Currently unobtainable Baldur's Gate 3 achievement teases a hardcore permadeath mode that I will never be brave enough to play

(Image credit: Larian)

If you played through Baldur's Gate 3 in Tactician mode and thought "I've not been brought to tears enough," then I might have some good news for you. A new achievement spotted in the GOG version of Larian's RPG teases the return of Honour mode, which Original Sin players might recognise as the series' hardcore, permadeath difficulty.

As shown off by Scornz on the BG3 subreddit, a new, currently unobtainable achievement has appeared named "Foehammer", which can be earned if you "complete the game in Honour mode". While Larian is yet to officially announce the new mode, it's a pretty safe assumption it will be similar to the Original Sin mode of the same name.

Previously, Honour mode took Tactician's already brutal difficulty and upped the challenge by restricting you to a single save file. That's manageable, of course, and doesn't stop you from save scumming a wee bit, but here's the kicker: that save file gets deleted when your party dies. I expect the new Honour mode to work the same way, and I'm stressed out just thinking about it.

It's the kind of mode you pick after you've already nailed Tactician mode, since it otherwise maintains the same level of difficulty. You just won't be able to take as many risks—at least not without potentially cutting your entire playthrough short.

This one definitely ain't for me. An RPG that took me around 160 hours to finish the first time around is not the place where I want a permadeath mode, but I'm sure there are masochists who cannot wait to get their paws on it.

As to when this might appear, Larian has been quick to add new features and fixes, and last week released its fourth major patch, so I doubt gluttons for punishment will have to wait too long. In the meantime, if you're looking for a new challenge, why not grab a sausage and play through Baldur's Gate 3 as a pork-loving salami-mancer?

Fraser is the UK online editor and has actually met The Internet in person. With over a decade of experience, he's been around the block a few times, serving as a freelancer, news editor and prolific reviewer. Strategy games have been a 30-year-long obsession, from tiny RTSs to sprawling political sims, and he never turns down the chance to rave about Total War or Crusader Kings. He's also been known to set up shop in the latest MMO and likes to wind down with an endlessly deep, systemic RPG. These days, when he's not editing, he can usually be found writing features that are 1,000 words too long or talking about his dog.