Once Human’s Aberrant Progeny Update: Why the New Train-Mimic is a Brilliant, Terrifying Gamble
The Aberrant Progeny update drops Wednesday, January 21, and it is leaning hard into the "weird" that made Once Human a standout in the first place. Beyond the headline-grabbing 45-meter train-worm, the real story here is the "Deviant Sprout" system—a massive mechanical shift that finally lets us weaponize our own biology. This isn't just a content drop; it’s a fundamental expansion of the build-crafting meta.
The New Threats: More Than Just Bullet Sponges
Starry Studio isn't just adding bigger health bars. They are introducing specific gameplay loops tied to enemy behavior. We’ve seen plenty of creative designs since the Starfall Inversion era, but these three new entities change how we approach resource gathering and stealth.
| Entity | Type | The "Hook" | Risk Factor |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Devourer | Biomechanic Worm | Disguised as a subway train; upgrades your ore if you damage it enough. | High. Fail the DPS check and it burrows with all your materials. |
| The Hoarder | Stardust Fusion | A shopping cart/mannequin hybrid that loots the environment. | Low/Medium. Great for farming if you can track them to their nests. |
| The Sonivore | Magnetic Fluid | Sound-sensitive blob that absorbs players. | Medium. Requires utility items (grenades/distractions) to bypass. |
The Devourer: A High-Stakes Ore Gamble
Our analysis of the Devourer suggests it’s going to be the most polarizing addition to Nalcott Island. At 45 meters long, it’s a massive presence, but it’s essentially a mobile, high-stakes RNG station. You feed it minerals, it "refines" them in its gut, and you have to beat the living hell out of it to get it to spit them back out. If your build isn't optimized for high burst damage, stay away—you’re just feeding your hard-earned Stardust to a worm that’s going to vanish into the dirt with your loot.
The Meta Shift: Deviant Sprout & New Arsenal
While the enemies are the spectacle, the Deviant Sprout upgrade path is the real game-changer for veteran players. We’ve been asking for deeper character customization beyond just gear sets, and being able to adopt Deviant powers through "biological transformation" sounds like the power creep we need for late-game scaling. This could potentially bridge the gap between pure gunplay and the more supernatural elements of the game.
New Gear Breakdown:
- EBR-14 (Fire): This is clearly aimed at dismantling the current tank-heavy meta. If the fire dots scale with Elemental DMG mods, expect this to be a staple in PvE boss runs.
- TEC-9: A classic sidearm choice. Our prediction? It’ll become the go-to "finisher" for mobility-focused builds that need a high-RPM backup when their primary mag runs dry.
- New Mod Affixes: These will likely be the "make or break" for the new season. We’re looking for mods that synergize specifically with the Deviant Sprout transformations.
The Bottom Line
Once Human has maintained a surprisingly steady pulse over the last year, and Aberrant Progeny proves that Starry Studio isn't running out of nightmare fuel. The Devourer is a stroke of design genius—mixing the "uncanny valley" horror of Bloodborne or Resident Evil with a legitimate risk/reward mechanic that affects your bottom line.
Whether you're here for the "immersion therapy" of fighting a train with arms or you're just looking to min-max the new Deviant Sprout path, Jan 21 is going to be a busy day. We recommend stockpiling high-value minerals now; just don't blame us when the subway car eats your stash and disappears.
Aberrant Progeny launches Wednesday, January 21. Available for free on Steam.