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  1. Games
  2. Action RPGs
  3. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2's new Hardcore mode is already wrecking action RPG fans with negative traits that even make having a nap dangerous: "I'm honestly scared to go to sleep"

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By Catherine Lewis
Published 16 April 2025

Hardcore mode is no joke

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Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
(Image credit: Deep Silver, Warhorse)
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Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 just got a major new update adding Hardcore mode to the action RPG, giving players the option to make life even more difficult for themselves if they're up to the task. So far, people have certainly been giving it their best shot, but the new negative perks are proving to be a massive pain. Then again, what did we expect?

As the name suggests, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Hardcore mode offers a brutal new way to experience Bohemia. As well as forcing you to use a reduced UI and removing features like auto-save and fast travel, from the start of a new game file, players are forced to pick a minimum of three negative traits which aim to make poor Henry's life way harder than it needs to be, with no trade-offs in return.

From having Henry get tired way faster and be prone to sleepwalking, to giving him a bad back that can't carry as many things, and even making him sweat so badly that he can be detected by stench alone from twice as far away, there are no "easy" options here, and some players are already finding out just how cruel the experience can be when you start the game with all 10 negative traits.

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"To those wondering how [hardcore] with all bad perks is," one Reddit player warns, "my feet are bleeding, I'm still hungry, wasn't sure if I'm wanted yet, almost attacked by wolves and bandits because of this video, and I had to sleep in an owned bed because I was so tired."

All that drama was caused simply by them sending Henry to bed, only to find him awake 12 hours later, far away from the bed he rested in, and out in the middle of a forest instead.

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To those wondering how HC with all bad perks is [KCD2]
 from r/kingdomcome

The sleepwalking trait (Somnambulant) is proving to be particularly bothersome to some.

"Appearing somewhere random is really annoying when you had something you wanted to do nearby when you woke up.

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"It's REALLY fucking annoying when you don't have any map guidance," one player writes, adding: "I'm honestly scared to go to sleep at this point because it procs so much. Not to mention it doesn't really add any difficulty, just inconvenience. It would be kinda funny if it was like 10%, but it happens so often I'm expecting and dreading it."

The Bad Back trait is also causing issues, with one player noting that they "only broke my back twice during the prologue," but hey, as others have pointed out, at least "they got the sound SO CRISP though."

Obviously, all this stuff is meant to be hard and annoying – you really shouldn't expect anything but pain if you decide to take on the challenge yourself, especially with all negative traits active.

If you want to get around the sleepwalking issue, though, it's been pointed out that you can "use chamomile and marigold potions for energy and health. No sleep required," but hey, where's the fun in that?

Reclaiming their crown, pacifist Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 player beats the whole RPG as "Merciful Henry": 1,741 strikes blocked, 472 knockouts, and zero kills.

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Catherine Lewis
Catherine Lewis
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Deputy News Editor

I'm GamesRadar+'s Deputy News Editor, working alongside the rest of the news team to deliver cool gaming stories that we love. After spending more hours than I can count filling The University of Sheffield's student newspaper with Pokemon and indie game content, and picking up a degree in Journalism Studies, I started my career at GAMINGbible where I worked as a journalist for over a year and a half. I then became TechRadar Gaming's news writer, where I sourced stories and wrote about all sorts of intriguing topics. In my spare time, you're sure to find me on my Nintendo Switch or PS5 playing through story-driven RPGs like Xenoblade Chronicles and Persona 5 Royal, nuzlocking old Pokemon games, or going for a Victory Royale in Fortnite.

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