OSRS Hardcore Worlds: Rules & Setup Checklist

Jagex has confirmed

The economy is separate and progress stays at the normal pace.

Jagex says each character starts on separate worlds with main-game privileges such as trading and Grand Exchange access, but the economy is separate. There are no XP or drop-rate boosts; progression is at the same pace as normal worlds. Read the Summit overview. The Oct. 5 Jagex recap also discusses the mode.

The announcements give the rules. They do not set a device requirement or confirm client features for Hardcore Worlds.

Inputs

Check your usual inputs before launch.

Before starting the new character, test the keys and buttons you rely on in ordinary OSRS and confirm each still does what you expect. Keep a keyboard fallback for any extra mouse buttons you use.

• Keep your usual controls in the same places. Do not use the first Hardcore session to learn a new layout.
• Change one binding at a time, check it, and leave the layout alone once it is familiar.
• Keep each action manual. Jagex’s rules prohibit macroing and other software or hardware that plays the game for you. See Jagex’s rules on macroing and third-party software or hardware.

The OSRS mouse and F-key setup guide covers a basic manual layout. Its examples are for ordinary OSRS play; Jagex has not given Hardcore Worlds keybind requirements.

Client and interface

Choose a familiar client layout before you start.

Use the client and window size you already recognize. Set the interface to a readable scale, check that your usual panels and controls are where you expect, then leave them in place during a dangerous activity. These steps are setup advice. Jagex has not published a client or UI preset for Hardcore Worlds.

If you play on mobile, Jagex says the mobile client focuses on on-screen controls and external keyboards or styluses are not fully supported. Do not make a keyboard case or stylus your only input plan without checking it on your device first. See Jagex’s mobile support guidance.

For existing display options, see the OSRS monitor and UI scaling guide. If you are deciding between touch and keyboard input on a tablet, use the OSRS tablet keyboard setup guide.

Death and carried items

Check the death-items screen before risking a loadout.

Jagex says you can either reset your progress or leave Hardcore Worlds for the main game. If you transfer, you keep your progress and gear except for items lost on death. Any item on your character outside the usual in-game Items kept on Death category is lost and does not transfer. Jagex’s Summit overview explains the transfer rule.

Jagex says these worlds are slightly more deadly than a normal Hardcore Ironman because they use the Hardcore Group Ironman death rules. Its Summit overview names the Fight Caves, Inferno, and Nightmare Zone as examples of areas where a death counts as unsafe. Treat those as risky under the published rules, even if you remember a different rule from another mode.

Not announced yet

Do not plan around settings Jagex has not named.

The Summit overview and Oct. 5 recap do not specify client support, plugin compatibility, Hardcore-only interface settings, keybind recommendations, or whether a saved layout carries over. The Oct. 3 overview says Jagex planned a dedicated Hardcore Worlds blog.

Until Jagex publishes those details, keep your setup simple and check the linked Jagex news for the current client and world rules. This guide will be revised when Jagex publishes more details.