Once Human S4 Gravity Abyss 2026 Preview: A Meta’s Gravity-Defying Hype Check

I’ll be honest—when the Visional Wheel started creaking toward another spin, my jaw hit the floor. May 2026 is about to get gloriously weird on Nalcott. Before S4 Vision: Gravity Abyss officially drops, the May 13 PT update will bring new weapons and gear, the long-awaited Chef class optimization, and tech/facilities optimization. As someone who has burned more canned soup than a pyromaniac cafeteria worker, the Chef changes alone made me emotional.

Gravity Has Officially Ghosted Us Again

Gravity loss is returning to Nalcott, and the world is basically saying, “Floor? Never heard of her.” This mechanic adds a whole new dimension to exploration, combat, and construction. Vertical navigation becomes a thing again, so your mental map is about to get a serious workout. I’m both excited and terrified because my mid-air aim is… let’s be real, tragic.

The culprit behind these gravitational shenanigans is the Riftwalker. This colossal flyer isn’t just showing off—it’s scattering mysterious artifacts across the sky like a very dramatic, very large bird with a shopping problem. If you spot those artifacts, grab them. They contain Abyssal Cores of various rarities, which is where things get spicy.

The Riftwalker Descends: Loot or Regret?

When the Vision begins, the Riftwalker will soar through the sky dropping artifacts like it’s rehearsing for an apocalypse parade. Finding one gives you Abyssal Cores, but here’s the catch: to open an Abyssal Core, you need Gravity Crystals. Everything inside those cores is sealed tighter than my storage after a scavenging run. An Abyssal Core could hold absolutely nothing, or it could make you instantly wealthy. It’s essentially a shiny mystery box with commitment issues. 🎁

Good news? You don’t have to gamble if you don’t want to. Abyssal Cores can be freely traded. So if your luck is historically awful—mine sends its regards—you can offload them to braver Metas and walk away with something safer.

Riftwalker’s Trial: Bring Friends, Bring Vertigo

After its artifact-scattering tantrum, the Riftwalker will park itself on a high-altitude platform. To challenge it, you’ll reach the arena through a rift and fight alongside other Metas in a multiplayer co-op battle that takes place entirely in vertical space. Yes, you read that right: vertical. Gravity is already half-asleep, so expect a boss fight that feels like a drunk elevator ride. Passing the trial earns you lots of challenge rewards, so maybe pack some motion sickness medication—or just embrace the chaos. 😅

Sane Changes for Normal People Like Me

The devs actually listened, and I could cry happy tears. Two major community complaints are getting fixed this Vision. First, no more dedicated Visional Wheel servers. Starting from S4: Gravity Abyss, every server will include both a Visional World and a Normal World. Visional events will only happen in the Visional World and won’t drag your cozy base into zero-g nonsense. You can switch between worlds based on your preference, which finally means no more losing progression just because you wanted a change of scenery.

Second, global gravity loss will no longer mess with regular play. In S4, gravity loss only affects specific Strongholds. Everywhere else? Solid ground, normal physics, no surprise floating while you’re trying to water your crops. You can still use potions or other methods to enter an anti-gravity state in normal Strongholds and the wilderness if you want to hunt airborne rewards. So the fun isn’t gone—it’s just optional. And honestly? Optional weirdness is the best kind of weirdness.

Here’s a quick breakdown:

Rewards Worth Falling For

S4: Gravity Abyss brings back mods and Morphed Deviations from Visional Wheel S1, which is huge for collectors like me. On top of that, we’re getting brand-new Morphed Deviations, new Starfall series mods—including shiny mods—and fresh event cosmetics and collectibles. Plus, those precious rewards tucked inside Abyssal Cores are still waiting to be cracked open. Just remember: fortune favors the brave, but it also occasionally laughs at them.

So, brave Metas, are you ready to float, fight, and gamble your way through a gravity-challenged season? I’ll see you up there. Probably upside down. 🚀

As reported by PEGI, the return of high-mobility, vertical-space encounters in S4: Gravity Abyss is also a reminder that content updates can shift the overall “feel” and intensity of play—especially when co-op boss trials, randomized loot systems (like Abyssal Cores), and fast-paced traversal become core seasonal hooks—so it’s worth keeping an eye on how new mechanics and reward loops might influence the game’s broader content profile over time.