Diablo 4 will instantly delete characters who die in PvP on its hardest difficulty

It’s now been confirmed that Permadeath will apply to characters in Diablo 4’s Hardcore mode, even if they’re killed by other players.

Hardcore mode in Diablo 4 means Permadeath if your character falls in battle against Diablo’s minions, although now, the development team has confirmed that this will also extend to PvP.

This means that even if you’re character is killed by another player, or regular enemy, when playing the game in Hardcore mode, your character will be deleted, raising the stakes of PvP to dangerous levels.

Blizzard

Diablo 4 permadeath will apply to PvP on Hardcore difficulty.

Even if you’re character is slaying hordes of demons with ease, falling foul of a more powerful or skilled player will result in the end of your journey, forcing you to create a new character from scratch.

The news was confirmed via Twitter by Blizzard’s Global Community Development Director, Adam Fletcher, who was responding to a fan asking if permadeath will apply to PvP as well as PvE.

Fletcher responded with just one word:

Diablo 4 community response

Diablo fans expected Permadeath in Hardcore mode to apply against AI enemies and bosses, but there was confusion as to whether it would also apply to player vs. player battles. Now, the knowledge that it does has sent a ripple of shock through the community.

Discussing the news on Reddit, fans treated it with a mixture of surprise and anxious anticipation with one user saying, “Imaging killing somebody and knowing you erased them from the game? sounds freaking amazing. Sign me in,” and “I know the idea of literally deleting noobs sounds like a blast! I definitely want to play.”

Others expected this news, as death in Hardcore mode always means character deletion, saying, “Why would it be any other way?” While some were more fearful but excited about the confirmation with one user saying, “My heart is having an attack just thinking about it.”

Diablo 4 launches on June 6, 2023, on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.