News Tag: Dune Awakening Solari

After months of silence, Dune: Awakening is finally gearing up for a major move as its one-year anniversary approaches: the simultaneous launch of the new DLC, The Water Wars, and Update 1.4!

Last summer, this survival game, adapted from Dune sci-fi novel series, certainly sparked a frenzy of exploration across the sands of Arrakis.

Now, with this new content, can Dune: Awakening reclaim its peak? We'll analyze its prospects through a breakdown of the new content.

New DLC and Update 1.4 release date

Both of these content drops are scheduled to launch simultaneously on May 19, 2026. Update 1.4 is part of the game's regular update cycle, while the new DLC, The Water Wars, was already featured in 2026 roadmap released last year.

Looking ahead, Dune Awakening is also expected to release its first major expansion toward the end of the year, coinciding with the official launch of the console versions. Additional DLCs and updates may also be released in the interim.

How to unlock The Water Wars?

This DLC requires ownership of Dune Awakening base game to unlock. If you already own the base game and have unlocked Season Pass, you can access it completely free of charge!

In addition to The Water Wars, the game's Season Pass also includes the previously released DLCs: Lost Harvest and Raiders of the Broken Lands.

However, if you haven't played Dune Awakening before, your best option is to get the game's Deluxe or Ultimate Editions directly; this will instantly unlock Season Pass for you, requiring no additional steps.

Details on The Water Wars

This DLC does not introduce new playable content; instead, it focuses on releasing cosmetic items themed around Water Shippers faction, covering various categories such as architecture, weaponry, and apparel. Specifically, the package includes:

• Water Shippers Building Set (52 pieces)
• Water Shippers Decoration Set (18 pieces)
• Water Shippers Stillsuit Set Variant
• Water Shippers Light Armor Set Variant
• Water Shippers Heavy Armor Set Variant
• Water Shippers Weapon Variants (1x Melee and 1x Ranged)
• Water Shippers Scout Ornithopter Variant
• Water Shippers Swatch
• Water Shippers 2x Emotes

As for Water Shippers themselves, they are actually a new cartel introduced to the game via this DLC.

In the context of the game, a cartel refers to a player-controlled faction that possesses NPC-like attributes; different cartels control different types of resources across Arrakis. Water Shippers, naturally, hold dominion over water.

Update 1.4 details

As part of Dune: Awakening's regular update schedule, Update 1.4 will be available free of charge to all players who own the base game.

The update is expected to introduce two new Overland map locations and a Self-hosting Servers feature, alongside various bug fixes.

The first of these new locations, Wind Pass, is tied to the game's DLC content; it was formerly under the control of House Harkonnen but was subsequently seized by Water Shippers, thereby becoming a critical hub along the water trade routes.

The second location is Old Quarry Testing Station. Here, Dr. Jalanta has established a laboratory where he conducts highly dubious experiments. Based on textual lore already present in the game, his moral compass appears to be deeply compromised.

Naturally, the introduction of these new locations entails the addition of new Landsraad missions. By completing these missions, you can earn Dune Awakening Solari while simultaneously advancing the related story.

Although the development team has stated that these specific storylines are not directly integral to the main narrative, they nonetheless serve to shed light on the secrets surrounding Arrakis and its various factions.

As for Self-hosting Servers feature, it allows you to host a Dune Awakening server directly on your own local device and join it immediately to play.

This means you can manually edit configuration files to tweak server parameters, adjusting rules and settings to your personal taste, thereby crafting a Dune Awakening world entirely of your own design.

A key focus of the bug fixes addresses a specific issue: previously, if a player chose to betray their original faction and join a new one, the system would force them to replay the entirety of the new faction's storyline content from scratch.

Additionally, Update 1.4 will resolve numerous other minor bugs and technical glitches.

How has the player reception been?

Overall, players have responded positively to the new DLC and the contents of Update 1.4; however, some have expressed that, rather than new cosmetic items or locations, they are more eager for new story-driven content.

It is also worth noting that, according to 2026 roadmap, Dune Awakening is slated to launch on consoles later this year. Consequently, players may be eager to see a firm release date announced soon.

For the game itself, a console launch would help significantly in expanding its player base. Furthermore, opening up to additional platforms suggests the potential for future cross-play functionality, making it even easier for you and your friends to play together.

Delay of Polar Cap map

Originally, Dune: Awakening planned to introduce a new free map, Polar Cap, as part of The Water Wars DLC.

However, because this map is tasked with the crucial role of expanding the game's endgame content, its scope and scale have proven to be quite substantial.

In light of this, and to ensure the quality of the map without delaying the release of new cosmetic items, the developers have postponed the launch of Polar Cap map until the end of this year.

This map is characterized by an extremely cold climate; upon its release, you will be able to gather resources using a distinct set of survival mechanics and experience a brand-new, standalone storyline.

There are just ten days remaining until the launch of The Water Wars and Update 1.4. If you're interested, start getting ready now!

After 6 months, Dune Awakening is finally receiving its biggest update yet, designed to revitalize the Arrakis.

Many players have been away from this desert for too long, causing their bases to be destroyed by sandstorms, leading to their reluctance to return. In a recent developer interview, the official team not only addressed this issue but also discussed their update plans after Chapter 3.

Returning Players And Care Package

For returning players who haven't logged in for a long time, there's a crucial warning: if you've been away from the game for more than 28 days, please do not log in before Chapter 3 update!

This is because the official team will be offering a Care Package for returning players to quickly catch up. This package will provide a large amount of accelerated resources based on the highest Tier you unlocked before you left.

For example, if you previously unlocked and built the Steel production building, meaning you reached Tier 3, then upon returning after meeting the 28-day inactivity requirement, you will receive a complete set of Tier 3 resources, as well as materials from all previous Tiers.

Even players who have reached Tier 6 will receive resources such as Spice and Plastanium Ingot to help them catch up quickly.

