Once Human Next Scenario Leaks and Datamined Content Explained

The next major scenario for Once Human is the ocean expansion Isles of Abyss, officially launching globally on October 22, 2026 (October 21 PT) across PC, mobile, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. Verified by developer announcements, this update introduces mobile sea fortresses, land-sea dual survival mechanics, and five oceanic territories. Datamines and test builds from the final Pioneer Closed Beta running September 16 through October 8, 2026, outline new survival hazards, structural phase shifts, and long-term blueprint rules that dictate how to prepare your character, gear, and currencies ahead of the seasonal wipe.

Isles of Abyss: Verified Launch Schedule and Test Phases

Unlike early community rumors proposing an immediate, unannounced drop, the road to the maritime expansion follows a strict schedule confirmed by Starry Studio and NetEase. The release arrives as a free update featuring full cross-play and cross-progression across every supported system.

[ Pioneer Closed Beta (Confidential) ]
  Phase I: 5 Days (Initial Stability)
  Phase II: 17 Days (Scenario Systems)
  Sept 16 – Oct 8, 2026 (PT)
            │
            ▼
[ Server Settlement & Sign-ups ]
  Sign up via Phase Menu (Normal / Hard)
            │
            ▼
[ Isles of Abyss Global Launch ]
  October 22, 2026 (Oct 21 PT)

Ahead of public availability, developer testing entered its final phase through a confidential Pioneer Closed Beta documented in official test patch announcements. Operating under an NDA, this trial spans 22 days from September 16 at 21:00 PT to October 8 at 03:00 PT, split across a 5-day Phase I and a 17-day Phase II. Total participant capacity was capped at 4,000 North American accounts, splitting 2,500 slots for PC and 1,500 slots for console.

(Note on testing contradictions: While third-party reporting on expcarry.com reported a 20-day beta beginning June 17, 2026, for 2,000 participants, the primary official record confirms the 4,000-player test window ending on October 8.)

Because this beta enforces a complete data wipe upon conclusion, participants do not retain server progress. However, testers accumulate "Wish Emblems" linked to their live accounts, which unlock cosmetics such as the "Jade Nocturne" reward upon checking in for 7 days.

Datamined Map Mechanics: Five Oceanic Regions and Four Haywire Zones

Datamines and scenario briefs highlight an environmental split between five separate sea territories. Survival systems move away from static inland outposts and introduce mobile sea fortresses alongside coastal settlements.

The oceanic sector replaces standard territory pollution with four distinct environmental hazards designated as Haywire Zones, detailed via official scenario design logs:

• Mist of Deceit: Optical interference where your visual range scales inversely with remaining health. The lower your HP drops, the thicker the obscuring fog becomes. Surviving demands deliberate deployment of light-emitting equipment to pierce the visual obstruction while repelling ambushing enemies.
• Skyfire: A volcanic biome impacted by falling celestial debris. Scorching meteorites deposit extractable meteoric gold, but the extraction process exposes players to extreme thermal hazards.
• Time Rain: An anomaly field accelerating regional decay and biology. While crops and wild creatures experience hyper-accelerated maturation, equipped armor and firearms suffer accelerated durability loss.
• Black Tide: Rhythmic tidal surges spreading heavy contamination over coastal islands. The surging water periodically shifts safe shores into high-threat contaminated territory.

These zones force loadout switches. Packing spare replacement pieces or durability-preservation tools becomes mandatory before stepping into a Time Rain sector.

Oceanic World Events: Calamity Towers and The Sunken Lord

Progression in Isles of Abyss branches off static monoliths and anchors itself directly at sea. Advancing the seasonal stage requires interacting with Calamity Towers, which awaken sequentially as World Progress ticks forward.

Clearing a Calamity Tower for the first time triggers server-wide reward mail for every player on that server. This victory grants an immediate World Progress injection, shortening the waiting period before Phase II begins. As the scenario stages roll over, Calamity Towers spawn modified challenge conditions.

While sailing between targets, servers spawn roving hostile ships called Voyagers. These AI vessels cruise set shipping routes. Players have two options for handling them:

1. Sink the Voyagers at a distance using ship-mounted naval artillery.
2. Board the vessel directly, eliminating the crew in close-quarters combat to seize higher-tier Loot Crates.

All ocean purification tracks toward Phase II server completion. When total regional purification reaches 100%, the scenario unlocks The Sunken Lord. Official documentation lists The Sunken Lord as a high-stakes 4-player dungeon, conflicting with third-party community rumors claiming an 8-player Legion raid format.

Server Wipe Rules: What Carries Over and What Converts

Seasonal server cycles typically run between 63 and 68 days before the settlement phase wraps, as tracked in comprehensive reset breakdowns. When preparing for scenario transfer, understanding the strict divide between persistent account assets and wiping seasonal progress prevents costly inventory mistakes.

