Key Notes
- Isles of Abyss opens after October 21 maintenance starting at 4 PM PT, with an estimated three-hour outage and server timing subject to change.
- The free expansion supports PC, mobile and consoles, adding player-built ships, diving and a cooperative scenario lasting roughly 21 days.
- Players join once servers open rather than through advance sign-ups, while a separate RaidZone map offers player-versus-player ocean survival.
Once Human’s Isles of Abyss expansion is scheduled to open after maintenance on October 21 Pacific Time, bringing ocean exploration, player-built ships and underwater survival to the free-to-play game. Starry Studio’s new patch notes set maintenance for 4 p.m. PT, with downtime expected to last about three hours.
That schedule points to an opening around 7 p.m. PT on October 21, or 02:00 UTC on October 22, if maintenance runs as planned. The developer warns that the actual server opening time may differ, so players should treat that as an estimate rather than a guaranteed unlock.
When Isles of Abyss Opens and How to Join
The official patch notes were published ahead of the scheduled downtime. Despite their “Is Now Live” headline, the instructions specify that the new scenario becomes available after the version update. Players should check the in-game server list before changing plans around the launch.
The free expansion is coming to PC, mobile, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Starry Studio’s release announcement also confirms cross-play and cross-progression, allowing the ocean setting to extend across those platforms.
For the main cooperative scenario, the initial server schedule lists four servers in North America and Europe, with two in the other listed regional groups. More can be added according to capacity. Advance sign-ups are not available; players enter through the scenario selection interface once servers open.
Each server has 12 worlds. The developer also provides routes for existing characters and newcomers, so players who want to keep their current scenario should read the entry instructions before moving a character. Creating another character is one option for leaving an existing run intact.
Ships Become Moving Bases
Isles of Abyss shifts survival toward an archipelago where a vessel serves as transport and a movable base. Players can assemble hulls and decks, save ship designs and equip different propulsion systems as they progress through the available technology.
The developer’s scenario preview describes diving gear, underwater exploration and environmental hazards that change what supplies a journey requires. Preparing for contamination, temperature and oxygen becomes part of reaching submerged ruins rather than simply sailing to another island.
The cooperative cycle runs for approximately 21 days before a rest stage. Its first phase lasts roughly five to ten days, depending on server progress, followed by an 11-day second phase that leads toward the Sunken Lord challenge.
Starry Studio also plans a permanent server before the first batch closes. The latest notes put that opening at November 18 PT, an expected date that supersedes the earlier preview’s November 12 timing.
A separate Isles of Abyss: RaidZone option adds the ocean map to the game’s player-versus-player mode. It has its own server selection and reopening schedule; joining the cooperative scenario does not automatically place players into RaidZone.
What to Prepare Before the Update
The developer warns that the client update is large because it includes resources for both the survival scenario and the RaidZone map. It advises reserving device storage, but the announcement does not provide one download size that applies to every platform.
The wider update also introduces a first-person aiming option intended to provide a broader view than aiming down sights, balanced by greater bullet spread. Halloween Wonder Night is scheduled for October 22 through November 11 in server time.
It is a busy week for substantial game updates: we also covered Cyberpunk 2077’s free Update 2.5, scheduled for October 22 with dual wielding and cyberware customization. For Once Human players, the immediate priorities are storage space, the right scenario and confirmation that maintenance has finished.