To ensure you receive this package, your last login must have been more than 28 days prior to the update. Logging in earlier may result in disqualification. Upon returning, the game will notify you via pop-ups or other means to claim the package. After claiming, be sure to store the resources in a container within 15 minutes, otherwise they will disappear from the game world.

The primary purpose of this Care Package is to help returning players, but you can choose to ignore it entirely if you wish to start accumulating from scratch.

What Should You Do Before Chapter 3 Begins?

If you logged into the game early or have never left, you can now prepare for Chapter 3, or rather, gather some materials.

Don't waste Dune Awakening Solari on any weapon or armor schematics for now, as Chapter 3 will introduce higher Tier (not Tier 7) gear, significantly reducing the value of existing high-tier schematics. If you have a lot of schematics, you can sell them. Vehicle Schematics can be stockpiled as needed.

Chapter 3 will place greater emphasis on the use of Spice, Plastanium Ingot, and their related components. Stockpile as many as possible on the market if you can at a low cost.

Game Mechanics Adjustments

After Chapter 3 launches, the cumbersome Base Taxes mechanism has been removed, but Base Decay mechanism remains. To avoid potential update errors, it is recommended to pay all outstanding taxes before updating, just in case.

If you plan to leave the game for an extended period, you can use Spice Generator to power your base for up to 31 days. After the power is depleted, the base will still take approximately 4-6 weeks to fully decay. The safest method is to use Base Backup Tool to save your base blueprint. This way, you can safely leave Dune: Awakening at any time.

Future Server Changes

The official team is currently making adjustments related to server migration. Check official information or third-party websites to see how many active players are on your server.

In the future, the official team will gradually shut down some less populated servers, and will announce this in-game in advance. Affected players will have the opportunity to transfer their characters to other active worlds.

The transfer is expected to include all items in your Chone Bank and Base Backup Tool, covering almost all progress. Note that this is not a server merge, but rather the direct closure of low-population worlds, guiding players to migrate to other worlds.

Feature Enhancements

The developers have confirmed plans to expand Augment system. Future enhancements may be added to Shields, Power Packs, Suspensor Belts, and even vehicles, but will be implemented in phases.

Riding Sandworm is a very important and classic scene in the original game, and many players hope to experience it in Dune Awakening. However, this is an extremely complex feature, and it is unlikely to be implemented as a replayable Deep Desert gameplay in the short term. The developers prefer to use it as a story-driven special plot or cutscene to ensure a sufficiently impactful experience for players.

The developers hinted that a completely new Tier 7 resource and related mechanics might be introduced in 2026. This isn't just about new mining sites, but a new system that focuses more on survival gameplay.

PvP And Balance

The developers also discussed whether to completely hand over Deep Desert to PvP players. They will first observe feedback after the release of Chapter 3 before making a final decision. They currently have internal ideas, but the success of the PvE content in Chapter 3 needs to be prioritized.

Dune: Awakening's PvP is not a completely symmetrical competition. It has many variables, such as whether you'll be ambushed, vehicle differences, and whether your opponent is focused on gathering resources.

Furthermore, while better gear provides an advantage, numerical superiority can largely offset gear differences, making PvP balance almost impossible.

The developers are more focused on making the experience of losing in PvP less frustrating. They hope to provide players with a chance to escape, or ensure that a single failure doesn't lead to players losing everything and quitting the game in frustration.

Chapter 3 is crucial for Dune Awakening, as the developers will be testing many new features in it, which will determine the future direction of the game.

While the number of players in Dune Awakening has been declining rapidly recently, the development team is working to improve the situation and avoid potential negative impacts. Meanwhile, some players, like you, may still be addicted to the game!

If you're still playing Dune Awakening and want to continue expanding your base after the server merge, or take a break before then, you'll need to master some tax avoidance techniques - this can help you save more Solari!

In the game, the recipients of your tax payments depend on your faction. Therefore, this article will introduce how to avoid taxes as a House Atreides member and provide information you should know about tax in Dune Awakening.

What Is Tax In The Game?

If you have sufficient social experience in the real world, you should know the meaning and function of taxes. In fact, it's basically the same as in Dune Awakening, only the definition is simpler in the game, relating only to your base construction.

As you know, Dune Awakening lore features multiple factions, but House Atreides and Harkonnen are the main ones. As a player, you must choose one to join. After that, your taxes will naturally be paid to your faction.

Taxes in Dune Awakening are given every two weeks by the Imperial Tax Representative in Arrakeen or Harko Village. If you fail to pay taxes on time for an extended period, your base shield will be deactivated, and your base will become a public area.

How To Avoid Taxes?

Due to the game's inherent mechanics, you cannot achieve 100% tax avoidance, but you can minimize taxes by reducing base maintenance consumption to save Solari.

In other words, the tax avoidance solution we provide is actually a simple base construction plan that strives to reduce base consumption. The following principles must be adhered to:

• Limit base size
• Build a small sub-fief
• Keep buildings localized and do not expand

As for more specific construction methods, let's see how to do it!

Starting From The Bottom Layer

After determining the map where you want to build your base, select any set and begin placing your regular sub-fief. Here, you need to use the foundation trick to raise the sub-fief two blocks off the ground to gain sufficient top space.

Next, build a 5x5 base, then remove a 2x1 opening in front to install a ramp. A reminder: use the foundation trick again on the base: only use foundations on the exterior, and use regular ceilings inside to save resources.

Meanwhile, ensure the base's front is as far away from the territory boundary as possible and not too close to the ground.

After the base is complete, build two layers of walls around the perimeter, ensuring both walls are one block high. Then gradually build the internal layout. If your base is on flat ground, you can choose to level this layer to gain more space.

After completing this section of walls, remember to add stairs and a garage, keeping the stairs open. When building the second set of walls, install windows on the front; you can add more windows as needed later.

