The current free-to-play gaming landscape is shifting toward a pay-to-win scheme, but players believe Once Human should be receiving more attention for its healthy monetization practices.
Once Human has piqued the interest of players tired of wallet-walloping schemes. Since its release, the game has garnered acclaim, with streamers like Cohh Carnage singing its praises.
During a recent stream, Cohh hailed Once Human as a “99% not pay-to-win game”, with the only paid functionality being a base building mechanic. As he puts it, “Everything else is cosmetic.”
The Once Human player community has echoed Cohh’s sentiment, heralding Starry Studios’ latest as the least pay-to-win free game in recent memory.
Players have lauded Once Human’s fair approach to in-game purchases on Reddit. “This is the least pay to win game release I’ve seen in years for a free to play game and it’s not being talked enough,” remarked one.
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With a modest subscription model and an unobtrusive shop interface, Once Human makes spending feel optional rather than obligatory. Fans in the comments went as far as to say that they had to “hunt through to find the shop on a free game” or that they “didn’t even know there was a shop.”
This approach to monetization is even encouraging some players to spend money. As one player puts it, “My wallet spoke for me, I already spent 100€ in this game.”
The numbers speak volumes too. According to recent stats, Once Human hit a peak of 231,668 concurrent players on July 14, 2024, with a strong average of nearly 118,837 players over the last month.
As of July 16, 2024, the game boasts a thriving player base of over 200,000 people. Recently, the devs have also taken extra steps to reduce the number of cheaters, making it a more enjoyable experience for those who jump in.
