What Is Palworld's Hardcore Mode? Permadeath Rules Explained — Episode 1
Palworld's hardcore mode is simple and brutal: die once and your save is deleted. Add reduced XP and capture rates (0.8x each) and every habit you learned in normal mode becomes a liability. This is the record of episode 1 of our permadeath series — the rules, the day-one strategy, and the disaster that found us anyway.
▶ Episode 1 (Japanese audio — the gameplay speaks for itself)
The rules of hardcore mode
| Rule | Hardcore setting |
|---|---|
| Death | One death permanently deletes the save — no retries |
| XP rate | 0.8x (slower leveling) |
| Capture rate | 0.8x (Pal Spheres fail more often) |
In normal mode, dying is a taxi ride back to your bed. In hardcore, one mistake ends the entire series: a night raid, a wrong turn into a high-level zone, a missed jump. Risks you'd normally shrug at become run-enders.
Day one: playing it safe (in theory)
Episode 1 follows a deliberately cautious opening — the same priorities as our beginner's guide, but with the stakes turned up:
- Base and Pals first (1:28) — an early utility Pal (Cattiva／ツッパニャン) plus an egg-laying Pal（タマコッコ）to lock in a food supply
- Self-sufficiency achieved (5:41) — farm and ranch running before any risks are taken
- Expedition for a fire Pal (6:31) — kindling is essential for smelting and cooking, so we leave the safety of the base
And then, disaster (7:49)
The expedition was going fine — right up until it wasn't. What exactly happened, and how episode 1 ends, is best seen rather than read: the final two minutes of the video are the whole reason this series exists. No spoilers here.
Tips if you're trying hardcore yourself
- Catch-based leveling still wins even at 0.8x XP — but bring more Pal Spheres than feels reasonable, because capture rates are also reduced
- Avoid moving at night. Nocturnal enemies are stronger than your daytime instincts expect
- Over-prepare on purpose. Food, meds and spheres at "this is too much" levels — in a mode where death is deletion, insurance is the whole strategy
FAQ
What is hardcore mode in Palworld?
A world setting where a single death permanently deletes your save, with XP and capture rates reduced to 0.8x.
What should you do first in hardcore?
Build a self-sufficient food supply before taking any risks: utility Pal → egg supply → berry farm. Expeditions come after the base can sustain you.
When is episode 2?
The series continues on the channel — new episodes get an article here when they land. Subscribe on YouTube to catch them first.