Once Human’s September 2025 Update: Weapons, Gear, Cradle, and Mod Changes

Once Human’s September 24, 2025 update introduced a broad set of weapons, gear, Cradle adjustments, and mod revisions. The development team organized the notes into separate sections for the regular mode and Once Human: RaidZone, and the regular-mode changes are detailed below. Although the calendar has moved into 2026, this patch remains a useful reference for players who are evaluating current builds, because many of its additions continue to shape close-range, mid-range, and shield-based playstyles. The update did not merely add new items; it also adjusted aiming behavior, light machine gun performance, and the value of accessories and armor.

New Weapons and Gear

SKS - Pathfinder

The SKS - Pathfinder is a sniper rifle built around Frost Vortex and charged shots. Its hits are guaranteed to trigger Frost Vortex, although the effect has a cooldown, and each hit reduces that cooldown. The weapon also has a chance to generate Deviant Particles on hit. Picking up those particles puts the player into a Charging state and increases the maximum number of Charging stacks. While Charging, the player can consume Deviant Particles to fire an ice spike that pierces enemies. That spike deals Frost Elemental Weapon DMG based on Attack, benefits from the Frost Vortex bonus, and deals reduced DMG against Metas. The weapon increases Frost Elemental DMG, and each charged shot further increases it.

PDW90 - Holographic Resonance

The PDW90 - Holographic Resonance applies The Bull’s Eye with a chance on hit. Every few hits, it triggers an explosion that deals Weapon DMG equal to a percentage of Attack to enemies within 8m, with reduced DMG against Metas. When that explosion hits a target marked by The Bull’s Eye, the weapon reloads some bullets. It also grants increased Crit Rate against targets with The Bull’s Eye.

Armor and Mods

The Snowdrift Top grants an additional charge stack when picking up Deviant Particles, along with increased Weapon DMG and Status DMG. The Bloodstained Tracker Boots spread The Bull’s Eye to one other nearby enemy when the player applies it to an enemy already marked by it, and they increase Attack for some time.

The Savior Set offers four escalating effects:

Crescent Suffix Mods also reward shield management. Crit DMG increases with extra Crit DMG based on Shield, triggering at 40% Shield. Weapon DMG, Elemental DMG, and Status DMG follow the same pattern, each gaining extra value from Shield once the 40% threshold is reached.

Cradle Changes

The update revised several Cradle options. Deviant Energy Defense now grants a temporary shield when summoning or handling Deviations. While that shield is active, Weapon DMG Reduction and Status DMG Reduction increase, and the effect has a cooldown. Energy Surge causes Deviations to gradually recover Deviant Power at night. Aerial Suppression was replaced with Resilience, which reduces damage taken by Shields from Deviants. Tactical Leap was replaced with Shield Protection, which increases DMG dealt and reduces DMG received against Deviants when the player has a certain amount of Shield.

Mod Changes

Nail Gun

The Nail Gun is a submachine gun with a slow fire rate and short range, but it is cheap and easy to make, making it suitable for close-quarters combat in the early game. It can be unlocked with very few Memory Chips and crafted at a Primary Gear Workbench or better. Its Memetic is located below the Rusted Blade. The Nail Gun uses exclusive ammunition, Nail Gun Bullets, which can be retrieved like arrows.

SKS

The SKS is a sniper rifle that uses medium-caliber ammunition. It has high recoil but a fast maximum Fire Rate, making it ideal for mid-range burst suppression. Its Memetic is located below the MPS7, and it can be crafted at an Intermediate Gear Workbench or better.

PDW90

The PDW90 is a submachine gun that uses small-caliber ammunition. It boasts rapid fire and a large-capacity magazine, with a compact design perfect for close-quarters combat. Its Memetic is located below the Tactical Rifle Scope, and it can be crafted at an Advanced Gear Workbench or better.

The update added the Nail Gun, SKS, and PDW90 Memetics. It removed the SOCR Memetic, so players can no longer craft SOCR weapons, although they can still find them in the wilderness. The KAM Memetic was moved below the PDW90, replacing the SOCR’s role. Its rarity increased from Rare to Epic, and its DMG increased from 15 to 18. Players can still use any KAM weapons they own.

Weapon Trajectory and Spread Adjustments

All weapons received a 20% increase to OTS field of view, a 10% decrease to ADS field of view, and a 20% increase to bullet velocity, excluding sniper rifles. The developers explained that players currently prefer over-the-shoulder aiming for mid-range combat because it has low bullet spread and a wider field of view. The goal is to encourage different aiming methods based on distance, mixed with various weapon accessories and ammo types. In November, the team planned to introduce phased bullet trajectories. At close range, all weapons would fire in a straight line for more immediate feedback. At medium to long range, bullets would still have travel speed and bullet drop.

Light Machine Gun Optimizations

Light machine guns previously felt similar to assault rifles in combat but had a larger bullet spread, which did not justify their high crafting cost. The developers want light machine guns to provide sustained suppression at medium to long range, synergizing with their high bullet velocity and large magazine capacity. Their bullet trajectory and recoil should also become more stable the longer the player fires. The notes specifically referenced the MG4 and KVD - Boom! Boom! as part of this optimization direction.

Accessory and Armor Balance

Low-magnification scopes received changes to their stat bonuses so they would be more useful during medium- to long-range combat. The developers also optimized the defensive stat bonuses of recently added non-set armors to make them more attractive for use.

Continued Monitoring

The development team stated that future updates would continue to monitor combat builds and assess whether further adjustments are necessary. Players were invited to share questions and suggestions through the Co-Dev Feedback Platform or official community channels. As of 2026, the September 2025 patch remains a significant point of reference for anyone studying Once Human’s weapon balance, shield synergies, and early-game crafting progression.