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Despite WoW Classic being, surprise surprise, a classic version of World of Warcraft, the game's director views the Hardcore version of WoW to be a lot closer to that classic feeling thanks to how it forces players to play.
Introduced last year, Hardcore WoW is a mode that, while using the same servers as WoW Classic, adds a permadeath mechanic, challenging players to reach the endgame without dying a single time. While this mechanic certainly wasn't around in WoW's early days, in an interview in Edge issue 405, game director Ion Hazzikostas confirms that he believes it captures that classic experience better.
"It's definitely not for everyone," he clarifies, though he feels that it "better captured the actual feel of 2004 or 2005 World of Warcraft better than the 2019 Classic release did." Rather than reflecting the game itself, Hazzikostas believes that the permadeath mechanic causes players to put more stock into their adventure as a whole, rather than simply beelining to the late-game content.
"Every step of the way mattered," Hazzikostas says of the early days of World of Warcraft, whereas nowadays, "endgame is all that matters." For him and many other players, Hardcore WoW allowed them to rediscover a love for the game as a whole. "It wasn't just being on that journey alone, it was like this group of players versus the world, relying on each other."
World of Warcraft has received criticism from players in the last few years, and more recently with regards to its handling of loot from events. WoW Hardcore, however, has been a particularly bright spot in the game's recent history, with the mode proving exceedingly popular with the game's player base.
