[PoE2 Design Proposal] Resilient Hardcore Mode for Long-Term Retention

Hi GGG Team,

Hardcore is one of the most exciting parts of Path of Exile 2, but many players who enjoy the intensity of Hardcore don’t actually want a softer experience — they just want a system where death remains meaningful without forcing a full restart every time it happens in the endgame.

I’d like to suggest a new intermediate mode: Resilient Hardcore, while still keeping both the traditional Softcore and Hardcore modes unchanged.

Campaign (Acts 1–4 + Interlude):
Standard Hardcore rules. If you die, the character is moved to Softcore. Entry into the endgame still requires real skill.

Endgame:
Instead of moving the character to Softcore, death causes a major systemic reset:
• Character is reset to Level 60
• All equipped gear is lost
• Endgame progression is fully wiped
• The Ascendancy Specialization is preserved

This keeps the weight of death while preserving the excitement of the game. Replaying the entire campaign multiple times stops being a challenge and simply stops being fun when it happens repeatedly.

I truly believe this would improve long-term retention by keeping the intensity of a Hardcore experience.

Thank you for the incredible work on PoE2!

I think its a great idea!!!