Isles of Abyss, the largest free expansion in Once Human history, is now on Xbox Series X|S at no cost, and Game Pass Ultimate members can claim a launch bundle until November 18, 2026. The details come from an Xbox Wire post by Vincent Tao, the game’s lead game designer.

The update moves the survival game onto the open sea. Xbox Wire’s bundle listing says it launched on October 21 (PT), with full cross-play supported. It gives no Canadian or US pricing because the expansion is free.

What is Isles of Abyss?

It is an ocean made of five distinct regions, each with its own environmental crisis that doubles as a resource, according to the listing. The main features are:

  • Vessels you build and customize, from wooden skiffs to steel-plated mobile fortresses
  • Towers of Calamity to destroy, which unlock new tech and open deeper waters
  • Ghost Ships you can board for rare loot
  • A 4-player co-op raid against The Sunken Lord, triggered by players working together server-wide

WorthPlaying and Inven Global add that the expansion also reaches PC, mobile and PlayStation 5, with cross-play and cross-progression.

How did the developers design the ocean?

Tao says it started with one image: a lighthouse where no lighthouse should be, inspired by H.P. Lovecraft’s “The Shadow Over Innsmouth”. That became an eye, and the sea became its body, a living organism called The Sunken Lord.

Drifting ghost ships such as Sworn Never to Port and No Return Voyage act as displaced organs, while anomalous lighthouses track you. Each of the five marine sectors strips something away: your vision, sanity, sense of direction, prized gear or stable ground. The finale has a squad breach the creature’s outer perimeter and fight through to its heart.

How does ship building work?

The modular building system now works on water. Tao describes lightning-fast skiffs built to dodge whirlpools, and multi-deck floating fortresses with heavy naval cannons, crafting benches and deep-sea diving rigs.

The endgame ties three layers together: open water, uncharted islands and the abyssal seabed, where players dive for rare components and resources.

What is in the Game Pass bundle?

Game Pass Ultimate members can claim the Once Human launch bundle through the Game Pass Perks gallery until November 18, 2026. It pairs the base game with the Isles of Abyss Bonus Pack:

  • One of 7 exclusive Morphed Deviations: Shattered Maiden (Sailor Suit), Director Fox (Vacation), Gingerbread House (Oceanic Cottage), Whalepup (Don’t Get Wet), Space Turner (Water Cube), Snow Globe (Shipwreck Treasure) and Employee No. H37 (Submarine Attitude)
  • Ocean Survival Supply Bag: Purified Water x10, Compact Water Filter x1, Basic Diving Suit x1, Antibiotic x5
  • Starchrom x2,000 to redeem Legendary Gear Blueprints

It is one claim per account across all platforms, first claim only.

Prices

Canadian price: none, the expansion is free. US price: none, also free. Xbox Wire describes the base game as free-to-play and the expansion as completely free to play, and the bundle is a Game Pass Perks claim. The listing shows no price for the bundle outside that claim, so none is stated here.

Who it suits

Current Once Human players on Xbox get the expansion with no extra spending, so the only question is whether you want to leave dry land. Ocean sectors that strip your vision or gear are a bigger change than a new map.

Game Pass Ultimate members should claim the bundle before November 18, 2026. The Morphed Deviation is cosmetic, but the supply bag with the Compact Water Filter and diving suit is what Xbox calls key to surviving at sea.

Builders will find the most to chew on. The modular system on a ship, from small skiffs to armed fortresses, is the headline feature of the Xbox Wire post.

Newcomers can start from nothing, since the base game is free-to-play and the bundle includes it. Squad play looks central, given the 4-player raid and the server-wide rally to trigger it.

What is still unknown?

Xbox Wire does not say how much progress a new player needs before reaching the ocean, how large the download is, or whether the bundle is sold to anyone without Game Pass Ultimate. Canadian availability is not mentioned separately.

Next step: open the Game Pass Perks gallery on your Xbox before November 18, 2026, and read Tao’s full post on Xbox Wire.