Once Human September 28 Update: Golden Autumn Events, Free Character Reshaping and Targeted Breeding

Servers go down for maintenance on September 28, 2026 at 4:00 PM (PT) and the downtime is expected to last about two hours – the actual reopening time may differ, so plan your session accordingly. The update brings the limited-time events Golden Autumn Harvest and Frames of Wonder, new Custom Dye sets, free character reshaping and hairstyle dyeing, the Animal Targeted Breeding feature, Golden Autumn Cumulative Top-Up Rewards, the autumn return of Lightforge Loot Crates and a pile of fixes. If you don’t own the game yet, you’ll find it on the Once Human page on Steam.

Maintenance rewards

Once maintenance wraps up, you’ll receive Starchrom ×1000, Mitsuko’s Mark ×100, Stardust Secret Crate·S14 (Epic) ×1 and a Dog Selection Crate ×1. The Dog Selection Crate lets you pick one of three limited Deviations – Labrador, Blackback or Doberman – at Deviation Level and Stability Level 3. If you take part in the Golden Autumn Harvest event, you can also grab a dog Deviation at Deviation Level and Stability Level 5.

Download size and what comes next

• PS5: launcher approx. 4.57 GB, in-game approx. 17 MB
• XBOX: launcher approx. 4.45 GB, in-game approx. 19 MB
• PC: launcher approx. 3.28 GB, in-game approx. 247 MB (if the Steam push is delayed, duplicate downloads may occur)
• Android approx. 517 MB, iOS approx. 541 MB

Actual sizes may vary and the devs recommend updating over Wi-Fi. The next update lands on October 21, 2026 at 4:00 PM (PT), when the all-new ocean survival scenario Isles of Abyss officially launches together with the ocean RaidZone map Isles of Abyss: RaidZone. You can reserve it on the event page and claim gifts. How individual scenarios differ from one another is covered in our overview of Once Human scenarios.

Limited-time event: Golden Autumn Harvest

Event period: September 29 – October 14 (server time). Every day at 6:00 AM server time you automatically receive 1 Golden Leaf. Stack up enough of them and you can claim permanent Weapon Cosmetics plus a Golden Autumn Deviation 5-5 Grade Selectable Gift Box for free – you choose one from Labrador, Blackback, Doberman, Flame Essence – Golden Toad, Brave George, Rain Man – Youthful Heart, Whalepup and Soul Summoner.

Labrador, Blackback and Doberman are limited Deviations from the Mobile Official Release and they’re making a limited-time return. Sharing the event additionally unlocks limited-time critter expressions. Rewards are shared across all characters on the same account. If you’re still figuring out which Deviations are worth chasing, we have a separate overview of Deviants.

Limited-time event: Frames of Wonder

Event period: September 29 – October 14 (server time). Each day at 6:00 AM server time, check-in photo tasks unlock. Click the check-in photo on the event interface, travel to the marked nearby location and take a photo to check in – you’ll earn Stardust Secret Crate·S14 (Epic), limited-time critter expressions, avatars and more.

During the event you can also visit Event Island and try animal riding. After a gallop across the land, you’ll get the Animals’ gift including the limited recipe Chaoshan Beef Hot Pot. A new limited-time Chaozhou Cultural Tourism Photo Commemorative Frame has been added as well. Rewards are again shared across all characters on the account.

Custom Dye: 23 new fashion sets

A total of 23 fashion sets have unlocked the Custom Dye feature in this update: Twilight Glory, Satin Bloom, Instant Morph, Heartbeat Rush, Whimsical Night, Vibrant Fighter, Holly Blessing, Cloudswept Dream, Golden Drifter, Butterfly Isle Labyrinth, Candy Whisper, Mirage Masquerade, Vermilion Cloud, Blazing Resonance, Shadowrunner, Garden Stroll, Holiday Battle, Nirvana Darkfeather, Indigo Mystic, Corner Starlight, Radiant Serenade, Umbral Cyberlight and Serene Swordheart. Dyeing support will keep rolling out in batches so every set looks its best.

Free character reshaping

After the September 28 update (PT), facial and body reshaping as well as hairstyle dyeing are completely free and no longer consume any items. “Chrysalis Token” and “Butterfly Dye” are being withdrawn from the entire shop and you can convert the ones sitting in your backpack into Colorful Badges. The gender-change item “Metamorphosis Token” drops in price to 300 Crystgin.

If you bought any of those items within 3 months before the update, you’ll receive a refund or price difference compensation automatically by mail. Conversion ratios and compensation details are listed in the Dev Blog linked in the official announcement.

New feature: Animal Targeted Breeding

Breeding the youngling you actually want is finally straightforward. Interact with the Youngling Hut facility in your territory, pick Targeted Breeding from the menu and then manually select which parent animals go into the breeding interface.

Watch out for the new limit: each territory can have a maximum of 5 Youngling Huts, and they can’t be built in the RV or on water territories in the upcoming Isles of Abyss scenario. If you’re planning a base rebuild around this, our guide to territory building covers the basics.

