Will Once Human have crossplay and cross-platform progression?

Once Human will have both of these features

One of the biggest multiplayer games releasing this summer is Once Human, a free-to-play post-apocalyptic survival shooter with a strong emphasis on combat, open world exploration, base building, and a blend of both PvE and PvP experiences. Conceptually, it stands out from similar titles like ARK: Survival Evolved with its elements of science and "weird" fiction; it takes place in a near-future where an alien entity called Stardust has overrun and corrupted most of Earth's lifeforms, resulting in the creation of bizarre, almost Lovecraftian monstrosities (check out our Once Human FAQ for more details).

Since it currently stands as one of the most-wishlisted games on Steam and could be one of the best PC games of the year, there's no doubt in my mind Once Human will have a huge launch when it releases on Valve's PC gaming platform as well as the Epic Games Store next week on July 9. Given that it's coming out on multiple platforms, though, many are wondering if the game will have two highly requested features: crossplay and cross-save/cross-progression. The former allows you to play with players using systems and platforms other than your own, while the latter lets you move between these different platforms while saving and transferring your progress.

Fortunately, there's good news for hopeful fans: as evidenced by the fact that a Once Human beta test held earlier this year included both crossplay and cross-progression support, we know that Starry Studio and NetEase's survival shooter will have these features. In other words, as the developers put it in their post for that beta, "players can continue playing the same character from PC on the mobile version, and can also interact with their cross-platform friends" by signing in with the same account on different platforms.

With that said, something important to note is that while the game is coming to Steam and the Epic Games Store on July 9, Once Human's release date for the mobile edition that's coming to iOS and the Google Play Store hasn't been revealed yet. That means crossplay and cross-progression will be limited to the PC version of the game until the mobile one is pushed live at a later date.

What about if the game comes to consoles?

Once Human will have crossplay and cross-progression between the PC and mobile versions, but will those same features be present in potential releases on Xbox and PS5 consoles? It's impossible to say for sure right now, but if I had to guess, I'd say it's very likely these features will be supported on console as well.

Frankly, it would be very strange if this wasn't the case, as expectations for both features have risen greatly in recent years. Many popular online games like Fortnite, Destiny 2, and others have crossplay and cross-save between consoles and other platforms, so them being absent in console ports of Once Human would be both surprising and frustrating for multiplatform gamers.

Of course, we don't know if there will even be a console release for Once Human yet, as developer Starry Studio is still "carefully deciding whether to release the game to console based on the testing and player feedback, which will take some time." Hopefully the studio will have a clear answer for hopeful console players soon.

Once Human is almost here, and the multiplayer open world survival shooter might just end up being one of 2024's biggest and brightest PC games. Notably, it'll be completely free to play, so you can check it out without spending a penny once it drops on July 9.

Once Human | Free at Steam

Once Human — a free-to-play multiplayer survival shooter set in a post-apocalyptic future where an alien lifeform overruns Earth — looks to be one of 2024's biggest game releases. It's scheduled to launch on July 9 on Steam and the Epic Games Store, and is coming to iOS and Android as well.

Also at: Epic Games Store | iOS App Store | Google Play Store