Once Human rolls out “Aberrant Progeny” season alongside Pollution Zone shake-up

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Once Human is lining up its next Visional Wheel season, “Aberrant Progeny,” to launch alongside a major content patch. The game, a co-op focused sci-fi survival shooter with seasonal progression and rotating rule sets, has been using these seasons to remix how players approach its open-world zones and endgame loops.

This time, the seasonal hook is tied directly to changes coming to Pollution Zones, the hazardous areas defined by corrosive environmental effects and tougher enemies. “Aberrant Progeny” adds optional, higher-risk activities inside select Pollution Zones, pushing players toward timed spawns, resource runs, and escalating enemy pressure in exchange for extra rewards.

Seasonal changes: In specially marked Deviant Pollution Zones labeled “Aberrant Progeny,” events will trigger on an hourly cadence.

  • Hourly boss spawn: A special Alpha enemy called the Symbiotic Behemoth will appear each hour in these zones, with Deviant Chests dropping for players who take it down.
  • Timed resource spawns: Deviant ore will spawn at the top of the hour around high-level Deviant Pollution Zones. Mining it comes with the risk of being chased by Deviants, and players are encouraged to stick around since Deviant Chests can drop after a delay.
  • Seed-based threat system: Players carrying large numbers of Deviant Seeds will draw attention from specialized Hunting Squads. The pursuit eases as Seed counts drop, though enemies can also drop more Seeds.
  • Ability payoff: Deviant Seeds can spawn Sprouts, which grant special abilities, creating a loop where carrying Seeds increases danger but can also increase power.

The same update is also set to introduce a new mod system, additional enemies, new weapons and gear, more Pollution Zone adjustments, and a reworked tutorial scenario aimed at smoothing early progression.

The developer has additional details on the “Aberrant Progeny” season in its official season post, with Pollution Zone changes outlined in a separate developer blog.