Once Human: Isles of Abyss Is Here — How to Join and Choose a Server

Once Human is opening up its ocean survival scenario, Isles of Abyss, with a new server choice for players on PC, console and mobile. The practical first step is to open the scenario selection or sign-up screen and choose an available Isles of Abyss server — rather than assume an existing character has automatically moved into the expansion.

The developer’s October 21 update lists the scenario after that day’s Pacific Time maintenance. The developer-authored PlayStation announcement calls October 22 the PS5 arrival date. Those announcements use different date frames; neither guarantees that every individual server will have space when you log in. The update scheduled maintenance for 4 p.m. PT, with roughly three hours expected, and directs players to check actual reopening in game.

How to join Isles of Abyss

The official server-opening guide distinguishes two routes:

1. Start a new character: complete character creation and the new-player flow, then find Other Scenarios → Isles of Abyss in Scenario Selection. This lets you try the ocean without ending another character’s current scenario.
2. Transfer an existing eligible character: once that character’s scenario reaches its Rest Period, use Menu → Scenario → Go to Sign Up and select an Isles of Abyss server.

Check the settlement warning before transferring. The developer says character level, supplies and other scenario data restart through scenario settlement. Shared cosmetics, blueprint level and mod level are retained; this is not a promise that every possession carries over unchanged.

For friends, agree on the same region and server in Scenario Selection → More Servers. Capacity still matters. The guide describes a friend’s Special Invitation Code for a full server, found under Player Info. Xbox friend-list joining is also listed, while the equivalent PS5 feature is still described as in development.

Which regions have servers?

The first PvE batch is listed below. These are the announced opening allocations, not a live population or capacity display.

Each server has 12 worlds. The team says it will add servers as needed; check the current in-game list before coordinating a group.

RaidZone is a separate choice

Isles of Abyss: RaidZone uses the RaidZone mode selector at the upper left of the character sign-in screen and its own servers. North America and Europe list both a general server and a [Console] server; the other listed regions have a general server. The console-prefixed servers are restricted to console players, so broad cross-platform support does not make every RaidZone server open to every device.

What changes at sea?

The expansion is free, and its five ocean regions move survival between islands, underwater exploration and a player-built Sea Fortress that functions as a mobile base. The developer describes the ocean as part of the threat itself, tied to the Sunken Lord, rather than a safe gap between destinations.

The latest patch gives the PvE scenario an approximately 21-day core cycle: an initial phase of roughly five to ten days, affected by purification progress, followed by an eleven-day second phase and then a rest stage. Progress also unlocks the Sunken Lord endgame challenge; these timings are not a fixed three-week guarantee for every server.

The permanent server is expected on November 18, 2026, Pacific Time, according to the October 21 patch. That provisional plan supersedes the November 12 estimate in the older October 16 guide. For dates alongside other games, see our release calendar; for joining today, the live scenario screen remains the place to check access.