Once Human Isles of the Abyss Expansion Preview Shows Off Ocean Exploration and Naval Combat

Developers behind the popular survival title Once Human have pulled back the curtain on their biggest expansion to date, titled Isles of the Abyss. Following milestones that include surpassing 30 million users and upcoming console releases, the team showcased an early development preview of the expansion at Gamescom 2026, offering a look at how an entire ocean will alter player progression and survival gameplay.

Speaking with Derek Qiu, head of operations for Once Human, it was revealed that incorporating an ocean into the game's world design had always been part of the original development roadmap. Player feedback noting that the ocean previously felt lonely and lacked rich content further motivated the team to focus heavily on marine mechanics for the new update. According to the developers, the ocean environment actively monitors player progression and reacts with hostile encounters, creating an immersive hazard where the water itself watches and attacks.

The Gamescom 2026 hands-on demo demonstrated how players will interact with the marine environment. Starting on an island, players board a customizable ship that functions as a mobile floating fortress. The vessels can be tailored to be luxurious or practical, and players who prefer not to build from scratch can utilize templates from other structures and modify them. The preview also introduced naval combat encounters, tasking players with confronting a mechanical sea creature equipped with giant tentacles. Defeating the threat required a strategic approach, such as destroying the tentacles first before targeting the main body, though players also retain the option to swim directly to the creature and engage it with personal firearms.

While the preview build was described as still being a work in progress with rough edges, developers are actively working to refine the experience to ensure it integrates seamlessly with the broader survival mechanics of the game. Additional details regarding release dates and final feature sets for Isles of the Abyss remain in development as the team continues crafting the expansion.