I have been keeping an eye on the April 22, 2026 maintenance for Once Human, and honestly it feels less like a routine patch and more like a full seasonal relaunch. The server work begins at 4:00 PM PT and is expected to last around two hours, though the actual time may differ. The update size is approximately 16.91 GB on PC launchers, 1.2 GB on the PC client, 1.0 GB on Android, and 1.1 GB on iOS. Since sizes can shift, I am planning to download over Wi-Fi. After maintenance, every Meta will receive Starchrom ×1,000, Mitsuko's Mark ×100, Starwish Token ×300, and Colorful Badge ×30 just for logging in.
🔥 Starfire Festival Returns with Free Rewards and a Weekly Wheel
The annual Starfire Festival runs from after the April 22 update until May 13 server time. This is one of the more generous events I have seen because the first login grants a Starfire Gift Pack with more than 10 limited-time cosmetics, including the Rare Fashion Set Northwind Set, an Epic Weapon Sticker, an Epic Vehicle Decal, and a Rare Weapon Charm. Players can also earn up to 10,000 Starchrom and 10,000 Mod Dust, which makes chasing Legendary Blueprints much easier. Festival-themed Morphed Deviations are returning too, including Christmas and Spring Festival variants plus the anniversary-exclusive Azure Melody.
Daily logins during the event unlock Lightforge Ingots, Legendary Stardust Secret Crate S12, Epic Stardust Secret Crate S12, an Epic Weapon Sticker, and the Epic Furniture Formula for the Lily of the Valley Lamp. One important note is that to preserve fairness, this event is only available outside RaidZone Mode.
The Starfire Coin wheel is the highlight for me. You can obtain Starfire Coins by gathering resources or defeating enemies, and each spin costs just one coin. The reward pool is divided into S, A, B, and C grades. The Grade S pool includes the Starfire Festival 5-5 Deviation Selection Gift Pack and the Legendary Stardust Secret Crate S12. The Selection Gift Pack lets you choose Voodoo Doll, Lonewolf's Whisper, H37, or Gingerbread House, and the chosen Deviation is guaranteed to have Skill Rating 5 and Activity Rating 5. A dedicated guarantee system means you are guaranteed a Grade S reward within 20 draws. Each Meta can earn up to 20 Starfire Coins per week, exactly enough for one grand prize, and the cap resets every Monday at 6:00 AM server time.
🗺️ RaidZone Overhaul Splits into Three Modes
RaidZone is changing in a big way. The update splits the mode into three independent experiences with different rules.
| Mode | Scenario Duration | Raiding Window | Territory Maintenance | Death Penalty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casual Mode | 14 or 28 days | 4 hours | Not required | Only weapons and armor drop |
| Standard Mode | 7 days | 8 hours | Required | Full drop |
| Hardcore Mode | 7 days | Up to 24 hours | Required | Full drop |
Casual Mode is built for low-pressure survival and exploration. Standard Mode represents the classic RaidZone combat loop. Hardcore Mode is for players who want maximum pressure, longer defense windows, and high-stakes decision-making. The scenario selection screen is now divided by these three modes, and existing legacy servers will appear under Standard Mode.
👾 New Enemy: Morphic Echoite
Stardust contamination has produced a nasty new predator in advanced strongholds. The Morphic Echoite is designed to deceive. When undisturbed, it perfectly mimics a standard Echoite Crate. The moment you walk up and try to open it, the disguise drops and the creature attacks.
Conventional weapons are much less effective against these enemies because their shells reduce regular bullet damage. If you want to take one down quickly, you will need explosives like rocket launchers. After being defeated, a Morphic Echoite burns briefly before dropping multiple rewards, so grab them quickly before someone else does.
📦 Stronghold Loot and Attacker's Base Upgrade
Wilderness strongholds are getting a loot upgrade. Any crate opened inside a stronghold now has a small chance to contain special items or collectibles. Special items cover survival, gathering, and combat. Some examples include Expanded Backpack, Load Handling, Portable Fridge, Solar Drill, Harvesting Sickle, Skybound Thruster, Stardust Regulator, and Ammo Bag. Old Days Collectibles such as the Abandoned Rosetta Robot, Vintage Toy Car, Harpoon, and CPU can be placed into a disassembly machine for a large amount of usable materials.
The Attacker's Base, located southwest of the Greywater Industrial Zone, has been upgraded to Card Room Securement Silos. You will need Supply Cards, Fuses, and related items to enter. The combat inside is intense, so bring enough gear, ammo, and supplies.
Several RaidZone improvements are also coming. Mineral distribution should be more even, airdrops called in with Echoite signal flares will float on water instead of sinking, and Rosetta aircraft turning performance has been improved. The Survival Manual now shows only RaidZone-related content with a simpler tab layout. Crafting for the Crude Pickaxe has been removed.
