Dear Metas,
Thank you for supporting Once Human. We’re thrilled to unveil two new innovative supernatural survival experiences launching in Early Access on May 22—Once Human: RaidZone, a PvP game series, and Endless Dream, a new PvE scenario. You're invited to be among the first to explore this uncharted territory and witness the new dangers and possibilities reshaping Nalcott.
I. Gameplay and Rules
We're rolling out early access for Once Human: RaidZone and the Endless Dream scenario. Endless Dream is a new PvE scenario, while Once Human: RaidZone is a new PvP game series. Feel free to try out either one!
1. New Scenario: Endless Dream
If the apocalypse descends in a dream, would you be prepared to face it?
🌟Gameplay Features:
a) Full Map Access: All existing regions are accessible in Phase I. Explore Nalcott in its entirety—from the southern Broken Delta to Ember Strand in the north—right from the get-go.
b) Dream Zones: Layers of nested Dream Zones encroach upon the wilderness, each featuring unique environmental traits and combat effects. As you venture deeper into the nightmares, their effects stack and multiply. As a Meta-Human, your mission is to purify these layered zones to reshape the environment and its rules. Construction is possible inside Dream Zones even without a Territory Terminal, allowing you to unleash your creativity and overcome the nightmare by any means possible.
c) Player-Driven Progress and Multiple Endings: Dream Zones and Deviants will evolve as the scenario progresses, presenting ever-changing challenges. As Meta-Humans eliminate Eternal Dreamers, they will reduce the durations of Phases I to V, intensifying the scenario's pace and difficulty. Your collective efforts to purge the Eternal Dreamers will also decide the world's fate. Will the world be saved, or will you witness its ultimate destruction? The outcome rests entirely in your hands.
2. Once Human: RaidZone
Once Human: RaidZone provides an unrestricted PvP survival experience in an open world. In the wild, everyone is both hunter and prey. It's the survival of the fittest.
Meta-Human, you fight for yourself alone. Defeat your enemies, defy fate, and take on the world—or be destroyed.
Once Human: RaidZone is a spin-off for players seeking pure and intense PvP action. Delve into the raid zone and fight to survive!
* To facilitate testing, Once Human: RaidZone will be available for sign-up from the Scenario screen during Early Access. A dedicated access point will be added in the future. Cosmetic assets are shared between Once Human and Once Human: RaidZone.
🌟Gameplay Features:
a) Skill-Based Combat: All characters start on equal footing, with no inherited supplies, blueprints, or mods. Once Human: RaidZone also features dedicated equipment and skill trees designed for competitive play. All weapons and armor must be acquired within the game realm—perfect for players who prefer a pure PvP experience.
b) Hardcore PvP: In this hostile world, nowhere is safe. Your territory structures can be destroyed by rival Meta-Humans, and you remain vulnerable to attacks even when offline. Plunder is the law of the land, and defeat means losing your gear and supplies. To survive, you must band together with allies to fortify your territory with defensive installations and traps. Stockpile weapons, ammunition, and explosives to raid rival territories, but stay vigilant for ambushes and hidden traps. Combat Deviations also feature new abilities and mechanics, offering unique tactical advantages that add strategic depth. Will you be the last one standing?
c) Make the Ultimate Choice: Ursula, your enigmatic Deviation companion, evolves alongside you, her power growing with every Realm Fragment you collect. When fully strengthened, she can summon the devastating Manibus, dealing tremendous area damage and opening a massive dimensional Hollow. However, wielding the Original Entity's power will also destabilize the realm and hasten the arrival of the settlement phase. You must choose whether or not to wield this catastrophic power.
II. Why We Chose Early Access
Like every scenario, Endless Dream features distinct mechanics, making it almost like a new game. Meanwhile, Once Human: RaidZone is a new game series with unique systems and gameplay. Both will require extensive testing by actual players to refine game balance and overall enjoyment. Hence, we're releasing them on Early Access to incorporate your feedback into the development process. We'll also be using this model for major updates in the future. Below are more details on the Early Access phase:
1. Will the Early Access content be incomplete? Why are you releasing on Early Access?
While most Early Access titles have incomplete content, ours are nearly final versions that have undergone extensive internal and external testing. We've chosen Early Access because Endless Dream and Once Human: RaidZone feature distinctive gameplay mechanics that make them almost standalone games. Early Access allows us to gather player feedback to ensure the best possible experience. For us, Early Access isn't just a beta test—it represents our philosophy of collaborative development. We will actively listen to community input and improve the game accordingly.
Your feedback will help us shape the future of Once Human!
2. Will there be any content restrictions during Early Access?
There are no restrictions. Players can experience all new Early Access content without further registration or approval. We want as many players as possible to join Early Access, so we can gather more feedback and improve the experience. You are also welcome to stream, record, or otherwise discuss the new content without confidentiality restrictions. We look forward to seeing your creations!
