Once Human

Overview

Franchise

Unknown

Release date

• Windows — July 9, 2024
• PlayStation 5 — 2026
• Xbox Series X|S — 2026
• iOS — 2024
• Android — 2022

Developer

• Starry Studio

Publisher

• NetEase Games
• Starry Studio

Age rating

• ESRB T — Teen, age 13+ · IGDB mirror
• GRAC 19+ — Ages 19+ · Steam Store
• ClassInd L — Livre, age 0+ · Steam Store

Content warnings

Not specified by the storefront

Interaction modes

MultiplayerOnline PvPOnline co-op

Session capacity

Unknown

Access model

• Free to play

Monetization

• In-app purchases

Storefront price

Unknown

Store contents

• 36 Achievements, 3 DLC · Steam Store, November 1, 2026

Languages

EnglishRussianGermanFrenchPortuguese, BrazilJapaneseKoreanChinese, Simplified scriptChinese, Traditional scriptSpanish, Latin America

Classification

Genres

ActionAdventureRPGStrategySimulationOpen-world survivalRacingCasual and puzzle

Evidence:Action — 4 excerptsAdventure — 5 excerptsRPG — 5 excerptsStrategy — 5 excerptsSimulation — 4 excerptsRacing — 3 excerptsCasual and puzzle — 3 excerpts

Setting and subject matter

Unknown

Camera

Third-person

Evidence:Third-person — 1 excerpt

Visual style

Unknown

Combat system type

Shooting

Evidence:Shooting — 1 excerpt

Scale

Ratings

• players79.1% · 191.4KSteam, US storefront · Steam reviews
• players65.5%Global · IGDB mirror
• critics84.5%Global · IGDB mirror

Last update

• October 16, 2026 — New Survival Scenario Isles of Abyss Launches Officially on October 21 (19 updates over 90 days) · Steam update feed

Concurrent players

Mechanics

Key game systems from the Mechanics Catalog. Assessment axes are independent and are not combined into a single score. An unassessed mechanic is unknown, not absent.

• Clan system

  Unknown View implementation

  A persistent player organization created or recognized by the game itself, with a stable membership, a life beyond one session, a shared identity, functions, and goals.

  Assessment scope: Windows

  For Once Human, the reviewed Starry Studio material does not establish whether the observed Windows product line on Steam contains a persistent in-game player organization with membership, identity, and collective action.

  Access cost:

  Unknown

  Product horizon:

  Unknown

  Depth:

  Unknown

  Core experience relevance:

  Unknown

  Observed adoption:

  Unknown— The checked mechanic-specific material provides neither a compatible participant numerator, an active-audience denominator, nor source coverage sufficient to estimate adoption.

  Structural expectation:

  Unknown

  Player dependency:

  Unknown

  Change direction:

  Not assessed

  Assessment type:

  Unknown

  Confidence:

  Insufficient data— The reviewed Starry Studio material is insufficient to establish presence or absence. Silence was not treated as absence.

  research draft · methodology 0.4 · September 2, 2026

• Player economy

  Unknown View implementation

  An in-game system where player decisions materially influence at least part of the production, supply, distribution, or price of in-game value.

  Assessment scope: Windows

  For Once Human, the reviewed Starry Studio material does not establish whether the observed Windows product line on Steam contains in-game transfer of value between players with rules affecting allocation or price.

  Access cost:

  Unknown

  Product horizon:

  Unknown

  Depth:

  Unknown

  Core experience relevance:

  Unknown

  Observed adoption:

  Unknown— The checked mechanic-specific material provides neither a compatible participant numerator, an active-audience denominator, nor source coverage sufficient to estimate adoption.

  Structural expectation:

  Unknown

  Player dependency:

  Unknown

  Change direction:

  Not assessed

  Assessment type:

  Unknown

  Confidence:

  Insufficient data— The reviewed Starry Studio material is insufficient to establish presence or absence. Silence was not treated as absence.

  research draft · methodology 0.2 · September 2, 2026

• Territory control

  Not comparable View implementation

  A system where players or organizations capture, hold, and use parts of the game world with lasting consequences.

  Assessment scope: Windows

  The cited implementation is match-bound or private and is not comparable with cross-session territorial ownership.

