcade classics to games like Minecraft (where one player famously lost a five-year game thanks to permadeath). What's typically difficult to present when giving players a permadeath option is justification. Some games do permadeath right, but why bother risking everything if the player isn't set to get some sort of reward? Luckily for fans of Remnant: From the Ashes, this game's permadeath mode brings some savory rewards.
Hardcore Mode hits Remnant: From the Ashes on Halloween, and more in-game content will come in 2020.