First Floor Layout

First, build a half-wall gable roof on the left extension of the base, then add a roof on top. For the walls, simply use regular walls, but don't forget to add a door leading to the single-block balcony.

Next, build another gable roof on the north side of the base, and construct a simple roof structure on the first two blocks. Then, add a ceiling, hatch frame, and a ladder one by one to provide direct access to the hangar.

How To Build The Hangar?

As a place to store vehicles and resources, the hangar's design principle is to be large enough and easy to access. First, build it using regular walls, leaving a space at the back for windows.

If you want to create an open roof, you can use roof panels and half-walls at the back, then finish it flat.

Finishing Touches

At this point, the optimal tax haven base is basically complete, but you need to continue optimizing it to make it more functional.

First, adjust the 2x2 ceiling above the garage on the first floor. Move them down one block, then extend them above the ramp below, and add a window, a door, and a staircase leading to the upper level to create a recessed storage area and a balcony.

If you want more storage space, you can build a storage shelf on the first floor or develop the area under the stairs.

Next, you'll need to place two Pentashields each in the hangar and garage. Note that to reduce fuel consumption and ensure the entire base can run on just one generator, you need to carefully control the size of Pentashields.

It's worth mentioning that to make your storage space look neater and to plan all usable space effectively, you can build shelves made of iron, aluminum, or any other material to store items.

More Tax Avoidance Tips

Now your base is a qualified tax haven! But upon closer inspection, you'll find many details that can further improve tax avoidance efficiency!

Because our goal is to reduce consumption to avoid taxes, no workbenches are placed inside this base to reduce power consumption. However, if you want to use it as a more practical base, you'll need to leave space to add additional generators.

If you do this, remember to turn off some workbenches when leaving the game or having other tasks to reduce overall power consumption. This will reduce the amount of power generation materials you need to store, making your gameplay smoother.

It's worth mentioning that if you're a Harkonnen player, this basic tax haven setup is also suitable; you only need to make minor adjustments - it's a very versatile approach.

In fact, not only for tax havens, but if you don't plan to play Dune Awakening for a while, this base can also maintain its continuous operation while reducing resource consumption, ensuring you don't return to find your buildings completely looted.

That concludes this introduction. We hope it helps you on your following Dune Awakening journey!

Dune Awakening has released 1.2.20.0 Public Test Client Patch, with the full version expected to go live in November. This update is crucial for both combat and survival in Dune Awakening.

The core of this patch includes two highly anticipated features: Base Backup Tool and improved Carrier Ornithopters transport, along with a series of other optimizations and fixes. These features are still in testing; let's take a look at their effects and performance.

Carrier Ornithopter Vehicle Transport

Players can now use Carrier Ornithopters to move other vehicles from Hagga Basin to Deep Desert, or vice versa. This feature is especially beneficial for solo players, saving significant time traveling between Hagga Basin and Deep Desert.

Towable vehicles include Harvester, Buggy, Assault Ornithopter, and even a Sandbike bike. The only vehicle that cannot be towed is another Carrier Ornithopter. Inventory within the towed vehicle remains intact during transport and is not lost.

Restrictions

Currently, towed vehicles cannot carry passengers. The driver must operate Ornithopter alone, while other players must find their own destination to meet up. However, passenger transport functionality may be added later.

Additionally, after towing a vehicle to Arrakeen or Harko Village in Deep Desert, the vehicle will spawn normally, but players cannot access its inventory at the local CHOAM Exchange.

Base Backup Tool

Base Backup Tool is a new Iron Tier item that requires only 10 Iron Ingots to craft. It allows players to pack and store an entire base building and its internal items into a single tool for easy relocation. Currently, the following areas can be packed:

• Every wall, every workstation, and base.
• Every storage box and all items inside.
• Electrical configurations, plumbing, and all other details.

Base Backup Tool Limitations

Note that only items entirely inside the building will be stored. Items outside the building will not be stored. Additionally, vehicles within the base will not be automatically stored. You can back up the base by taking it apart and placing it in a crate.

Only the base owner can use this Base Backup Tool. Co-owners, regardless of their permissions, cannot use it. Furthermore, when the base is packed and repositioned, all items and crafting queues are perfectly preserved, as if nothing happened; however, permissions are cleared, requiring the player to reset permissions for the base and its internal crates.

Currently, this tool can only be used in Hagga Basin; backing up or placing a base in Deep Desert is not allowed. This is to prevent players from using zone lines to duplicate bases. If it cannot be returned to its original location, the system will attempt to automatically add foundations and support structures to help the base adapt to the new terrain.

Players can place backup bases between different zones on the same server or any Hagga Basin zone on a target server during server transfers. However, if a backed-up base is swallowed by a Sandworm, BBT and your entire base stored within it will be lost.

Each Sub-File console can only use BBT once every 3 weeks. You can back up and store multiple bases simultaneously (without affecting the active base count), but placement is still limited by the total active territory count.

BBTs cannot be traded, stored in banks or storage boxes, and can only be placed in the player's personal inventory. They can be manually destroyed, but this will permanently result in the loss of the base.

UI And Quality Of Life Updates

• A news subscription feature has been added to the main menu, displaying details of developer updates and patches.
• Research UI has been optimized for performance, making keyword searches smoother and more responsive.
• The icons for Fuel Cell items have been updated, with a yellow bar added to align with other menus.
• The UI of the trade pop-up has been significantly improved, aligning colors and icons, and fixing issues such as overlapping price inputs and warnings.
• Spice Wars Symphonics radio station has been added, featuring new ambient background music. Some tracks will also be available on Atreides Radio. Intermittent playback.
• Adjusted controller input for player-to-player trading; preparing to trade now requires holding down the X button instead of the right analog stick.
• Fixed an inconsistent behavior issue with automatic running while walking; now, enabling it allows continuous movement while the map is open, consistent with vehicle behavior.
• When a player's health is full, attempting to use a healing item will display a HUD alert.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed an issue where projectile weapons were damaging incorrect vehicle modules.
• When players do not have enough Dune Awakening Solari, the currency prediction text will be displayed in red.
• Fixed a bug that could potentially restore vehicle component durability.
• Fixed an issue where the laser turret on Buggy remained active after switching seats (but the laser firing position still has a bug).
• Fixed an issue where invisible colliders were generated when using a Carrier Ornithopter to tow a vehicle, preventing Carrier Ornithopter from landing properly.
• Fixed an issue where vehicles destroyed by storms did not have their inventory cleared.
• Fixed an issue where shields pushed vehicles; now, when a vehicle intersects with the shield's placement area, it will show that the placement is blocked by another object.
• Vehicle backup tool's recycling mode UI now clearly indicates that it will consume 15% of the vehicle's maximum durability.

