Hardcore Classic Ladder is similar to Classic, but you only have 1 life.

Classic Ladder is the simplest option - you play a brand new level 1 character through the four acts of original Diablo 2, acquiring gear and levels as you go.

There’s a Leaderboard you can consult to see your ranking and how you’re doing against other players, as competitive leveling and getting to the top as fast as possible is a big part of the Ladder’s gameplay. You then level said character to max level by playing through the game. This character will not have access to the gear and equipment you may have in your shared stash - it’s a completely fresh level 1. Starting April 28 (or again, 29 in Europe and Asia) you will be able to create a new, Ladder-specific character at level 1. If you’re new to D2 but have played Diablo 3, you’ll find that Ladder Play bears a resemblance to Diablo 3 Seasonal play, which makes sense as Seasons in D3 are basically a descendant of Diablo 2‘s Ladder.

If you’ve played the original Diablo 2 you’ll find the Ladder Play is mostly unchanged from its original roots. Diablo 2: Resurrected is getting it’s first Ladder season on April 28 (29 in Europe and Asia) and there’s a lot to cover if you’re new to Ladder play.

Diablo 3 hard.core ladder