Isles of Abyss is Once Human's biggest content drop yet, and it lands on October 22, 2026 — free, on PS5, PS5 Pro and Xbox Series X and S, with full cross-play. This guide is the launch-day playbook: exactly how to get into the new ocean scenario on console, whether you lose your current character, and how to play it with friends. If you came to Once Human from the August console launch, this is the first brand-new scenario you'll join from scratch — and the steps are not where new players expect them.
Key takeaways
- Isles of Abyss is a scenario, not a patch or a separate download. You update the game through the normal client, then sign up for a server running Isles of Abyss — there's no new app to install on PS5 or Xbox.
- It's free. Once Human is free-to-play on every platform; Isles of Abyss costs nothing to join.
- Launch date/time: October 22, 2026. The build goes live on a scheduled maintenance, so expect it on October 21 PT / October 22 in EU and Asia depending on your region.
- You keep your account progress. Blueprints, Mods, cosmetics and Starchrom carry to the new scenario — but your character level and territory reset to zero in a fresh scenario, exactly like any other Once Human world.
- To play with friends, all of you must sign up for the same untagged cross-platform server in the same region.
Is Isles of Abyss out yet, and when exactly can I play?
Isles of Abyss launches October 22, 2026, confirmed by Starry Studio's Release Date Reveal Trailer shown at the Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2026 broadcast. It's free on PS5, PS5 Pro, Xbox Series X and S (including via Xbox Game Pass), PC and the mobile build, with full cross-play across all of them.
Like every Once Human update, the new scenario goes live on a scheduled server maintenance rather than at a single global midnight. In practice that means the servers come up on October 21 in PT and October 22 across EU and Asia — the same real moment, two calendar dates depending on where you live. Don't panic if a friend in another region sees it unlock on a "different" day; it's the same launch window.
If you want the exact server-by-server unlock timing and a live countdown, that's covered in our dedicated Isles of Abyss launch time and countdown guide.
Do I need to download anything new on PS5 or Xbox?
No separate download. Once Human confirmed during the Isles of Abyss Final Test that players "do not need to download a new client and can directly use the current client to experience the content." Isles of Abyss ships as part of a regular game update, so on launch day:
- Open the PlayStation or Xbox dashboard.
- Let Once Human auto-update, or highlight the game, open the options/menu, and manually check for an update. The console pre-loads larger map files in stages ahead of a major content drop, so part of the download may already be on your system.
- Launch the game once the update finishes.
There is no "Isles of Abyss" tile to buy or install on the store. If you already have Once Human on your console, the new scenario arrives inside the game you already own.
How to join an Isles of Abyss server (step by step)
Here's the part that trips up console players: Isles of Abyss is a scenario, and in Once Human you don't "enter" a scenario from the map — you sign up for a server that runs it. On launch day:
- Finish or leave your current scenario first (optional). A fresh scenario starts a new character on a new server. If you're mid-run on Manibus or another world and don't want to abandon it, you can run both — see the mode-switch step below.
- From the main menu or at character creation, open Scenario Selection.
- Browse to Isles of Abyss in the scenario list. If you don't see it immediately at launch, open More Servers — new-scenario servers open in waves by region.
- Pick a server in your region (NA, EU, SEA, SA, HK-MO-TW or JP-KR). Latency is regional, so choose the one nearest you — and note that region is locked once you create a character there.
- Confirm sign-up. You'll spawn into Isles of Abyss at level 1 on that server.
Once you're in more than one scenario, you switch between them with the mode-switch button in the upper-left corner of the screen — the same control the studio highlighted during the Final Test. That means you can keep a long-running Manibus character and still jump into Isles of Abyss whenever you want, without deleting anything.
Console vs cross-platform servers — pick the right one
Once Human runs two server pools, and this matters the moment you want to play with other people:
- Untagged cross-platform servers — where PS5, Xbox, PC and mobile players all mix. This is where cross-play happens.
- 【Console】-tagged servers — a console-exclusive pool. These cannot cross-play with PC or mobile.
So if you intend to squad up with a PC friend on Isles of Abyss, every one of you must sign up for the same untagged cross-platform server in the same region. If you only play with other console players and prefer that pool, a 【Console】 server is fine — just know the trade-off.