These changes are clearly preparation for future server merges and population consolidation, as server meshing is no longer implemented. After these changes are complete, at least Deep Desert's population may increase again, which should be beneficial for boosting player enthusiasm.

Dune: Awakening is undoubtedly in trouble right now. Compared to its initial launch glory, player numbers are steadily declining, averaging only 11,000–12,000 concurrent players. Most servers are underpopulated. The once bustling and chaotic Deep Desert now feels empty, and trade routes are quiet. The world now feels lifeless.

This is a fatal problem for an MMO—no players. As a sandbox game built on tension and survival, it cannot function when the desert itself is lifeless. So what exactly happened to Dune: Awakening? This goes back to the initial problem: the conflict between PvP and PvE.

Why Are Players Leaving?

The key reason for the player exodus in Dune: Awakening is the huge disconnect between PvE and PvP content. In the first few dozen hours, players primarily spent time in Hagga Basin learning base building and resource gathering, which accounted for approximately 90% of their playtime.

However, once the endgame arrives, almost all players are left with only one option: to enter Deep Desert to find the highest-level Dune: Awakening items and equipment. This essentially forces all players who want to continue playing to enter PvP.

The frustration of PvE players stems from being harassed, ambushed, or having their content blocked by guilds when they simply want to progress and enjoy limited content. This frustration is entirely justified.

PvP players, on the other hand, are mostly motivated by challenge, the thrill of real combat, and fair competition, rather than simply causing trouble. They are equally frustrated by the current state of the game.

But the current game framework forces players into this conflict. When the mechanics encourage random encounters rather than meaningful ones, the tension quickly turns into toxicity.

What Do Players Really Need?

PvE Players

PvE players primarily feel they have no choice. While gathering, farming, or completing quests, they are ambushed by groups specifically hunting them, and they are often unprepared for combat. The best rewards and materials are locked in areas guaranteed to see PvP encounters, creating constant anxiety.

PvE players don't want absolute safety; they want meaningful progression without relying on the mercy of others. They need breathing room to focus on crafting and exploration, without fear of every outing becoming a potential ambush.

PvP Players

PvP players primarily feel that combat feels aimless. Dune: Awakening lacks a defined reward system for PvP players; combat is random, and even defeating any opponent doesn't provide much excitement, failing to satisfy either side.

PvP players crave skill-based gameplay, not cheap kills. They want contested areas, meaningful duels, and rewards based on strategy rather than simple ambushes or outnumbered attacks.

Official Solution

Shrinking The PvP Area

The developers made many changes to address this issue, their biggest initial adjustment being to reduce the PvP area by half. This allows PvP players to establish bases in the central PvE area of the map and safely access spice fields, rendering raiding mechanisms ineffective. This change has undoubtedly angered a large number of PvE players, leading to a mass exodus.

Instanced Loot

The official patch 1.2.10.0 added PvP Instanced Loots, meaning every player can obtain items from chests instead of having them snatched first. This is a positive step, effectively reducing the gap between players.

However, introducing this feature after the game population declines will cause S-tier loot locations that naturally attract PvP players to compete for to disappear, significantly reducing the already limited interest of PvP players.

How To Solve This?

Short-term Solution

Since the player population on each server is relatively small, Deep Desert areas could be connected to create a unified environment. This would allow players from different servers to coexist, trade, and fight without losing their progress.

This could revitalize Dune: Awakening, restarting the game world's economy and allowing players to trade items using their Dune: Awakening Solari.

Furthermore, this would rekindle the enthusiasm of PvP players, restoring a sense of danger to Deep Desert and bringing value back to the land.

For PvE players, a larger player base would create more opportunities for cooperation, alliances, and trade.

Long-term Solution

The developers could try dividing the game ecosystem into dedicated PvE servers and dedicated PvP servers, allowing players to choose based on their desired experience.

Players on PvE servers could focus on progress, crafting, and exploration without worrying about their progress being destroyed by PvP players popping up anywhere. This would provide a tense but non-punitive experience.

The developers could also make specific adjustments to the PvP servers, such as faster respawn times, higher rewards, and more realistic objectives. This would separate purposeful warfare from opportunistic hunting.

This approach can be combined with Deep Desert Instanced Loot, allowing multiple PvE servers to share one Deep Desert and multiple PvP servers to share another, ensuring each community has an active world. This isn't particularly complex for the developers, as they've successfully implemented it in their previous game, Conan Exiles.

In short, neither PvE nor PvP players are inherently bad. Both sides want a Dune: Awakening that rewards their time and effort. It's the system design that pushes both groups towards unwanted conflict without providing the structure or incentives to make these encounters meaningful. The real issues to address are the lack of clear objectives, poor reward balance, and the absence of a framework that makes conflict worthwhile.

As an MMO game, Dune Awakening has garnered significant attention from players since its release. In less than three months since its launch, the game's developers have already made numerous updates and improvements based on player feedback.

Recently, the game developer of Dune: Awakening announced that the game plans to launch a second narrative chapter and the first paid DLC Lost Harvest in September, aiming to bring players a richer Arrakis adventure experience.

