Hardcore characters are designed for game players who live to ride on the edge of danger. Hardcore characters are ranked on a separate ladder on Battle.net if they are created as Ladder Characters, and receive special honorifics in their names, which appear colored blood red. In Hardcore mode, you live only once, meaning that if you die, your character can no longer be used. Once dead, Hardcore characters cannot create or join games. You will also lose every item on your character and in your stash. If you have consented another player to loot your body they can recover the items on your character.

Note: Blizzard Entertainment is in no way responsible for your Hardcore character. If you choose to create and play a Hardcore character, you do so at your own risk. Blizzard is not responsible for the death and loss of your hardcore characters for any reason including Internet lag, bugs, Acts of God, your little sister, or any other reason whatsoever. Consult the End User License Agreement for more details. Blizzard will not, and does not have the capability to restore any deceased Hardcore characters. Don't even ask. La-la-la-la-la, we can't hear you...

How do I create a Hardcore Character?
To create a Hardcore character, select the "Hardcore" check box when creating and naming a new character. The important difference in a Hardcore character is that he or she has but a single life. Should your Hardcore character be slain, it is permanently erased from the game. Hardcore characters can only join games with other Hardcore characters.

What kind of rewards do I get for playing Hardcore?

Your name appears in red on battle.net

You receive a special Hardcore title for your character when you defeat Baal:

Normal Difficulty: Destroyer
Nightmare Difficulty: Conqueror
Hell Difficulty: Guardian

You will be ranked on the Hardcore Ladder if you have created a Hardcore Ladder Character.

Everyone knows that your character has never died.

You get the excitement of knowing you only have one chance.

What happens when I die?
When you die, you will see a screen prompting you to hit escape. After hitting escape, you will find yourself in the Battle.net Chat room as a Ghost. You can now no longer create or join games but you can still chat, and your character will still be ranked on the Hardcore Ladder.

Saving your Items
It's possible to consent another player to loot your body. This player must be in the game with you when you consent them to loot your corpse, and they must be in the game when you die. Using the "buddy system" you can have the opportunity to save the items on your corpse just in case you die. Be warned however, to only consent players you trust as players may try to kill you to get your equipment if you consent to letting them loot your corpse.

Instruct the other player, before you die, to try to find your body and loot your corpse if you die. If it's a friend, or trustworthy player, they may even give your items back to you, if you create a new Hardcore Character.

Be warned, if you hit escape after dying before someone loots your body, your body will disappear (since you left the game), and those items will be forever lost. Also, you cannot allow people to access your Private Stash, even in death so any items in the Stash will be lost forever when your character dies. For safety you can move items you wish to save to other characters or leave them on the ground, just in case you die.

You will lose your Ladder Ranking if you Delete your Hardcore Character
Once you have deleted your Hardcore Character it will no longer appear on any ladders. If ladder ranking, even after death, is a concern, do not delete your dead Hardcore Character. Remember to keep this character active by logging on with it every 90 days.

Re-using your Dead Hardcore Character's Name
You can delete your dead Hardcore Character and quickly create a new character with the same name to re-use the name of your dead Hardcore Character. Be warned, however, that by deleting your Hardcore Character you will lose any Ladder Ranking you had.