Each server is capped at roughly 6,000–8,000 players. If the Isles of Abyss server your friends are on fills up at launch, a full server can only be entered using a Special Invitation Code, generated from a friend's profile (open their profile → View Special Invitation Code). The code is server- and region-specific and only works while that server is genuinely full with a join slot still open.
Do I lose my character or progress when I join?
This is the single biggest worry for console players, and the answer is reassuring: your account progress is safe, but a new scenario always starts a new character.
What carries over to Isles of Abyss (account-wide):
- Weapon and armor blueprints and their star ratings, blueprint fragments, accessories and Mods
- Cosmetics, appearance and house blueprints / learned furniture formulas
- Starchrom, Crystgin, Mitsuko's Marks and Silver Keys
- Main and side story progress, and Battle Pass progress
What resets in the fresh scenario:
- Your character level — back to level 1
- Memetics (you re-pick them for the new scenario's balance)
- Map discovery, your territory and base placement
- Scenario-specific items
Your crafted items, materials and captured Deviations move into Eternaland, your persistent personal hub, and you spend Supply Points to pull a capped amount of gear from there into the new scenario. That cap is deliberate: it stops veterans from steamrolling and keeps you close to newer players. So starting Isles of Abyss "from level 1" does not mean starting from nothing — you rebuild fast because your blueprints and Mods are permanent. For the full breakdown, see our what carries over and what resets guide.
Do I have to reserve Isles of Abyss to play it?
No. Reserving is a free in-game event that grants launch-day and milestone rewards, but it is not a requirement to play — the scenario is open to everyone at launch whether or not you reserved. If you still have time before the 22nd, reserving costs nothing and only adds rewards; our pre-launch checklist walks through the reservation banner and what to stockpile before you start.
What's actually new once I'm in?
Isles of Abyss is billed by the publisher as the game's largest content update to date: a scattered-island ocean world with an open sea surface and deep-sea diving, ship building that scales from a basic raft up to a mobile maritime base, aquatic vehicles, sea monsters, and a deep-sea final boss. The official scenario description reads as a PvE maritime survival experience ("gather resources… build facilities… confront threats"), though Starry Studio hasn't stamped a definitive PvE-or-PvP label on an official scenario page yet — treat it as PvE-leaning survival until confirmed at launch.
If you want to hit the water with a plan, our Isles of Abyss ship building guide covers the raft-to-maritime-base progression.
Frequently asked questions
When does Isles of Abyss release on PS5 and Xbox? October 22, 2026, free on PS5, PS5 Pro and Xbox Series X and S (including Xbox Game Pass), with full cross-play. Because the build ships on a scheduled maintenance, it goes live October 21 PT / October 22 in EU and Asia — the same moment, two calendar dates by region.
Do I need to buy or download Isles of Abyss separately? No. It's a free scenario inside the game you already own, and the studio confirmed players "do not need to download a new client." Just let Once Human update on your console and it's there.
Will joining Isles of Abyss delete my current character? No. Starting a new scenario creates a new character on a new server; your existing character stays on its own server, and you switch between them with the mode-switch button in the upper-left corner. Your blueprints, Mods, cosmetics and Starchrom are account-wide and come with you.
Can PS5 and Xbox players play Isles of Abyss with PC friends? Yes, as long as everyone signs up for the same untagged cross-platform server in the same region. 【Console】-tagged servers do not cross-play with PC or mobile.
Do I have to finish my current scenario before I can play Isles of Abyss? No. You can sign up for Isles of Abyss as an additional scenario and keep your other character, swapping between them freely with the mode-switch button.
Is Isles of Abyss PvP or PvE? The official description reads as PvE maritime survival, but Starry Studio hasn't published a definitive label on an official scenario page. Treat it as PvE-leaning survival until it's confirmed at launch.
Bottom line
Getting into Isles of Abyss on console is simpler than the menus make it look: update the game (no separate download), open Scenario Selection, sign up for an Isles of Abyss server in your region — an untagged cross-platform one if you want to play with PC friends — and jump in. You'll start at level 1, but your blueprints, Mods, cosmetics and Starchrom come with you, so you'll be back on your feet fast. Add it to your calendar for October 22, 2026.
New to Once Human on PS5 or Xbox and want to get up to speed before the ocean opens?
