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OSRS Hardcore Worlds Are Live: How to Join and What Happens When You Die

Old School RuneScape's Hardcore Worlds are live. Here is how to join with a new character, which deaths count, and what Reset and Transfer do when Death catches you.

By Staff••3 min read
Official Old School RuneScape screenshot of Death's Office, with Death seated at his desk surrounded by players preparing for Hardcore Worlds
Image: Jagex (official Old School RuneScape Hardcore Worlds screenshot)
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Quick answer: Hardcore Worlds are live now in Old School RuneScape as a permanent one-life mode with its own economy, trading and Grand Exchange, at normal XP and drop rates. Make a brand-new character, talk to Death’s Delegate on Tutorial Island, then hop to a Hardcore World from Death’s Office. If you die, you choose Reset (wipe everything and start over) or Transfer (move to the main game for good, keeping your bank and protected items). Current as of Nov 4, 2026.

Jagex has opened Hardcore Worlds, the new permanent game mode for Old School RuneScape. It went live at 11:00 UTC (5 AM CT) on Nov 4, and Jagex’s official launch post lays out how it works.

How to join Hardcore Worlds

  1. Create a brand-new character. Accounts that already finished Tutorial Island cannot join.
  2. Find Death’s Delegate near Paul the Iron Tutor and tell her you want in.
  3. Finish the tutorial with the Magic Instructor. Your Home Teleport now takes you to Death’s Office instead of Lumbridge.
  4. Hop to a Hardcore World from Death’s Office. The world switcher lists them under the “Show game modes” filter.

Jagex lists 30 Hardcore Worlds: 10 in US East, 8 in US West, 5 in Germany, 5 in the UK, 2 in Australia and one each in Brazil and Singapore. They are numbered from 634 to 674, with themed worlds for Group PvM, Wintertodt, Barbarian Assault and more.

What is different from Hardcore Ironman

You are not an Ironman. Trading and the Grand Exchange work as normal, but Hardcore Worlds have a separate economy, so items stay on those worlds. Every character starts with a free Escape Crystal, and Death sells more for 10,000 coins.

The death rules follow Hardcore Group Ironman, so some “safe” spots are deadly here, including the TzHaar Fight Cave, Inferno, Barbarian Assault, Pest Control, Nightmare Zone, Chambers of Xeric and your player-owned house. Castle Wars, Clan Wars, Soul Wars and the TzHaar Fight Pit stay safe.

What happens when you die

Death gives you two choices:

  • Reset: quests, stats and items are all wiped and you start fresh on Hardcore Worlds. Resets are unlimited, with a 3-day cooldown on Stronghold of Security gold.
  • Transfer: your character leaves Hardcore Worlds for the main game forever, keeping your 3 (or 4) protected items, your bank and other storage.

Either way, anything that would go to your gravestone is gone for good.

A rocky first morning

Jagex says one player found a way off Tutorial Island early as a Hardcore character and brought about 115.6 million gold into the new economy. That account and its alts were banned about 1.5 hours after launch, and Jagex says it pulled back about 103.2 million before it spread.

The Reaper’s Raffle

Through November, tasks set by Death earn raffle entries for prizes including a Starforge PC bundle, a custom Death statue and official merch. The draw is on a livestream Dec 8, alongside World First rewards for milestones like the first Fight Caves clear.

Further out, Jagex is also building RuneScape 4 in Unreal Engine.

Topics: guideJagexMMORPGMobileOld School RuneScapePCRuneScape

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