Good point..increasing difficulty would have to be done gently, so that f2p would still have a chance.

Hard Mode - Each stage could start with the choice to do (hard mode) version of the same level, with increased rewards. Not different rewards, just more of what we already get so that hard work from f2p gives them the same results in the end.
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*evil attempt to add a new idea that both f2p and p2p can gain*

Normal/hard modes could possibly also give us something new like cosmetic rewards, for example:

- Animation changer (choice to change/alter/expand a Flower Knight's chibi animations).

- Chibi reskins not a new knight or a totally reskinned knight, but a cosmetic alteration of merely the chibi form. Thus the gain is just visual and not game-breaking to current Knight reskins.

Both normal and hard mode players would be able to collect *insert Nutaku style strange name* material for these nice extras, it would just take less time for hard mode.