Quote Originally Posted by Zetsumei_Tsunarashi View Post
I'm fairly certain that this feature is being designed in response to all the feedback saying that casuals can't see the coil story because the content is too hard for them.

So it's likely that it will be changed to be like the primals where you must first clear the normal mode or "story mode" version which will be fairly easy and drop no loot in order to gain access to the hard mode which will be the level of difficulty that we're used to in coil and will have all your loot.
Reading the Live-letter translation makes me think that NM will be for Mid-Tier players and HM will be for Hardcore players and that there will be more content developed for the Mid-Tier from ow on.