Beastmaster summons 3 animals at once

Based on player feedback, the Beastmaster can now summon 3 animals simultaneously – for all other classes the limit stays at 1. On top of that, the Beastmaster can use a single Beast Whistle to command multiple animals at once. The devs say they’ll keep tuning the behavior logic of summoned animals so their reactions to Beast Whistle commands feel more natural.

Custom Server updates

• Server Host Incentive Event returns (September 30 – October 30 PT). In game go to Custom Server > Community Creation Program > Event tab. Hosts who manage their server and grow their “Engagement Score” share in dynamic bonus payouts from the overall net revenue of custom servers.
• Custom Server Engagement Rewards (October 1 – October 31, server time). Unlock conditions have been eased – 150 minutes of playtime on a Custom Server is now enough to claim all rewards, including Stardust Secret Crate·S14 (Legendary), Stardust Secret Crate·S14 (Epic) and Crystgin Tokens. You’ll find it under Events – More.
• Sharing and quick entry. You can share the Custom Server you’re currently playing on via image or link. Invited players click the link or scan the QR code to launch the game and drop straight into that server.
• Endless Dream gets new server settings: Dream Zone weather effects, debuff effects inside the Dream Zone, Dream Zone Expansion and a new host privilege – quick clear for Deep Sleep and Light Dreamer.
• Glory Raid. The original [Special Drop Event] in RaidZone Mode – Scenario Settings has been renamed to [Glory Raid], and the feature has also been added to Hyper Brawl – Scenario Settings, where you score points by killing and looting and compete for rankings.
• Starchrom on Custom Servers can now be obtained normally across scenarios through Explore, Scenario Challenge, Game Modes and daily activities.

If you’re setting up a server for a group of friends, we’ve covered the options in a separate article on servers and multiplayer.

Shop: new arrivals and returns

Golden Autumn Cumulative Top-Up Rewards

Available after the September 28 update (PT). Crystgin recharges, Recharge Gift Pack purchases, Meta Pass and Battle Pass all count toward one shared progress bar. The Starter Bonus gives an extra 30 Crystgin and 1 Combo Crate pull for any recharge, higher tiers pay out Crystgin and Lightforge Ingots in parallel, and the top tier awards the Legendary Avatar “Shall We Go”. Details sit under Shop > Super Value Deal > Recharge Rebate.

Lightforge Loot Crate: Autumn Gleam

The three most-voted returning crates – Aureate Gala, Thunder Overlord and Scorching Craving – are back, joined by Nightbloom Sect and Youthful Glory. You get three crate opening keys on login and can pick any three of the five; as long as you haven’t drawn from or bought a crate, you can still switch your pick without burning a chance.

The Autumn Vault Collection Challenge hands out exclusive rewards for completing collection challenges, including the Legendary badge “Autumn Gleam” and a charm. Based on how many Lightforge Collection items you already own from these crates, you can also claim crate-exclusive themes, namecards and a dyed version of the grand prize fashion set – and claiming those doesn’t use any opening chances. Draw probabilities, redemption costs and guarantee systems are unchanged, and progress from previous runs is retained. Veterans missing their records should log in with the character used for those crates to trigger inheritance.

Limited-time Lightforge Ingot Gift Packs come in four tiers, with an Ingot from 60 Crystgin, and the packs include a return limited lucky bag with a chance at up to 6,666 Crystgin. The shop has been restructured – all tiers are now unified on the new Limited-time Gift Pack page under Shop – Super Value Deal – Limited-time Gift Pack, available for 2 weeks with a limit of 1 purchase per tier.

Golden Autumn Sports Season and the discount zone

The rare set “Aerobic Moment” (pink sports top and high-waisted pants in a one-piece design) is 34% off during the New Arrivals period, alongside rare parts like “Gentle Breeze”. The rare weapon skins “Trendy Factor – M416”, “Trendy Factor – EBR-14” and “Trendy Factor – SKS” start as low as 180 Crystgin each. The Golden Autumn Discount Zone runs for 3 weeks with discounts up to 35% off, headlined by the Epic Hype Theme Pack “Speed Mania”, the Epic Theme Pack “Ace Strike” and the Epic Furniture Pack “Fitness Club” – check Shop – Super Value Deal – Flash Sale.

