Once Human’s development team dropped a Dev Blog on Steam today about the upcoming dye system rework, and the headline number is a 60% price cut across the board when the August 24 update hits. I’ve been waiting for them to address the dye costs since the feature launched in July, and this is more aggressive than I expected.
Honestly, I’m a little stunned. Live-service games rarely walk back cosmetic pricing this hard, and they’re doing it with an automatic refund for anyone who already spent. That’s the kind of move that makes me trust a studio. The old system nickel-and-dimed you per tiny section, and I remember dying a whole set once and feeling like I’d been mugged. This is a genuine fix, not a tweak.
What the Dev Blog Actually Says
The post is pretty transparent about why the current system sucks. Each fashion item is split into multiple sections, and you paid separately to dye each one. A full set could have over a dozen sections, making the process tedious and expensive. Some sections were tiny and barely visible, but they cost the same as big ones, which the devs admit left players thinking, “I spent quite a lot, but the effect isn’t obvious.”
So in the August 24 update, the consumption logic flips from per-section charging to per-component charging. You’ll pay once per component—like a top or a pair of shoes—and then freely adjust all the sections within that component without extra charges. The color tier system stays the same, and the cost is based on the highest-tier color you use in that component, with mixing supported.
The price table they shared shows exactly how much things drop. For basic colors, a top goes from being part of a 2250 Colorful Badge full-set cost down to 300 per top, with a full set now estimated at 900 badges for six parts. Advanced colors drop from 1800 to 720 Crystgins for a full set, and rare colors from 3600 to 1440. That’s a flat 60% reduction on every tier.
They’re also expanding the dyeable set roster. Right now only a limited number of sets support dyeing, but the September update will gradually release more dyeable sets across more rarities.
And then the compensation plan. For anyone who already dyed items under the old rules, they’re refunding 60% of the currency consumed. They say it’s too hard to calculate exact price differences per set, so they’re using a flat 60% refund rate. Refunds will be sent automatically via in-game mail within three business days after the August 24 update. Your existing dye effects won’t change. They gave an example: if you spent 7200 Crystgins and 2250 Colorful Badges before the update, you’d get back 4320 Crystgins and 1350 badges.
What This Means for Players
If you’ve been holding off on dyeing because of the cost, August 24 is your green light. The per-component model means you can experiment with color combos on a single piece without paying per section, and the price drop makes full-set dyeing actually reasonable. I’m especially curious to see how the per-component pricing feels in practice—the table shows tops and bottoms at 300 basic, but shoes, gloves, headwear, eyewear, and facewear are only 75 each. That’s a big shift in value perception.
The refund is the part I’m watching closest. A flat 60% refund is generous, but it’s also a blunt instrument. If you only dyed a few sections on a single item, you might get back more than you actually overpaid. If you dyed a full set with all rare colors, you’re getting a significant chunk back. I’m not complaining—refunds are rare enough—but I’ll be checking my in-game mail carefully after the update.
One thing the dev blog doesn’t address is whether the per-component pricing applies retroactively to sets that already support dyeing, or only to new sets released in September. The wording suggests the price change is global for all dyeable components, but I’d like confirmation. Also, they mention contacting in-game Customer Service if you have questions about your refund, which tells me they expect some edge cases.
Overall, this is a rare win for players in the live-service space. Once Human is acknowledging a bad pricing model and fixing it with real numbers, not vague promises. The 60% cut is concrete, the refund is automatic, and the expansion to more sets means the system will actually matter going forward. I’ll be logging in on August 24 to see how it feels—and to count my refunded Crystgins.
