A couple ofWorld of Warcraftplayers recently discovered some hidden code that suggests Blizzard may be considering adding hardcore realms in the future. If these realms are made, they will offer players the ultimate challenge inWorld of Warcraft.Hardcore is a gameplay style inspired byDiablo’s own game mode of the same name, where a character is permanently deleted when they die. Evidence of this challenging playstyle coming toWorld of Warcraftwas discovered in the Blizzard interface on thePublic Test Realm forDragonflightPatch 10.1by fan and Twitter user Meorawr and shared by Solanya.RELATED:World of Warcraft: Aberrus Raid Boss List in Embers of Neltharion RevealedThere are no global strings tied to this new discovery inWorld of Warcraftyet, but the interface code is set up to pop up two separate warnings–one when a hardcore realm is selected, and another when players try to make a character on said realm. Though the text was discovered in a build forWorld of Warcraft’s10.1 PTR, it is currently unknown if these new realms would be intended for retail orClassic WoW.
Right now, hardcore modes exist inClassic World of Warcraftbut must be enforced by the user similar to Nuzlocke runs inPokemon. HardcoreWorld of Warcraftplayers have held several special events inClassic WoWrecently. In last year’s Road to Ragnaros event, 40 extreme players cleared theiconic Molten Core raid inWorld of Warcraftwith only two characters dying, and the in-progress Hardcore Allstars event has players speedrunning dungeons on hardcore characters.
Many players would be ecstatic ifWorld of Warcraftintroduced hardcore realms, especially inClassic WoW. These thrill-seeking players are often looking for new ways to challenge themselves, and hardcore realms would be the perfect way to do so. It is clear an officialWorld of Warcrafthardcore community would be small, but extremely dedicated.
World of Warcraft Classicrecently closed its Season of Mastery realmsafter cycling through all the VanillaWoWcontent once again. It has yet to announce a new Season of Mastery or accompanying realms in the time since, leading manyClassic Era WoWplayers to feel aimless. If Blizzard is planning on introducing official hardcore realms soon, it could be exactly whatClassic WoWneeds to keep it fresh.
Considering itsdiscovery onWorld of Warcraft’sPTR forEmbers of Neltharion, players will hopefully learn more about this potential game mode in subsequent builds. Hopefully,World of Warcraftwill make an official announcement about a hardcore mode soon, and reveal whether it will be available forClassic, retail, or both.
World of Warcraftis available now on PC.
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