And for those players who have never played this type of survival MMO, Dune Awakening provides them with a 10-hour free trial. It can be expected that the upcoming major content updates and new expansion will make the game world of Dune Awakening even more vast, and players' exploration and survival challenges in the desert will become even more exciting.

Next, this article will introduce the specific details of the game's upcoming major content update and the free trial version that is already available on Steam.

Chapter 2: Multiple Contract Missions And New Character Re-Customization Feature

Dune: Awakening Chapter 2 is expected to be released on September 10, 2025. It is the first major content update for the game and will bring important plot updates to the game.

Chapter 2 not only continues the story of Chapter 1, but also reveals more complex imperial conspiracies and character backgrounds. In this chapter, players will delve into their own origins and uncover the dark secrets hidden behind the dune world.

During this process, players will have the opportunity to interact with more NPCs, explore new locations, and accept various contract missions challenges. At the same time, players will also face more intense dynamic encounters.

In addition, Chapter 2 also introduces a character re-customization feature, which allows players to change the appearance of their characters, try new hairstyles and tattoos, and even recreate the overall image of their characters. This will undoubtedly bring players a better visual experience.

In short, the updates brought by Chapter 2 enhance the game's personalized choices and strategy, while the new multiple contract missions and adventure elements full of Dune Awakening characteristics further enhance the game's playability.

Lost Harvest DLC: New Journeys And Unique Loot

Along with Chapter 2, the game's first paid DLC, Lost Harvest, is also released. This DLC has a completely independent plot and will bring players a brand-new story journey.

Specifically, an airlifted harvester was shot down, and the contents of the secret cargo could overturn the entire empire. In this DLC, players will explore new locations and face more severe survival challenges.

Lost Harvest not only brings rich narrative content to the game, but also introduces a brand new vehicle, Treadwheel, a flexible means of transportation suitable for moving around in the desert.

Treadwheel will allow players to traverse the vast desert of Arrakis more freely, allowing them to explore new areas and enjoy a unique driving experience.

After seeing images of Treadwheel, I think it's a much more practical vehicle than any other in the game. Not only does it solve the player's most pressing problem of slow movement in the desert, which consumes too much energy, but it also provides a degree of protection. Furthermore, its seemingly bulky appearance will surely make it incredibly durable in the game.

Additionally, this expansion brings three Imperial Testing Stations, four weapons and two armor skins, five base decorations, Dune Man building pieces, and Thumper emote to the game.

In short, this paid expansion is worth looking forward to, it will provide players with more collection and decoration fun, enriching the player's game choices. And all this new content will greatly enrich the playability and visual effects of the game.

Free Trial Version: Get It Or Not And Free Stuff

To attract new players, Dune: Awakening is offering a 10-hour free trial. Before August 24th, players can download the game on Steam and play for ten hours. Players can experience the exciting content of this game through this free trial version and then decide whether it is worth getting.

It should be noted that the characters in the trial version are separate from the player characters in the retail version, which means that players of the trial version will not be able to play with friends who own the retail version.

However, the progress and backpack items of the trial version can be inherited to the retail version, which means that if you decide to get the game after the trial, you can continue your unfinished adventure directly in the game without having your progress cleared and starting over.

What's more, when you get the game, you'll also receive some extra materials for building your base and a Desert Mechanic cosmetic for free.

As for Desert Mechanic cosmetic, it was added in patch 1.1.20.0 and is usually obtained in exchange for 20,000 Dune Awakening Solari from either Soha Sirrendrin in Arrakeen or Ormuna Laaks in Harko Village.

In short, if you are interested in this game but haven't bought it yet, you can take this opportunity to try it out through the free trial version.

That's all for this article. Finally, let me remind you again that Chapter 2 Update and Lost Harvest DLC will be officially launched on September 10, 2025. If you're curious about this game but have never experienced it, this update will be the best time for you to step into the world of Dune.

Dune Awakening will receive a free major update, Version 1.1.20.0, on August 12th. After a period of testing, players have already gotten a general understanding of this patch. The content of this patch is actually quite limited, aside from the addition of some new cosmetic items.

This patch primarily adjusts various aspects of the game, with some significant changes to resources in particular. Let's take a look at the impact these changes will have.

Resource Changes In Deep Desert

After Version 1.1.20.0, several rocky islands will be added to both the PVE and PVP areas of Deep Desert. You can find some resources on these rocky islands, but their primary use is to avoid sandworms or to establish a safe base in these areas.

Another significant change to Deep Desert is the removal of Solari from all resources in the PVP area, while the PVE area remains unchanged. This is a rather strange change: players in the PVP area can no longer directly farm Solari unless they want to sell their resources and items. Players in the PvP area can still earn a lot, but with an additional step.

Titanium And Stravidium Will Appear In PvE Areas

Titanium and Stravidium, as Tier 6 resources, have always been controlled by guilds in Deep Desert. For solo players, obtaining these two resources requires stealth, venturing into PvP areas to secretly mine them. If you were discovered by guild members, you would be hunted down. If you die, not only will you lose the resources you've collected, but worse still, your Ornithopter and Buggy may be destroyed.

After Version 1.1.20.0, these two resources will appear in PVE areas, and you can even find them in Western and Eastern Shield Wall areas. This means that guild players will lose their monopoly on these two resources, and their value will inevitably decline. To protect their own interests, guilds will more strictly control the only resource they can control: spice, which may lead spice to be sold for more Dune Awakening Solari in Version 1.1.20.0.

Spice Fields

Spice Fields have also received some minor adjustments. More small and medium-sized spice fields will appear in Deep Desert. This is a significant benefit for PvE players, as guild players generally focus on large spice fields and don't bother searching for medium and small ones unless they're close to their base.

For solo players, a single medium-sized spice field can be all they need, making these changes a win for PvE players.

