On April 15, 2025, a new patch has arrived in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, bringing the much-anticipated hardcore mode. And it’s so realistic that players are breaking their digital necks in droves.
What is the Hardcore Mode? With the latest patch 1.2.4 of Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, alongside some bug fixes, a new mode has been introduced that aims to bring you the medieval life of Henry in an uncomfortably realistic experience.
This already existed in the first part of Kingdom Come Deliverance, but part 2 takes it even further. Because there is not only no fast travel anymore, less HUD, and tougher opponents, but also quite a bit more that makes life as Henry in old Bohemia harder.
The patch notes via Steam state:
The hardcore mode is here and it’s not for the faint-hearted. You won’t see your location on the map. You won’t be able to fast travel. You won’t have surrendering enemies, no visual cues in combat, and not even basic instructions unless you earn them.
In an interview with PC Gamer, Karel Kolmann, lead game designer at Warhorse Studios, explains what they have changed in comparison to the predecessor:
In the hardcore mode of the first game, for example, we disabled the map position and removed the compass, but this time we went even further. We added the option to ask various NPCs about your location in the world, which provides for an even more intense gaming experience. You can encounter travelers along the way and ask for directions.
Additionally, there are negative traits that you can choose before your playthrough to make your experience even more challenging. You can select up to 3, and there will be no shortcuts during your playthrough that you can take in case of emergency. So choose wisely.
“That’s okay. I broke my back only twice in the prologue.”
Now, a day after the hardcore mode launched in KCD2, the first voices from the community are chiming in. In a thread on Reddit, not only are the first memes emerging about how hard it really is, but there is also much despair and excitement for the new mode:
- Regular-Potential141: “That’s okay, I broke my back only twice during the prologue.”
- Black_Brush: “No, that’s not okay… I want to go home.”
- BadXiety: “Touch grass, oh, my back hurts. I want to try again, with all negative traits activated, to feel it even more.”
- Spartan343x: “Just arrived at Castle Trosky. I’m cautiously optimistic, lol.”
- Bupbupper: “I’m having a lot of fun. I’ve interacted more with roaming NPCs and got to know the roads a bit better.”
Most take their failures with humor and still want to tackle the hardcore mode. Many are still struggling a bit with the survival effects, but are cautiously optimistic that they will manage it. After all, there are a bunch of potions for all possible situations.
However, some fans are taking the game’s realism into their lives in other ways. On Google, reviews of real locations that sound suspiciously like a gaming experience from KCD2 keep popping up: Players review real locations from Kingdom Come 2 on Google, complaining about flying dung, stolen silver, and days at the gallows
