Ascension Mode

Ascension is Hell Clock’s first endgame system, available in Beta at launch. It offers a unique, challenging “rogue-like” experience for players who have completed the main story campaign.

What is Ascension?

Unlike the main campaign’s “rogue-lite” meta-progression, Ascension is a complete reset of your game world, similar to a new season in an ARPG.

• You lose all acquired Levels, Relics, Gear, and Soulstones.
• You start a new endgame run from scratch with all skills unlocked.
• You must beat all three major bosses within a limited number of runs (starting at 7).

This turns progression into a strategic puzzle where every decision counts.

The Role of the Campaign

While you can start a new character directly in Ascension mode after completing the main story once (via a “Skip Campaign” option), playing through the campaign at least once provides a significant starting advantage:

• Starting Bonus: Beating the campaign for the first time rewards your account with 4 starting Constellation Points for your first Ascension run.

Beta Status

The developers have stated that the Ascension endgame system is in a Beta state at launch. This means mechanics and features are subject to change based on community feedback.

What Carries Over Between Ascensions?

When an Ascension run ends, your progression is almost entirely reset.

• What you KEEP: Completed Promises and your highest Hell Level unlocked.
• What you LOSE: All acquired Relics, Gear, Soul Stones, and all progress on The Infernal Bell.

Custom Difficulty: Penances & Hell Levels

You customize the difficulty of your Ascension run by activating Penances on the Ascension Tree.

Penance Examples

Faster enemies, new boss mechanics, reduced player resistances, and more dangerous elite affixes.

Hell Level

Each Penance you activate raises your overall difficulty, called “Hell Level”. The Beta version supports up to Hell Level 35.

Ascension Rewards

Successfully completing an Ascension grants powerful rewards for future runs.

• Promises: Achievements that reward you with more starting Constellation points.
• New Unique Relics: High-level Ascensions unlock new, powerful Unique Relics often tied to your chosen Devotion Path.