New Decorations And Vehicles

This update primarily features updated decorations and a new Sandbike. The new decorations are part of Desert Mechanic set, which includes wall decorations, lights, and other items. Six pieces in total are designed to be inconspicuous in Dune Awakening, and note that these items are cosmetic only and have no practical use.

• Desert Mechanic Glowglobe
• Desert Mechanic Sandbike Track
• Desert Mechanic Bike Components
• Desert Mechanic Sandbike Solid
• Desert Mechanic Dismantled Sandbike
• Desert Mechanic Sandbike Painting

The new sandbike, Desert Mechanic Dirk Variant, is also part of Desert Mechanic series. It's available from vendors in Social Hubs for 20,000 Dune Awakening Solari.

Sandworm Animation

As mentioned previously, sandworms in deep desert areas have a 50% chance of appearing with a shorter breakout animation. This means that when you see the warning on your screen, you should immediately stop what you're doing and take off in your ornithopter, or you'll be eaten.

This change doesn't mean the sandworms are more aggressive; if you're using quiet equipment, you'll still be able to attract them after more than ten minutes, as before.

This adjustment simply changes the animation, shortening the breakout time. High player counts in an area make it more likely that sandworms with shorter breakout times will trigger. Therefore, you shouldn't be too concerned about sandworms while gathering spice sand. However, in shipwreck areas or open areas, sandworms will appear more quickly, which may catch some players off guard.

XP Changes

This change is particularly important for new players or those creating new accounts. Players used to earn XP by picking up items on the ground, allowing them to quickly level up in the early stages of the game by picking up more trash. However, with Version 1.1.20.0, you can no longer earn XP by picking up trash with your bare hands. However, you can still earn XP from gathering resources with tools.

While this may seem like bad news, there's also good news. Version 1.1.20.0 fixes an issue where players couldn't earn EXP when arriving at a new location in a vehicle. As long as you have an Ornithopter, you can earn XP by visiting new resource points, and this mechanic allows you to quickly level up early on.

Vehicle Speed

Version 1.1.20.0 includes several vehicle upgrades. Besides reduced durability loss, the most significant feature is increased speed. The boosters on assault and carrier ornithopters have been improved, allowing assault ornithopters to reach speeds of up to 170 kilometers per hour, significantly faster than before.

The above is a summary of the important changes in Version 1.1.20.0. Hopefully, despite the limited content, these adjustments will have a significant impact on gameplay and, overall, they are more beneficial for PVE players.

Of all game genres, survival games and MMORPGs, each with its own strengths, have become popular with players. Furthermore, some MMORPGs, such as Dune Awakening, can offer a unique experience by incorporating survival elements.

While you might consider Dune Awakening a survival game, honestly, it simply has survival elements. Its actual gameplay and mechanics differ from traditional survival games, but overall, it still resembles a MMORPG.

However, it must be acknowledged that these survival elements give Dune Awakening a unique charm that sets it apart from other MMORPGs, contributing to its recent popularity in the gaming market.

Based on this, we will analyze the survival elements in Dune Awakening and how they integrate with MMORPG mechanics to shape the overall game.

Dune Awakening Survival Gameplay Overview

First and foremost, it’s important to understand that as a game based on Dune novels, Dune Awakening’s mission isn’t just to create a great game; it’s also to accurately portray the world of the novels as closely as possible.

Thus, the game is set on Arrakis, one of the main planets in the original series. Through a political system dominated by two major Houses, and an economic system based on Dune Awakening Solari, the game creates a world faithful to the original.

In this world, you not only face various PvE and PvP enemies, but also constantly farm resources to survive in the harsh desert. This includes obtaining water and building materials, as well as crafting vehicles for faster travel - all common gameplay elements in survival games.

More specifically, Dune Awakening’s survival elements include the following:

• Hydration: As the game’s most important resource, water affects your survival and item crafting.
• Sandstorms: These can destroy or damage vehicles and unprotected bases.
• Sandworms: They threaten your life and property, and you may encounter them at any time in the sand.
• Base Building: Building a base allows you to store resources, craft items, and process water.
• Resource Management: Your crafting and resource management skills will affect your ability to survive and thrive later.

Why Is Dune: Awakening Not A Typical Survival Game?

While the survival mechanics mentioned above are fun and enhance the game’s realism, they also highlight what makes Dune Awakening different from typical survival games.

Survival Mechanics Also Serve The Narrative

Typically, progress in survival games hinges on survival - you cannot survive by your progress, but get more progress by surviving. However, this isn’t entirely the case in Dune Awakening.

In typical survival games, facing a harsh environment, you must complete mundane tasks like chopping wood, crafting gear, and building a base, repeating these tasks over and over again to gradually build a foundation for survival.

In Dune Awakening, while you must constantly stay hydrated and gather materials to build a base for protection, these tasks are actually part of the game’s narrative: completing these tasks firsthand allows you to deeply understand the harshness of Arrakis.

Most importantly, Dune Awakening’s survival mechanics are designed to hinder your progress, not enhance it. In other words, survival itself isn’t the goal, it’s merely a stumbling block to acquiring more resources and defeating others.

Focusing On Authenticity Not Gameplay Mechanics

Dune Awakening’s survival philosophy and gameplay aren’t designed to create hype, but rather to ensure the game remains faithful to the original by making you adapt to Dune, rather than having Dune adapt to you.

Thus, you’ll notice that the game’s survival gameplay doesn’t rely on sandbox-style freedom or a mechanic-based progression loop as its core, but rather focuses on supporting the novel’s lore, as well as unique features like faction alliances, spice politics, and the harshness of the desert.

Fusion Of Survival Gameplay And MMORPG Mechanics

Regular MMORPGs sometimes incorporate survival-like gameplay like fishing or cooking, but these don’t actually impact your main game progression.

In Dune Awakening, however, progressing requires gathering resources. Farming can involve encountering PvE combat, such as sandworms or enemy NPCs, or even PvP combat in Deep Desert.