  Access cost:

  Unknown

  Product horizon:

  Unknown

  Depth:

  Not applicable

  Core experience relevance:

  Not applicable

  Observed adoption:

  Not applicable

  Structural expectation:

  Not applicable

  Player dependency:

  Not applicable

  Change direction:

  Unknown

  Assessment type:

  Unknown

  Confidence:

  Medium— 1 primary URL was reviewed on 2026-09-02. Each populated claim is bounded by its exact excerpt; unresolved values remain Unknown.

  research draft · methodology 0.3 · September 2, 2026

• Competitive PvP

  Unknown View implementation

  Structured competition between players with rules and a measurable outcome, usually including skill-based matchmaking.

  Assessment scope: Windows

  Official-source search did not resolve a built-in PvP contest with formal rules and a recorded cross-match result for this product boundary. Silence was not treated as absence.

  Access cost:

  Unknown

  Product horizon:

  Unknown

  Depth:

  Unknown

  Core experience relevance:

  Unknown

  Observed adoption:

  Unknown— Adoption reach is unmeasured: primary sources provide neither unique participants nor a compatible active-audience denominator.

  Structural expectation:

  Unknown

  Player dependency:

  Unknown

  Change direction:

  Unknown

  Assessment type:

  Unknown

  Confidence:

  Insufficient data— On 2026-09-02, official-domain mechanic-specific searches for Once Human did not yield indexed primary evidence resolving Presence. Secondary sources were excluded.

  research draft · methodology 0.3 · September 2, 2026

• Live service and updates

  Unknown View implementation

  A regular rhythm of meaningful updates, including seasons, patches, events, and a roadmap that supports a long product life.

  Assessment scope: Windows

  The retained primary item identifies a release-related fact, but the package does not contain the complete dated release series, cadence observations, support-team boundary, and persistence evidence required by section 15.13. A positive live-service result is therefore not published.

  Access cost:

  Unknown

  Product horizon:

  Unknown

  Depth:

  Unknown

  Core experience relevance:

  Unknown

  Observed adoption:

  Unknown— No compatible participation numerator and eligible-audience denominator were assembled for this exact boundary.

  Structural expectation:

  Unknown

  Player dependency:

  Unknown

  Change direction:

  Not assessed

  Assessment type:

  Unknown

  Confidence:

  Insufficient data— The checked source is insufficient for a positive result because the minimum evidence set in section 15.13 is incomplete.

  Component scores (0–4):

  • Release cadenceNot assessed
  • Release announcementsNot assessed
  • Content scope and typeNot assessed
  • Seasonal structureNot assessed
  • Event calendarNot assessed
  • Roadmap transparencyNot assessed
  • Response to playersNot assessed
  • Game integrationNot assessed

  research draft · methodology 0.3 · September 2, 2026

• Character progression

  Unknown View implementation

  A system for long-term character or account development through levels, skills, equipment, and specializations.

  Assessment scope: Windows

  The targeted source check did not establish persistent cross-session progression that changes gameplay capabilities in Once Human. Silence was not classified as absence.

  Access cost:

  Unknown

  Product horizon:

  Unknown

  Depth:

  Unknown

  Encounter mode (record 1):

  Unknown— The checked source does not establish a specific player encounter contour.

  Progression role dimension in an encounter (record 1):

  Unknown— The source does not establish progression effects for either gear-and-stats or roster-and-roles.

  Progression role in an encounter (record 1):

  Unknown— Normalization, advantage, or a horizontal progression role in an encounter is not established.

  Core experience relevance:

  Unknown

  Observed adoption:

  Unknown— The checked mechanic-specific material provides neither a compatible participant numerator, an active-audience denominator, nor source coverage sufficient to estimate adoption.

  Structural expectation:

  Unknown

  Player dependency:

  Unknown

  Change direction:

  Not assessed

  Assessment type:

  Unknown

  Confidence:

  Insufficient data— A mechanic-specific primary source was checked, but it did not establish both required criteria or an explicit negative statement.

  Component scores (0–4):

  • Path length and structureNot assessed
  • Progression axesNot assessed
  • Specialization choiceNot assessed
  • Role of equipmentNot assessed
  • Progression sourcesNot assessed
  • Progress persistence and carry-overNot assessed
  • Game integrationNot assessed

  research draft · methodology 0.3 · September 2, 2026