Once Human 2nd Anniversary Guide: Dreamy Rift, FPP Mode & Every Free Reward (July 2026)
Two years of Once Human. That's two years of janky base-building, cursed Deviant RNG, and somehow still getting one-tapped by a random sniper in Red Sands. Yet here we are — and NetEase is actually dropping one of the biggest content patches the game has seen since launch.
The second anniversary event, Dreamy Maelstrom, runs from July 9 to July 30, 2026 (with a warm-up phase starting July 1). It packs a brand-new rogue-lite mode, three limited Deviations (one of which you can ride), a free legendary weapon blueprint, and — buried at the bottom of the patch notes where most people won't look — the long-awaited first-person perspective mode.
If your goal is to walk away from this event with every free cosmetic, all three Deviations, and zero regret, here's exactly what you need to do.
Event Timeline at a Glance
Dreamy Rift: The New Rogue-Lite Mode
This is the centerpiece of the anniversary and, honestly, the best thing NetEase has added to Once Human since the original Manibus scenario. It's a 1–4 player co-op wave survival mode with a proper rogue-lite upgrade loop.
How It Works
Squad up (or go solo) and enter an instanced Rift battlefield.
Fight through waves of enemies on a timer. Every two waves cleared, you pick one of three semi-random Mods to stack onto your build.
Overclock mods are the chase drops. These are rare upgrades that evolve your weapon keywords into absurd territory — think omni-directional shrapnel, instant-kill on low-HP enemies, or infinite bullet bounce. If you've played Risk of Rain 2 or Vampire Survivors, you know the kind of chaos we're talking about.
Enemy kills have a chance to drop random Deviations. Up to 10 can be withdrawn per event period. This alone makes the mode worth grinding even after you've cleared everything.
Difficulty Tiers
Basic — Standard wave clear. Learn the mechanics here.
Hard — Adds environmental hazards (meteor strikes, black rain, dense fog). The pressure ramps significantly.
Endless — Unlocks after clearing Hard. Push for wave count on the global leaderboard.
Reward Economy
You get 2 full-reward attempts per day, stacking to a maximum of 10 per week. After you burn through your full-reward attempts, you can still enter — but you'll only receive the guaranteed (reduced) payout.
Core drops from clearing: Armor Mod Crates, Wish Wheel Draw Tickets, Starchrom, Mod Dust, plus the random Deviation drops mentioned above.
Pro tip: Don't blow all 10 weekly attempts on Monday. The Wish Wheel tickets feed into a separate cosmetic gacha (more on that below), so pacing your runs across the week is smarter if you're chasing specific skins.
The Three Limited Deviations
Anniversary Deviations are time-gated. If you miss these, there's no guarantee they come back. Here is what's on the table:
1. Crimson Insight — ZapCam (Morphed Variant)
2. Mr. Wish — Penguin Hope
3. Behemoth (Rideable)
Every Free Reward Worth Grabbing
Let's cut through the fluff. Here is what's actually free and what you need to do to claim it:
Dreamy Check-in (Daily Login)
Dreamy Wave (Progress Track)
Wish Wheel (Cosmetic Gacha)
Rift Egg (Friend Invites)
You get 3 eggs. Each hatches by accumulating incubation progress — earned by inviting new or returning players and staying active together after binding. Rewards escalate per egg tier, capping at the Phantom Thief Bow weapon skin, a Deviation Selection Box, and Lightforge Ingots. If you have friends who quit after Season 1, now is the time to drag them back.
Anniversary Surprises (July 10 Only)
Lucky Drops (20:00–22:00): Every 15 minutes, random online players in each region win Lightforge Ingot x10. Results broadcast server-wide. Be online.
Anniversary Code: One-time redeemable code posted on official social media. Rewards: Stardust Secret Crate — S13 (Epic), Starchrom x1000, random Mr. Wish — Penguin Hope.
Returning & New Player Gifts
First-Person Perspective Mode
This has been on the community wishlist since the closed beta, and NetEase is finally delivering it — though you should temper expectations.
The FPP mode launched on June 10 as a Pioneer Confidential Test. It applies globally across PvE and PvP, transforming how gunplay, exploration, and close-quarters combat feel. Instead of the usual over-the-shoulder camera, you're now staring down iron sights with Stardust particles swirling in your face.
The catch: It's still technically in testing. NetEase confirmed it will sync with the anniversary update on July 9, which likely means a broader rollout or the removal of test-gate restrictions. Either way, it's playable now, and the anniversary patch should bring polish.
If you haven't tried it yet: it fundamentally changes how you approach combat. Shotguns and SMGs feel more visceral. Sniping becomes harder (no more third-person corner peeking). Base exploration is more immersive but also more disorienting in tight corridors. Worth switching on for at least one full session.
Isles of the Abyss, Battle Pass & Other Patch Content
Isles of the Abyss (New Scenario)
The second testing phase started June 17 and runs through July 8. This is an ocean-survival scenario with multi-island exploration, underwater resource gathering, naval combat, a mechanical giant boss, and an underwater final boss. It's not part of the anniversary event per se, but the test window lines up so that the full scenario release could drop immediately after — or even during — the celebration period. If you're theory-crafting builds for a water-heavy meta, pay attention to what testers are reporting.
Radiance Cosmetics System
Account-wide wardrobe. Any cosmetic you unlock on one character is now available account-wide. This is long overdue and means the anniversary outfit (Heartlit Rain Set) and Wish Wheel skins aren't locked to a single scenario run.
S13 Battle Pass: Indigo Mystic
Expanded to 200 reward tiers, running through August 25. The anniversary event activities (Dreamy Rift, Hourly Resonance, etc.) all contribute BP progress, so you'll naturally climb the track just by participating.
RaidZone Improvements
Shared map markers and built-in voice chat. If you've ever tried to coordinate a RaidZone push via Discord with three randoms speaking different languages, you know why this matters.
Hourly Resonance
Head to the event island during 10:00–12:00 and 19:00–23:00 (daily). Dance with other players to fill a collective energy bar. Once the target is hit, everyone claims a reward bundle — random Deviations, premium food, Stardust crates, and Wish Wheel tickets. Rewards are claimable once per day. It's a social fluff mechanic, but the Deviations in the pool can roll high, so it's worth the five-minute detour.
Complete Reward Checklist
Print this. Screenshot it. Whatever you do, don't be the person who realizes on July 31 that they forgot to claim something.
Bottom Line
Once Human's second anniversary isn't just a login-event skin dump. Dreamy Rift is a genuinely replayable mode with a proper upgrade loop and Overclock RNG that'll keep min-maxers busy for weeks. Behemoth is the first new rideable Deviation since launch. The FPP mode finally gives PvP sweats a reason to stop complaining about third-person peeking. And the free legendary blueprint (QBJ97) is an actual meta-relevant weapon, not a stat stick you'll scrap on day two.
The only real miss is that Isles of the Abyss — the most anticipated new scenario — isn't launching within the anniversary window. But with the second test wrapping July 8, a full release in late July or early August feels like a safe bet.
If you've been away: The returning player package with a self-select legendary blueprint makes this the best re-entry point since the game launched. If you're new: The starter pack plus anniversary rewards give you a faster power curve than any previous season. If you're active: Don't sleep on the warm-up reservation — July 1–9 — because the Crimson Insight ZapCam is gated behind server-wide milestone unlocks that require mass participation.
See you in the Rift.