Losing means losing resources, disrupting your survival plan. Avoiding combat also hinders your progress due to insufficient resources. However, simply ignoring item farming while enjoying combat won’t work either.

This means that if you want to survive and progress in Dune Awakening, both resource farming and PvE/PvP combat are essential. Furthermore, teamwork increases the efficiency of various types of combat, further highlighting the game’s multiplayer nature.

Providing Ideas For Game Adaptations Of Other Works

Adapting novels, movies, and comics into games is commonplace these days, but few excel. While Dune Awakening isn’t necessarily the best game yet, its recent performance is certainly remarkable.

Based on this, other similar titles can fully draw inspiration from Dune Awakening’s development philosophy, incorporating its own unique characteristics into their own creations and optimizing them to achieve a level of playability while remaining true to the original.

In short, Dune Awakening enhances the game’s challenge through traditional survival elements, restoring and enhancing the original setting while incorporating the multiplayer online social and combat gameplay of a MMORPG to create a unique game world.

While you might initially feel cheated by simply wanting to experience a survival game, you’ll ultimately be drawn to Dune Awakening by the unique charm of Arrakis. In any case, have fun!

Hello players, it’s August already, and Dune Awakening developers previously announced another major update for August. Now, they’ve announced the next update, Version 1.1.20.0.

Version 1.1.20.0 will be released on August 12th. This update includes a wide range of changes, from combat and economy to quality of life. For regular players, most of these changes won’t have a significant impact. To save time, we’ll outline the key points below.

Sandworm Threat

Sandworms will become more dangerous. Even if they don’t devour unfortunate players, contact with their bodies will kill you instantly. If you’re driving a vehicle, your vehicle will also be destroyed.

Sandworms will no longer attack phantoms, and in Deep Desert, they will move faster, with a 50% chance of using a shorter breakout animation. So if you attract sandworms in Deep Desert, don’t be greedy! Return to your Ornithopter and escape with all your Dune Awakening items, or you’ll suffer heavy losses.

Buildings

Solido Replicator now replicates more than just a stone frame. Its interior features, such as your home decorations, storage, and refinery, are fully replicated. With enough resources, you can even create a complete replica of your house in another location.

In addition to adding additional building components (e.g., placing a pillar in the center of a wall), Pentashield bugs have been fixed. Pentashields now require attachment to an object, such as a mountain or the ground. Pentashields that don’t use this structure will break after Version 1.1.20.0, so you still have time to adjust them.

Resources

No major resource updates have been made, except that Jabal content blocks no longer generate overly large primrose fields, which affected water collection.

The flour sand and spice sand fields in Hagga Basin have been relocated to be within the sandworm’s range.

Here are some other changes:

• The amount of scrap metal recovered from cutting up a crashed ornithopter has been increased by 20%.
• The size of rockets and missiles has been increased to 0.2V.
• Plastanium Tier Deep Desert loot pool no longer includes Dune Awakening Solari.
• The static compactor is now more likely to attract sandworms.

Economy

Version 1.1.20.0 includes numerous economy adjustments. The vehicle vendor now sells a new sandbike, and players can now sell water to NPCs. Additionally, the values of most vendor items have been reduced:

• Melange Spiced Beer: Adjustment from 2500 Solari to 400 Solari
• Melange Spiced Coffee: Adjustment from 2500 Solari to 600 Solari
• Melange Spiced Wine: Adjustment from 4000 Solari to 800 Solari
• Melange Spiced Liquor: Adjustment from 5000 Solari to 1000 Solari
• Low-Grade Lubricant: Adjustment from 200 Solari to 20 Solari
• Industrial Lubricant: Adjustment from 750 Solari to 40 Solari
• Anti-Radiation Pills: Adjustment from 800 Solari to 80 Solari
• Napalm: Adjustment from 750 Solari to 20 Solari
• Rockets: Adjustment from 4000 Solari to 200 Solari
• Missile: Adjustment from 2300 Solari to 100 Solari
• Spiced Fuel Cell: Adjustment from 1500 Solari to 200 Solari
• Plastone: Adjustment from 10 Solari to 40 Solari

Due to the increased rocket size, you will no longer be able to carry as many rockets, and crafting materials will be more expensive. However, if you want to acquire rockets, the merchant is significantly more economical, and it won't take players too much Dune Awakening Solari, which should compensate for the previous nerf.

Vehicles

Version 1.1.20.0 has received minor vehicle improvements, with some parts experiencing reduced wear:

• Sandbike Scanner wear rate reduced to half its original rate.
• Scout Ornithopter Scanner wear rate reduced to half its original rate.
• Scout Ornithopter Wings wear rate reduced to half its original rate.
• Assault Ornithopter Wings wear rate reduced to 70% of its original rate.
• Carrier Ornithopter Dragonfly speed increased by 20%.
• Carrier Ornithopter Generator heat build-up speed reduced to half its original rate.
• Carrier Ornithopter acceleration in Vulture Mode has been slightly increased.
• Overall power increased by 10%.

Besides these improvements, they have also fixed a collision issue. In Version 1.1.20.0, when a player attempts to land on top of another vehicle, both vehicles will automatically deflect, putting an end to the practice of trapping another vehicle with an ornithopter "stack" until a sandworm attacks. You can't also use vehicle collisions to push another player's vehicle into quicksand. Yes, some players are doing this, not just in Deep Desert PvP zone, but also in PvE zones like Hagga Basin.

Combat

One significant combat adjustment is that the penalty for Center of Mass has been increased from -10% to -25%, which is a nerf. On the other hand, the physical damage of Mental’s Maskman has been removed, which is a significant buff.

Summary

Overall, Version 1.1.20.0 addresses some of the most disruptive aspects of the game, such as malicious vehicle collisions by PvP players and Pentashield’s invincible bases.

