Old School RuneScape opens 30 Hardcore Worlds, where one death ends the run but trading stays

Jagex opened Hardcore Worlds in Old School RuneScape at 11:00 UTC on Wednesday 4 November. They are permanent worlds where a single death ends your run, and there are 30 of them across the US, Germany, the UK, Australia, Brazil and Singapore, some set aside for activities such as Wintertodt, Tempoross or group bossing.

You need a brand-new character that hasn't finished Tutorial Island. A new character called Death's Delegate, near the Iron Tutor, signs you up, and from then on your home teleport takes you to Death's Office rather than Lumbridge. Death sells Escape Crystals there for 10,000 coins each, and every new Hardcore character gets one free. A mirror in the room shows a "Death Report" of your character's progress.

This isn't an Ironman mode. You can trade and use the Grand Exchange, but the worlds have their own economy, so items can't move to or from the main game. Experience and drop rates are the same as normal. Jagex is using the stricter death rules from Hardcore Group Ironman, so places usually treated as safe, including the Fight Caves, the Inferno and Barbarian Assault, will now end a run. Last Man Standing and Bounty Hunter aren't available.

When you die, you choose. Reset wipes the character back to the start, as often as you like. Transfer moves it to the main game for good, keeping the bank and protected items; whatever would have gone to your gravestone is lost either way.

Old School RuneScape stays free to play, with membership extra. Prices and player numbers are on our Old School RuneScape game page.