3. What are the differences between Early Access and the official release? When will the official release be?
The official release will build upon the Early Access version, incorporating improvements based on community input to deliver a more polished experience. During Early Access, we’ll continue optimizing and expanding gameplay content in response to player feedback. We will publish the official release as soon as it is ready.
III. FAQ
Once Human: RaidZone
1. What do you mean by "all characters will start on equal footing"? How will you achieve fair competition?
In Once Human: RaidZone, all gear, items, and Deviations must be unlocked or obtained in this mode. Players cannot bring supplies from Eternaland or the Spacetime Backpack, and weapon blueprints, mods, and accessories from other modes cannot be used.
Additionally, all gear and abilities in Once Human: RaidZone are uniquely balanced for PvP. As such, blueprints, accessories, and most Deviations obtained in this mode cannot be transferred out of it.
2. What are the new rules in Once Human: RaidZone?
To promote intense PvP and fair competition, Once Human: RaidZone features several unique rules:
PvP/Building
a) Friendly fire is only disabled for members of your Hive or team. All other players and buildings can be attacked. If a player is defeated, they will drop most of their supplies except Common gear.
b) Even when you're offline, your character will remain within the game world and can still be attacked. To protect yourself, you must stay inside a fully enclosed building in your territory.
c) Each player can have up to three Territory Terminals, but territory relocation and teleportation are unavailable. Players can also build temporary structures outside their territories.
d) Buildings have full DMG Reduction daily from midnight to noon, server time.
Wilderness/Survival/Crafting
a) All crates in the wilderness are free-for-all spawns, available to the first player who opens them. Basic Supply Crates spawn every 15 minutes, Intermediate Supply Crates spawn every 1 hour, and Advanced Supply Crates spawn every 4 hours. Many abandoned vehicles, trash piles, and loot crates (also free-for-all) have been added to the wilderness, and players can search them for supplies.
b) There are no PvE instances such as Monoliths, Securement Silos, or Public Crisis Events in Once Human: RaidZone. All gameplay takes place in the wilderness.
c) Changes to vehicle rules:
i. No vehicle ownership. All vehicles can be driven by any player, but cannot be summoned.
ii. The wilderness will feature vehicles that can be used once repaired. Players will not need a Garage to obtain a vehicle.
iii. As of the May 22 update, players will not be able to craft vehicles or customize their appearances. We plan to introduce these features in June.
Events/Rewards/Items
Supplies and Deviations from events and mail cannot be claimed. You should claim them with alternate characters or in Eternaland. If you claim them in Eternaland, they will be sent to your Spacetime Backpack.
* The Returnee event will not be triggered. You can still participate in the Returnee event by joining other scenario servers.
b) Some items, like Stardust Source, cannot be used. You may still acquire these items from community events, but they will not serve any function in Once Human: RaidZone. We recommend claiming them with alternate characters or in Eternaland.
c) To ensure fair play, the expanded Campsite functions granted by the Meta Pass will not be available. These features have been disabled as the expanded Campsite offers increased cover, creating an advantage over standard Campsites.
d) Cosmetic assets are shared between Once Human and Once Human: RaidZone.
Scenario: Endless Dream
1. How many types of Nightmare Tube are there? How do the types interact with each other?
a) Nightmare Tubes come in three grades: Light, Deep, and Oneiric, in increasing order of difficulty.
b) Each Light Nightmare Tube has a unique buff that applies to Deviants and Nightmare Kin within it. This buff also applies to Deep and Oneiric Nightmare Tubes within a certain range.
c) Deep Nightmare Tubes apply Nightmare Specs—such as the Lightning Strike, Explosive, and Evernight effects—to Dream Zones within a certain range.
d) Oneiric Nightmare Tubes possess the effects of all Light and Deep Nightmare Tubes within a certain range.
e) Every Nightmare Tube applies special effects to deeper Dream Zones. When a Nightmare Tube is cleared, these effects will also vanish.
f) Each Oneiric or Deep Nightmare Tube shelters a fixed number of Deep or Light Nightmare Tubes. These sheltered Nightmare Tubes cannot be cleared until their protector has been dispelled.
2. How do I clear Nightmare Tubes? Why should I clear them?
a) Interact with a Nightmare Tube and use Wakeful Sand to begin the challenge. Defeat the Nightmare Kin within it to clear the Dream Zone.
Wakeful Sand can be acquired by defeating Deviants, gathering materials, or collecting items inside a Dream Zone. You can also obtain large amounts of Wakeful Sand via the Wakeful Clocks found in various locations.
b) Defeating a Nightmare Kin yields Reality Fragments, which can be used to craft special bullets and tools, or traded with NPCs for important items.
c) The scenario's ending is determined by the number of Nightmare Tubes players manage to clear. You hold the fate of the world in your hands!
3. Is there a survival time limit in Dream Zones?
Under normal conditions, you can only survive in a Dream Zone for 15 minutes before it kills you. However, you can use Reality Fragments to craft Reality Resetol, which increases your Dream Zone survival time.
Once Human Development Team
