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KCD2 Hardcore Mode perks explained: How does the new mode work?
Not sure that 'Perk' is the right word.
Warhorse Studios
- Alex Raisbeck
Published: Wednesday, 16 April 2025 at 4:48 pm
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If Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 wasn't hard enough for you the first time around, the new Hardcore Mode will surely sort you out.
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The new mode introduces all sorts of nasty negative perks to make your experience in the game as difficult as possible.
If you're interested in checking it out and want to know what exactly Hardcore Mode has in store for you, we've got you covered.
KCD2 Hardcore Mode explained: How does the new mode work?
To play in Hardcore Mode, you'll need to start a new game. Upon starting, you'll have the option to choose Hardcore Mode, select this and enjoy! (Or don't enjoy, as the case may be)
Up front, Hardcore Mode introduces a selection of horrible changes for you to grapple with. These are:
- No health or stamina bars, both in and out of combat
- No direction indicators for attack angles
- No fast travel
- No autosave
- Your location on the map will no longer be marked
- No compass
- You are forced to pick three permanent negative perks (more on those below)
Be aware that Hardcore Mode is permanent – once you select Hardcore Mode for a particular save, there is no way to turn this off without modding the game.
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KCD2 Hardcore Mode perks explained
Perks will totally change how you approach KCD2. Warhorse Studios
In addition to all of the changes to gameplay and UI, you are forced to select three negative perks at the start of your save.
These negative perks are permanent debuffs that will have a significant negative impact on the way you play the game.
Here's a list of every negative perk in KCD2 Hardcore Mode:
- Bad Back – Due to your bad back, your carrying capacity is 50 per cent lower, and whenever you bend to pick up a herb or mushroom, there's a small chance you'll strain your back and be left hobbling for a while
- Bashful – You can't ask people for directions, so it's more difficult to find your way around. Besides that, you're too shy to speak to the girls at the bathhouse, so you can't request all of their services. Since you're not much of a talker, gaining Speech experience is 20 per cent slower.
- Hangry Henry – In addition to the usual effects of hunger, starving also reduces your Speech, Charisma, and Intimidation. The hungrier you are, the bigger the penalty. Moreover, all food will fill you 50 per cent less, and your digestion rate increases by 25 per cent.
- Heavy-Footed – Your heavy steps cause your starting Noise level to be increased from 0 to 25. What's more, your shoes wear down twice as fast, so you'll have to repair them more frequently.
- Menace – Once you're branded for a crime, the effect is permanent, and getting caught for any other serious crime will lead to your execution. What's more, guards will punish you more severely, and the consequences of these punishments will be more intense. The chance of you being randomly searched is also doubled.
- Numbskull – You gain experience 40 per cent slower.
- Picky Eater – Your pickiness causes all food in your inventory to spoil 25 per cent faster. When gutting animals, you're also pickier and get only a quarter of the meat and other items from animals.
- Punchable Face – People who attack you are motivated to really hurt you, making them stronger, braver and more resilient. The effect is multiplied based on the combat skills of your opponent – the stronger the opponent, the greater their buff is. What's more, you take 10 per cent more damage.
- Somnambulant – You lose restedness 40 per cent faster and every time you sleep, there's a chance your sleepwalking legs will take you somewhere else.
- Sweaty – Your excessive sweating causes your clothing to get dirty 50 per cent faster as well as start to smell. When you do start to stink, you can be smelled from twice as far away, which makes stealth more difficult. Not even perfume will help to hide this stench.
If you were hoping for a list of the best perks to pick, there really isn't a clear answer.
The way the perks are implemented all impact different areas of the game, so what the best and worst perks are will differ from person to person.
If you're a good, law-abiding citizen, then Menace would be an easy choice, for example, but if you enjoy a bit of lawbreaking, then that's probably best avoided.
Similarly, if you're someone who relishes combat, then Punchable Face might be a fun challenge, but would be an awful pick for someone who wants to keep out of danger.
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Authors
Alex RaisbeckGaming writer
Alex Raisbeck is a Gaming Writer at Radio Times, covering everything from AAA giants to indie gems. Alex has written for VideoGamer, GamesRadar+, PC Gamer, PCGamesN and more.
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