However, the changes to Sandworms and Compactors are not good news for solo players, as they will significantly increase the risk of spice harvesting. Guild players, on the other hand, generally already have Sandcrawlers and don’t need inefficient tools like Compactors. This update also aims to moderate the intensity of PvP combat, preventing Deep Desert from becoming a land of missiles. Besides these, this update doesn’t add anything particularly new, and it’s more of a large fix patch.

If your base construction goal not long ago was to meet the needs of survival - “as long as you don’t starve to death”, then the recent building contest will definitely make you start to focus on building exquisite buildings in the style of a certain faction!

There are only three or four days left before the end of the contest. If you are very concerned about the rewards of the contest, there should be only the finishing work left, but it is at this time that you will want to fill in more details of the building to further optimize it.

The theme of this building contest is to build buildings in the style of Atreides/Harkonnen/CHOAM, so it is inevitable to utilize related building sets.

In order to ensure that you can get more sets or components you want in time and improve the quality of your entries, we will first introduce you to the specific building sets of the three major factions and how to get them.

Atreides Building Sets

Although each faction is independent (even hostile) of each other, there is no restriction on the acquisition of building sets, but obtaining sets of other factions may require more of your Dune Awakening Solari.

If you join House Atreides, you can travel to the following two locations and exchange the desired sets at different Atreides supply vendors.

• Helius Gate in Hagga Basin
• The back of Arrakeen airfield

If you want to get Atreides sets as a Harkonnen member, you must travel to Harko Village and give Ormuna Lacks double Solari.

• Atreides Stronghold Set - Level 2 - 80,000 / 160,000 Solari
• Atreides Basic Lights Set - Level 2 - 5,000 / 10,000 Solari
• Atreides Office Furniture Set - Level 3 - 10,000 / 20,000 Solari
• Atreides Bedroom Furniture Set - Level 4 - 15,000 / 30,000 Solari
• Atreides Dining Room Furniture Set - Level 5 - 15,000 / 30,000 Solari

Harkonnen Building Sets

The basic Harkonnen sets have the same redemption rules as Atreides, and the two supply vendors of Harkonnen are located at:

• Riftwatch in Hagga Basin
• Inside the gates of Harko Village

The specific sets and related information are as follows:

• Harkonnen Stronghold Set - Level 2 - 80,000 / 160,000 Solari
• Harkonnen Basic Lights Set - Level 2 - 5,000 / 10,000 Solari
• Harkonnen Office Furniture Set - Level 3 - 10,000 / 20,000 Solari
• Harkonnen Bedroom Furniture Set - Level 4 - 15,000 / 30,000 Solari
• Harkonnen Dining Room Furniture Set - Level 5 - 15,000 / 30,000 Solari

When you plan to obtain Harkonnen sets as a member of Atreides, you must not only give double Solari, but also travel to Arrakeen entrance and find Phin O’Garee, the scrap vendor nearby.

CHOAM Building Sets

Compared to the two major families, CHOAM, a relatively neutral faction, not only has more building sets, but also requires less Solari and is easier to obtain. Here are all the relevant sets and where and how to get them:

• CHOAM Advanced Lights Set - Crossroads - 2,500 Solari
• CHOAM Office Furniture Set - Any Tradepost - 2,500 Solari
• CHOAM Bedroom Furniture Set - Anvil, Pinnacle, Crossroads - 2,500 Solari
• CHOAM Dining Room Furniture Set - Pinnacle, Crossroads - 3,000 Solari
• CHOAM Office Small Decorations Set - Arrakeen, Harko Village - 5,000 Solari
• CHOAM Bedroom Small Decorations Set - Arrakeen, Harko Village - 5,000 Solari
• CHOAM Dining Room Small Decorations Set - Arrakeen, Harko Village - 5,000 Solari

As you can see, to get all Atreides/Harkonnen sets, you must be at level 5 of the corresponding faction and have enough Solari. Therefore, this building contest examines not only your architectural aesthetics, but also your gaming skills.

In order to improve the level of your faction as much as possible, you need to complete more faction quests. These quests can be divided mainly into the following types, and you can choose according to your needs:

• Espionage Missions
• Diplomatic Tasks
• Sabotage Operations
• Resource Acquisition
• Territory Control
• Political Maneuvering

Main Building Items

Whether you can win the final Dune Awakening building contest or not, you should not leave your work idle after the game. Instead, it is best to use it as one of your bases and enrich the internal layout as much as possible.

In order for a Dune Awakening base building to become a qualified shelter, various tools with different functions should be placed in it to fully meet all your survival needs.

For this reason, Dune Awakening provides a wealth of items, but you must work hard to collect all the corresponding materials to craft them. The more important items and their functions & materials are as follows:

• Sub-Fief Console - Salvaged Metal x25: Claims land to build on.
• Fuel-Powered Generator - Salvaged Metal x45: Powers the base together with Fuel Cells.
• Basic Lighting - Salvaged Metal x25: Provides lighting for the base.
• Medium Storage Container - Silicone Block x14, Spice Melange x4, Plastanium Ingot x70: Stores materials and gear.
• Recycler - Copper Ingot x30: Recycles unwanted or damaged items into components.
• Small Ore Refinery - Salvaged Metal x90: Processes ore into refined resources.
• Small Chemical Refinery - Copper Ingot x45: Processes raw resources into Cobalt Ingots, Silicone Blocks, and Fuel Cell Packs.
• Blood Purifier - Salvaged Metal x70: Extracts water from blood collected in blood bags.
• Water Cistern - Copper Ingot x25: Stores water.
• Windtrap - Silicone Block x30, Steel Ingot x90, Calibrated Servok x20: Collects water from the environment over time.
• Wind Turbine Omnidirectional - Steel Ingot x45, Calibrated Servok x20, Cobalt Paste x65: Generates re-routable power for the base.
• Repair Station - Iron Ingot x40: Repairs items (maintains durability).
• Fabricator - Salvaged Metal x75: Makes more complex and advanced items.

That’s all for this time. I hope it will help you with your contest results and subsequent base construction!