[ Account-Bound / Permanent ] ──► Name, Cosmetics, Blueprints, Mods, Core Currencies

[ Eternaland Depot Storage ]  ──► Materials, Gear, captured Deviations (Subject to 20k Import Cap)

[ Converted / Reset ]        ──► Energy Links (Convert to Astral Sand), Level (Resets to 1)

Permanent Account Assets

Your foundational unlocks remain intact across scenario sign-ups: * Character name and visual customization. * Account cosmetics, weapon skins, and furniture formulas learned outside of memetics. * Core premium and earned currencies: Starchrom, Crystgin, Mitsuko's Marks, Silver Keys, Stellar Planula, and Sproutlets. * Weapon and armor blueprints along with their calibrated star levels. * Weapon accessories, calibrated mods, and blueprint fragments. * Main story and side quest completion states.

If you intend to add new cosmetics, unlock seasonal battle passes, or roll Lightforge Crates, Crystgin remains your primary account balance; you can review acquisition through top-up services such as TOPUPlive or XPTopup.

The Eternaland Depot and the 20,000-Point Transfer Cap

Consumables, base materials, tools, crafted armor, and captured Deviations do not directly show up in your new inventory. They transfer automatically into your persistent Eternaland storage.

When landing on a new scenario server, your character's level resets to 1, while memetics, base claims, and regional map fog reset entirely. Bringing equipment out of Eternaland requires spending Spacetime Backpack points. Players begin a fresh server with a maximum budget of 20,000 points as outlined in IGN's scenario transition guide. Because high-tier tools and high-level combat Deviations consume large chunks of this 20,000-point budget, you cannot bring an entire endgame arsenal into week one.

The Energy Link Conversion Trap

Do not hoard millions of Energy Links thinking they will fund early memetic purchases on the next server. Energy Links do not survive the transition as liquid currency. The server engine automatically converts every remaining Energy Link into Astral Sand, an exclusive currency used purely for building within your isolated Eternaland territory.

Blueprint Acquisitions and Starchrom Economy

Blueprint mechanics have transitioned away from the legacy system. Based on updates implemented in the March 25, 2026 overhaul, the Asterism and Stellar Stairway interfaces are retired.

Players no longer gamble random fragment combinations to piece together higher-rarity equipment: * Blueprints for weapons and armor unlock directly on the Blueprint interface using flat sums of Starchrom. * Upgrading an unlocked blueprint's star tier occurs within the same screen using Starchrom. * Historical fragments in player bags converted at a flat rate of Starchrom = Fragment Exp × 1.85. * The Wish Machine's primary function pivoted away from base blueprint construction toward daily activity cycles and cosmetic opportunities.

Hoard your Starchrom through server phase goals, Calamity Tower completions, and seasonal settlements. Since Starchrom carries through the wipe indefinitely, spending it directly on proven blueprint branches is safer than hoarding temporary crafting components.

How to Sign Up for Isles of Abyss

Sign up for the new ocean scenario through the in-game settlement menus once your current world reaches its terminal stage:

1. Wait until your current server enters the Settlement Phase (typically the final 4 weeks of the seasonal cycle).
2. Open the main menu, select the Server Details screen, and click on the Phase Tab.
3. Open the Season Sign-Up interface.
4. Locate Isles of Abyss within the public scenario directory.
5. Select your desired server difficulty: Normal or Hard.

Choosing a Hard server increases baseline enemy health pools, alters mob aggression, and ramps up combat scaling. In return, Hard servers offer expanded combat rewards, giving dedicated squads faster seasonal progression routes at the cost of significantly higher environmental danger.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens to accumulated Energy Links at the end of a Once Human season?

Energy Links do not transfer into the new scenario; they are automatically converted into Astral Sand to be used for constructing facilities in your persistent Eternaland domain (sourced from https://timesaver.gg/blog/once-human-server-wipe-permanent-seasonal).

How does item carryover work when starting a new Once Human scenario?

All gathered materials, crafted equipment, and captured Deviations move to your Eternaland depot. Upon joining a new server, you can import select items into your active season backpack using a starting budget of 20,000 Spacetime Backpack points (sourced from https://www.ign.com/wikis/once-human/Once_Human_Scenario_Reset_Details).

Do weapon and armor blueprints reset during a seasonal wipe?

No, all unlocked weapon and armor blueprints, their star ratings, weapon accessories, and calibrated mods are permanently account-bound and carry over to every new scenario (sourced from https://timesaver.gg/blog/once-human-server-wipe-permanent-seasonal).

When does the Isles of Abyss maritime scenario launch publicly?

The Isles of Abyss expansion releases globally on October 22, 2026 (October 21 PT) as a free update across PC, mobile, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S (sourced from https://www.gamespress.com/zh-TW/Once-Human-Sets-October-22-Global-Release-Date-For-Ocean-Expansion-Isl).