Updated 23 October 2026. Facts on this page come from minecraft.wiki, minecraft.net and the live Artemis PvP server; sources are listed at the bottom.
Minecraft Hardcore Mode: Rules and How to Play
Hardcore is Survival locked to Hard difficulty where you cannot respawn: when you die, you can only spectate the world or quit. You turn it on when creating a world, and in normal play it cannot be switched on or off later. Cheats and Bonus Chest (and Starting Map on Bedrock) are disabled, and your hearts get angry little eyes.
What are the Hardcore rules?
- The world is locked to Hard difficulty and cannot be changed.
- One life: after death you choose to spectate (you become a Spectator at world spawn) or go back to the title screen. Reopening the world takes you back to that same choice.
- Allow Cheats, Bonus Chest and, on Bedrock, Starting Map are locked off.
- Hearts are drawn with dark red eyes so you can tell you are in Hardcore.
How do you start a Hardcore world?
Choose Hardcore on the Create New World screen: on Java it is one of the Game Mode button's options, on Bedrock a separate toggle. Hardcore belongs to the world, not the player, and cannot be turned on or off for an existing world in normal play. On Bedrock you can only change it by turning the world into a template and re-creating it. See game modes and difficulty.
Can you play Hardcore with friends?
Yes. In a Hardcore world every player is in Hardcore; you cannot mix. Realms can create Hardcore worlds, and servers can run one by uploading a Hardcore world. Operators can still change game modes with commands. Bedrock first had Hardcore in previews from 1.21.0, and Minecraft LIVE on 28 September 2024 announced it for Bedrock and Realms; see Realms.
How do you survive longer in Hardcore?
On Hard, mobs deal about 1.5 times their Normal damage and an empty hunger bar can kill you, so play like every hit counts: light up your base, carry food and a shield, and avoid fights you do not need. minecraft.wiki records the longest Hardcore world lasting five years, ending in April 2019 when a baby zombie and a spider got the record holder in a cave. See the beginner's guide and UHC.
Does ArtemisPvP have permanent-death modes?
Frequently asked questions
Can you turn off Hardcore mode?
Not in normal play; it is set when the world is created.
What happens when you die in Hardcore?
You can spectate the world or return to the title screen; you cannot respawn.
Sources
Every fact on this page was checked against these pages; the wording is ours.