Thankfully, for those people, developer Warhorse Studios is already working on introducing a Hardcore Mode at some point next month, which will give players a long list of negative traits to choose from, as well as less directional help when it comes to exploring the Kingdom of Bohemia. Instead of your compass and map, you’ll have to ask for directions and even use the stars to find your way.
At the very least, it sounds like it will shake up the game quite nicely for those that have already seen and done everything. Warhorse hasn’t confirmed exactly when Hardcore Mode will drop, choosing to pencil in a release window of mid-April, but it seems as though some tech-savvy fans have already managed to access it.
First discovered by Reddit user Aall137906, it appears as though Hardcore Mode is actually already in the game’s files and fully playable. Unfortunately, you’ll need to do a bit of tinkering on your end to make things work, as you’ll need to mess around with console commands in order to actually get Hardcore Mode to appear.
Another big caveat is that it doesn’t appear as though this build of Hardcore Mode is fully complete, as another Reddit user called InertSpark says that they haven’t been able to ask any NPCs for directions so far. That’s one of the key ways that you make can make sense of where you are in the mode, and will probably be added when it officially launches at some point next month.
If you do go diving into Hardcore Mode with this console command trickery, just be aware that you aren’t getting the intended experience. It should act as a nice little taster for what’s to come though, if you are one of those people that wish the game was a little more challenging.
