I had the chance to check out the upcoming Isles of the Abyss Expansion for Once Human at Gamescom 2026, and here’s what I thought about it.
A little context first: Once Human developers have announced a lot of things in recent days, including hitting 30 million users, the console release, and the new expansion. However, what’s exciting is that this is the biggest expansion to date, and it really changes how players approach the game now, with a whole ocean to explore. At the moment, it was still in development, but it showed a lot of promise.
Once Human Isles of the Abyss Sees the Ocean Come Alive
At Gamescom 2026, I got the opportunity to sit down and chat with Derek Qiu, the head of operations for Once Human, who also walked me through the Isles of the Abyss preview. Qiu revealed that the Ocean had always been part of the original development plan when they were designing this world; hence, it felt like a natural fit. Additionally, players telling the devs that the ocean felt ‘lonely’ and wasn’t rich in content pushed them to focus on this aspect for the expansion as well.
Qiu explained that their goal was not to make a simple map with an ocean, but to incorporate it in their current survival experience so that it makes sense. Coming to the Ocean being alive part, when you sail through it, the Ocean stares back at you. It monitors your progression and attacks you accordingly.
I also asked if they drew inspiration from mythological beasts to create the new sea creatures, like the Kraken, and the devs revealed that there were a few sources of inspiration. A creature called Sunken Lord was revealed, but it just draws inspiration, and the developers have added elements through their own imagination not only to freak out players but also to add a level of immersion that fits well with the game.
Isles of the Abyss Preview Details
Once Human’s Isles of the Abyss Gamescom 2026 demo was still a work in progress, but I could understand where they were going with it. The demo began on an island, where players had to drive to a ship. The ship is not just a means of transport, but the player’s floating fortress. It’s highly customizable, allowing players to make it as luxurious as they want or keep it practical. Players can also use templates of other builds and add on to that, in case they aren’t savvy builders.
I was then tasked with taking on a mechanical sea creature with gigantic tentacles. The expansion includes naval combat, allowing players to use different weapons and upgrade them. Conversely, you can just swim down to the beast and take it down with your own guns too. It wasn’t just a point-and-shoot thing; there was a method to it. Like with this one, I had to get rid of the tentacles first before I could take the main beast down. That was all that was included in the preview build.
Overall, my preview experience was fun. It did feel rough around the edges, but it is important to note that this expansion is still in development, with the devs actively working to make the experience much more immersive and cohesive with the overall survival experience.
What are your thoughts on the Once Human: Isles of the Abyss preview? Leave your thoughts down in the comments, and join the official Insider Gaming Discord server.
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