Once Human PvP explained

Does Once Human have PvP? Yes, the survival game does feature both PvP and PvE servers – on most servers, you’ll only have the ambient horrors to contend with, but you can choose to take it to the real humans if you want a real challenge.

There are two types of servers in Once Human, within each server there are Worlds which you can switch between without losing your character progression. These Worlds let you carry over your gear and items, and you can even use the Move Territory function to transfer entire buildings. If you’re concerned about the servers post-launch, keep up to date with the Once Human server status, and whether you’ll be able to play with mates across platforms with our Once Human crossplay guide.

How does PvP in Once Human work?

Once Human uses the term Chaos State for players that wish to engage in PvP, this state is automatically disabled at first until you reach level 10 to stop other higher-level players from attacking you. Certain in-game actions, like picking up Echo Stones, automatically trigger Chaos State, but you can manually enter this state by holding down P. You’ll be able to attack other players and their buildings even if they’re not in Chaos State, but other players will also be able to attack you once they enter the state.

When in Chaos State, you can perform hostile actions to increase your Chaos points, this determines how long you’ll be able to stay in the Chaos State, with more actions racking up more Chaos. Once your Chaos drops to zero, you’ll leave Chaos State. You’ll only be able to team up with other Chaos players, and if you or a team member leaves the Chaos State, you or that member will be removed from the team. If you want to group up with that same player, you will need to match their state.

There are areas of the map that are shared between all Worlds in a server called contestable areas. Any player in this area is forced into PvP combat, but it may be worth it as these Strongholds contain resource points and are effective for looting other players.

Once Human Echo Stones

As mentioned earlier, Echo Stones immediately activate Chaos State. Here’s how the item is described: “An Ancient One’s physical form is a highly unstable thing, and occasionally, a small piece of their body will become separated from its main form and fall to the ground. This is an Echo Stone. An Echo Stone still retains traces of the Ancient One to which it once belonged.” These Echo Stones contain valuable loot, but you first need to capture it and take it back to your base to process and remove the dangerous traces.

As Echo Stones can be found out and about, and contain highly sought after items, other players will likely either try to loot your base for Echo Stones or engage in combat. When in Chaos State, you are vulnerable to attacks, and you won’t be able to use fast travel, either.

Can you turn PvP off in Once Human?

If you don’t want to engage in combat with other players and you’re more interested in exploration, then you should choose a PvE server. Though players can still enter the Chaos State in these servers, they can only fight other players and attack their buildings if they are also in the Chaos State. Non-Chaos players are invulnerable to PvP damage.

Now you’re caught up on how PvP works in Once Human, keep an eye on our Once Human codes guide for gear and items, and here’s more on the best upcoming games of 2024.