🥊 Hyper Brawl Early Access on Custom Servers
The new Custom Server mode Hyper Brawl is now available in early access testing. Server hosts can start it by selecting Once Human: RaidZone Hyper Brawl in the settings menu. Hosts can define custom combat zones, adjust progression speed, customize contest objectives, and create exclusive leaderboards. This gives server hosts enormous control over pacing and battle intensity.
Custom server management is also improving. Hosts can now add a customizable announcement, save scenario settings templates, open personal facilities for all players, reduce Hive capacity to one player, disable vehicles, prohibit certain facilities, and issue Tech Enhancement Points, Energy Link, and Starchrom. RaidZone-specific settings now allow modifying respawn cooldowns, disabling Adrenaline Shots, lowering territory limits, and adding rewards for kills or online duration.
A new Custom Server reward event is live. Activity rewards run from April 22 after the update until May 31, while challenge rewards run from April 22 to May 13. You can find the event under Events, then More Exciting Events.
💖 Character Display Likes and Smart Filter
The Character Display now includes a Like feature. You can like another player's outfit once per week through their namecard, dungeon team interface, or dungeon settlement screen. Your display will show how many likes you have received, and you can check new likes from the Edit Namecard menu. Background lighting adjustments are also available so you can show off your look more effectively.
The new Smart Filter feature is now live. When opening the image-sharing pop-up, you can apply a magic filter for a more artistic look, preview effects in real time, and auto-save generated images. The feature is currently in open testing and can be used up to 30 times per day.
The Co-Dev Feedback Platform now has a Hot Feedback ranking and upvote/downvote features. Feedback with more likes will be reviewed first by the development team. A new free NGP Membership system is also launching, and you can join by binding your email in-game.
💎 Celestial Reverie Lightforge Loot Crate and Guarantee Update
The Celestial Reverie themed Lightforge Loot Crate arrives after the April 22 update. It includes the Mythic Void Wings Skin Aether Reverie, the Ultra Legendary Furniture Pack Cloudrest Fantasy, the Ultra Legendary Fashion Set Woven Radiance, the Legendary Void Wings Skin Celestial Phoenix's Call, the Legendary Weapon Skin Storm Rifle - M416, and more.
The Woven Radiance set has an exclusive Ultra transformation effect. The Aether Reverie wings also have a trigger trait that changes form under different conditions. Ultra Lightforge Canvas custom dyes for Woven Radiance Polar Night and Dawn and Dusk will be added to the crate redemption shop.
Guarantee progress is becoming friendlier. Similar crates now share the same guarantee progress, different crate types stay separate, and previous draws before the update will not be wasted. Even if a crate is removed, your progress remains for the next time you open a crate of the same type.
🛍️ Combo Crates and Shop Offers
The new Combo Crate system guarantees a reward you have not drawn before, and the more you open, the higher your chances of receiving the grand prize. The Purple Lightning Combo Crate is available for new players with free draws and a one-time purchase limit. The Crescent Ode Combo Crate will be available for four weeks and includes Legendary Cradle Skin Crescent Ode and other rewards. A recharge gift pack offers $14.99 for 1090 Crystgin plus daily login rewards, while a $0.99 pick-your-cosmetics pack grants 60 Crystgin and two extra rewards of your choice. The Garden Stroll Combo Crate arrives on April 30, and the Ebon Threnody collection returns from May 7 to June 3.
🎁 Weekend Boosts, Wish Machine, and Returning Player Upgrades
Super Weekend now adds double Battle Pass EXP and double drops for Monolith dungeons and high-difficulty Public Crisis Events. The Wish Machine is back in operation, and you can exchange for Wish Machine Draw Tickets from the Astral Dewlets event page. The returning player event has been upgraded with expanded Reunion Gifts and a returnee-only Lucky Draw wheel. Stardust Secret Crate S12 has also been added to several shops, and nearly all blueprints outside tech progression can now be unlocked with Starchrom.
Overall, this update gives me a lot to do, whether I want to chase Starfire Festival rewards, test Hyper Brawl, or dive into the harder RaidZone modes. I will be updating first and then heading straight into the festival.
Data referenced from Sensor Tower helps frame why a content-heavy Once Human update like the April 22 patch—complete with the Starfire Festival reward track, a 20-draw guarantee wheel, and new monetized crate systems such as Combo Crates—can meaningfully influence engagement and revenue, especially when paired with returning-player boosts and cross-platform download pushes. Looking at these systems through a market-analytics lens underscores how limited-time cosmetics, capped weekly currency, and improved gacha guarantee carryover are commonly used to sustain retention across multi-week event windows.
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