Further shop dates

• “Recharge Refund: Blazing Ring” login gift pack (September 28 – October 14 PT): instantly grants the Epic Hype Facilities Cosmetics “Furnace – Blazing Ring” and 2,280 Crystgin, with daily logins adding Blind Box Coins, Lightforge Ingots and Crystgin. Login days accumulate whether you buy the pack or not, and after purchase you have at least 21 days to keep collecting; unclaimed rewards arrive by mail.
• Lightforge Loot Crate: Nevermore Protocol (from October 7 PT): Legendary Furniture Pack “Zero-Bound Hub” with switchable Normal and Alert states, Legendary Fashion Set “Dark Demon Hunter Set”, Legendary Cradle Backpack “Thornfeather Craving”, Legendary Void Wings Skin “Void Wings Skin: HX-37 Black Beak” and the Epic Hype Duo Action “In the Rain”.
• Theme Pack [Starpunk Chord] (from October 7 PT): Epic Set “Violet Starpunk”, Epic Deviation cosmetic “Collapse Meowster – Mini Wonder”, Epic Duo Action “Heartstrings Plucked” and Rare Paint “Poem Fragment”. Two-week special with sets up to 15% off and an extra bundle discount for the whole pack.
• Combo Crate [Chained Eclipse] (from October 14 PT): Epic Fashion Set “Bonebound Set”, Epic facility cosmetics “Deviation Storage Crate – Obsidian”, “Planter Box – Obsidian” and “Weapon Rack – Obsidian”, plus the Epic Parts “Frosted Lashes”. The Bonebound Set and “Obsidian Vault” are also sold separately in the shop at full price; shop purchases don’t affect Combo Crate draws and duplicates dismantle into a small amount of Combo Crate Fragments. Available for 4 weeks.

Experience optimizations

Class

The Gardener class can plant more in the Wilderness – outdoor plantable spots per Gardener go up from 50 to 100.

Cosmetics

• Optimized trail VFX and SFX of the vehicle skin “Shadow Trace”.
• Optimized preset body type parameters of the male template in Face Templates.
• The Face (face shape/body type) and Outfits (fashion/backpack) interfaces have been merged into the Presets entry in Cosmetics – you can switch between Outfits and Face editing without backing out.
• Outfits now save the currently active Fashion Trait and Standing Action configuration.
• Makeup sorting improved – unlocked Makeup now sorts to the front.
• The Floor Mirror in your territory now opens the editing interface of the currently active Face Preset directly.
• Hairstyle dye data has been merged into Outfits Presets and is no longer bound to Face Presets. Newly saved Face Preset preview images won’t include hairstyle and hairstyle dye data.
• Optimized coloring of eyebrows, beards and eyelashes.
• Abyssal Touch Set gets a tentacle storage form – equip “Abyssal Touch: Transformation” on the Actions page and play it from the Wheel in the Wilderness to switch the top into the mechanical tentacle form; play it again to revert. Works for any level and gender of the set.
• Added Fashion Traits for the Music Frenzy and Extreme Heatwave Sets.

Events, First Person Mode and Deviations

• In the Astral Dewlets event, “Sanity Gummy” in the redemption list has been replaced with “Malt Ale”.
• Optimized animation transitions and VFX when gathering trees and minerals in First Person Mode.
• Skill descriptions of Combat Deviations were clarified and now explain the special statuses their skills inflict, so you can read actual values more easily.

Territory and items

• Optimized the model of the “Coffee Maker” facility both in territory and as refreshed in the Wilderness.
• Corrosion speed with an activated corrosive agent is greatly increased, making spoiled dishes easier to craft.
• Clearer description text for the Bait Box.
• Expanded mutagens for fusing the Hydronaut Fish · Evergreen trait – you can now use Salmon [Cosmoglow], Longnose Gar [Quicksilver], Mackerel [Jade], Arowana [Iridescence], Carp [Shimmergold] and Sea Bass [Crimson].
• Formulas now have an unlocked indicator so you can tell their status while trading.
• When you hit the battery max limit, you can no longer sell items in NPC shops, do face-to-face battery trades, claim battery earnings from online trading or collect them from vending machines – this prevents losses.

Since several of these touch farming routines, it’s worth pairing them with our guide to resource farming.

Settings and controls

• Added a “120 Frame Rate Mode” toggle in console graphics settings for supported displays.
• Added text size settings for chat and subtitles on PC and console under Settings – Graphics – Font.
• On console with a controller, items with a quantity of 1 can be stored or retrieved one press at a time.
• Smoother controller menu navigation when switching selection or moving the cursor on console.
• Added a menu display range adjustment feature for fitting the menu region ratio to your screen.

Bug fixes

• Fixed the Plum Shadow Bath furniture not being usable by three or more players at once.
• Fixed dye not working on the Golden Shore Pool furniture.
• Fixed occasional lag and frame drops when approaching, moving within or teleporting to a territory.
• Fixed territory construction sometimes being unable to use supplies from storage boxes.
• Fixed the wallpaper category displaying incorrectly for roof structures in Cosmetics Edit Mode.
• Fixed incorrect resource consumption when multiple territories were connected with shared storage permissions – you now consume your own materials when moving a target building into an adjacent friend’s territory.
• Voodoo Doll: corrected the ultimate’s description and applied a minor buff – the Status DMG Multiplier goes from 200% Psi Intensity + 10 to 250% Psi Intensity (at Skill Rating 5); the original text wrongly stated 500%.
• Soul Summoner: corrected the ultimate’s description – Weapons Vulnerability text changed from 40% to the actual 34% (at Skill Rating 5).

The devs stress that none of these Deviation description fixes involve a numerical nerf.

Where to go next

For context on the previous round of changes, check our coverage of the September 16 update, and if you’re rethinking your loadout before the Isles of Abyss launch, we also have an overview of builds and weapons.

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