Once Human: Isles of Abyss Release Date Is October 22, and the Final Pioneer Test Is Running Now
The Once Human: Isles of Abyss release date is October 22, 2026. The date came out during Xbox's Tokyo Game Show 2026 broadcast on September 17, where NetEase's free-to-play survival game got a release date trailer for the ocean expansion it first showed in August.
Xbox confirmed October 22 for Xbox Series X|S, with full cross-play, and the base game is already on Game Pass. NetEase had earlier said Isles of Abyss would reach every platform in October, including PC, PS5, iOS and Android. At the time of writing, it has not separately said whether those versions also get it on October 22.
What is in the Isles of Abyss expansion?
Isles of Abyss is a new survival scenario rather than a paid add-on, and developer Starry Studio calls it the game's largest content update so far. It moves play off the mainland and onto a chain of scattered islands, the open sea and underwater areas.
- Five ocean regions, shown in the trailer alongside a survival journal with six rules.
- Ship building. You start on a basic wooden raft and build up to heavily armoured vessels that work as mobile bases, crafting stations and weapons platforms.
- New threats, including ghost ships, gazing towers and large mechanical creatures under the water.
- Dynamic weather and a day-night cycle that affect gathering and building on the islands.
No price has been announced for the expansion. Once Human itself is free to play on every platform. Only the scenario's content is confirmed so far; how it will be sold, if at all, is not.
Can you play Isles of Abyss before October 22?
Only if you signed up earlier. The final Pioneer Confidential Test for Isles of Abyss started on September 16 at 9:00 PM PT (04:00 UTC on September 17) and is expected to run for about 22 days. Players who registered during the earlier recruitment can switch to the test server using a button in the top-left corner of the scenario selection screen.
This test uses the complete Isles of Abyss map. It runs in two phases, five days and then 17 days, and the studio says those lengths apply to the test only. Phase lengths for the launch version may be different.
What changed in Once Human 3.0.6
The test went live with version 3.0.6, which followed maintenance on September 16 from 4:00 PM PT. Download sizes vary widely by platform:
- PC: about 7.55GB through the launcher, or about 254MB in-game
- PS5: about 9.6GB through the launcher, or about 56MB in-game
- Xbox: about 13.03GB through the launcher, or about 56MB in-game
- Android and iOS: about 1.8GB each
The main change is Beast Riding. Beastmasters can now mount deer, boars, bears and wild buffalo. With a saddle they can use the animal's special ability: Ctrl on PC, a dedicated button on mobile, and R1+X or RB+A on console. The patch also brings Gardener combat changes and a new loot crate, Moon That Lingers. Mobile players in first-person mode get a new auto-fire option that fully charges bows before firing.
One change is temporary. Until the next update, Beastmasters can summon only one animal at a time. After community pushback, the studio says the old limit of three returns with the next update on September 28 at 4:00 PM PT. On September 17, a follow-up fix list targeted a broken Rustic Set cosmetic, old appearance presets that would not load and an odd pistol idle stance, with fixes due by 7:00 AM PT.
Server merges happening this week
NetEase is merging permanent servers for two scenarios. The Way of Winter merged during the September 16 maintenance. Deviation: Survive, Capture, Preserve merges in South America first, at 05:00 server time on September 17, with other regions to follow at times not yet announced. Manibus and Endless Dream have no merge plans. Some players may be logged out while a merge runs.
If you want something to play on your phone before the expansion arrives, try our list of the best zombie survival games on Android. Our guide to the best open-world games for Android covers larger worlds, and our pick of multiplayer Android games to play with friends has more co-op options. Xbox players can also check what else arrived in the first Game Pass wave of September.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Once Human: Isles of Abyss come out?
Isles of Abyss launches on October 22, 2026, a date confirmed during Xbox's Tokyo Game Show 2026 broadcast for Xbox Series X|S. NetEase has said the expansion arrives on all platforms in October, but it had not separately confirmed October 22 for PC, PS5 and mobile at the time of writing.
Is Isles of Abyss coming to Android and iOS?
Yes. NetEase has said Isles of Abyss will launch on PC, consoles and mobile. The latest mobile client update, version 3.0.6, is about 1.8GB on both Android and iOS.
Is Once Human on Xbox Game Pass?
Yes. Once Human is available with Xbox Game Pass on Xbox Series X|S, and it is also free to play without a subscription. Isles of Abyss supports full cross-play on Xbox.
How do I join the Isles of Abyss Pioneer Test?
You can only join if you signed up during the earlier recruitment. If you did, open the scenario selection screen and use the button in the top-left corner to switch to the pioneer server. The test started on September 16 at 9:00 PM PT and is expected to last about 22 days.
When can Beastmasters summon three animals again?
The limit goes back to three with the Once Human update scheduled for September 28, 2026 at 4:00 PM PT. Until then, version 3.0.6 allows each Beastmaster to summon one animal at a time. Other classes stay limited to one.
