Once Human just flipped its progression system upside down
Starry Studio dropped a major patch for Once Human this week, and the reaction from the community has been anything but calm. The update, documented across Steam patch notes and the official Once Human Twitter account, reworked the entire tech tree from the ground up, folded in the old specialization system, and accidentally relocated player bases to out-of-bounds map areas. If you logged in after the patch and found your progression reset or your base floating somewhere unreachable, you are not alone.
What actually changed in the tech tree?
The old system split character progression between a tech tree and a separate specialization menu. The new system, introduced in this patch, collapses both into a single expanded tech tree divided into four distinct categories: Survival, Production, Combat, and Building.
Unlocking nodes now requires one of three methods, according to the Steam patch notes:
- Reverse engineering special items called cultural artifacts
- Combining materials at a synthesis bench
- Spending points earned through activities like leveling up, killing elite enemies, or completing research
This is a meaningful shift from how progression worked before. The synthesis bench and cultural artifact routes give players more agency over which nodes they prioritize, but the reset that came with the patch means everyone is starting from scratch regardless of how far they had already progressed.
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Your tech tree was reset by this patch. You will need to re-unlock nodes using the new methods. Plan your point spending before committing, since the four-category split changes which nodes are available and where.
What happened to specializations?
The separate specialization system has been removed entirely. According to the patch notes reported by Massively Overpowered, most of the benefits that lived in the specialization menu have been absorbed into tech tree nodes across the four categories. This sounds cleaner on paper, but the practical result is that some mid-tier crafting benches have been cut from the game, and the ability to craft certain items directly from raw materials without prefabricated components is also gone.
That second point is what has generated the loudest complaints on Reddit. Players who built efficient crafting loops around direct material crafting are now looking at a workflow that requires additional steps. The r/OnceHumanOfficial megathread for version 2.35 and the version 2.36 announcement thread both filled up quickly with players calling the crafting changes unnecessary and expressing frustration at the reset.
Synthesis bench node unlocking
How to rebuild your tech tree efficiently
Given the reset, here is the priority order that makes the most sense based on how the new system is structured:
- Focus early points on Survival nodes to maintain basic functionality while you rebuild
- Target the Production category next to restore your crafting capacity, especially any benches that survived the removal of mid-tier stations
- Hunt elite enemies specifically for tech points, since the patch confirms these drop progression currency
- Use cultural artifacts for nodes that would otherwise cost a large number of points
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Research tasks are confirmed as a repeatable source of tech points. If you are grinding points, cycling through available research is more consistent than relying on elite enemy spawns alone.
The base relocation bug: what happened and where things stand
Separate from the tech changes, the patch also caused a significant bug where player bases were moved to areas that sat outside the accessible map boundaries. This effectively locked players out of their own bases.
Starry Studio acknowledged the issue and pushed a revert, documented in a second Steam patch notice. The revert restored most bases to their original positions. However, the developer noted that some bases may still conflict with map terrain after the revert, which would trigger an automatic relocation. If you log in and find your base has moved, this is the likely cause.
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Check your base location after logging in. If your base was relocated due to terrain conflicts, inspect the new position carefully before investing more resources into expansion.
What else came in the patch?
Beyond the tech overhaul and the base bug, the patch introduced several other changes worth knowing about:
The lockbox addition is the kind of thing that tends to slide in quietly. A free tier in the battle pass is not inherently predatory, but it is worth watching how that system develops in future patches.
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The terraforming addition to Eternaland is a genuine quality-of-life improvement for base builders who use that space. This is one of the few changes in this patch that landed without significant community pushback.
RaidZone adjustments this patch
How is the community reacting?
The reaction split into two camps fairly quickly. Players focused on combat and exploration are less affected by the crafting changes and are mostly frustrated by the reset itself. Players who built around crafting efficiency are significantly more upset, with some in the Reddit threads threatening to stop playing entirely.
The Twitter response to the official Once Human account's update post also skewed negative, with the tech advancement changes drawing the most pointed criticism. The reset is the sticking point for most people: even players who might have adapted to the new system given time are starting from zero, which erases weeks of progression.
Starry Studio has not announced a compensation package for the reset as of April 10, 2026. That may change, but based on available information, nothing has been confirmed.
For a broader look at what is happening across the survival and multiplayer space right now, browse more guides and news at GAMES.GG.