Hardcore characters are exactly the same as regular characters, except that they are mortal. When they die, they stay dead. Forever. No restarting in town; no restarting anywhere. Dead hardcore characters in Diablo 2 are able to log back onto the Battle.net chat channels, but they can not join or create games. It's not known how that feature might be handled in D3, if there's a more interactive chat room experience. What we know can be read in the Diablo 2.0 article.
The inclusion of a Hardcore character option is not yet confirmed, but the D3 Team has said they don't see any reason not to include it. From the Diablo 3 Design Fundamentals panel, at the 2008 WWI event:
- Q: Will there be Hardcore mode?
- A: We haven't decided yet, but I don't see why we wouldn't. It’s not a decision we need to make yet. We probably will, though.
- Q: Will there be Hardcore mode?
Additional HC Content
- You can read more about the Hardcore Mode of Diablo II in Diablo2Wiki Hardcore Mode
- Hardcore D3 Forum
- Hardcore D2 Forum
- D2 Hardcore Graveyard Image Gallery