Good news if you’ve been a bit frustrated with how Dune: Awakening handles PvE and PvP, specifically in terms of its treacherous Deep Desert. The game’s creative director Joel Bylos has announced some changes coming in response to player feedback on both those and the Landsraad.
Basically, it looks like Funcom have switched up their plans to take the concerns folks have cited into account, aiming for a nice compromise between the original ideas and the practicalities of what’s been happening since the game dropped in full.
In a lengthy letter to DA players, Bylos wrote that while the devs still believe their core concept of the Deep Desert as a dangerous, constantly changing place you go to get the rarest stuff, they’re not aiming to force PvE enjoyers to engage with PvP just to get the good stuff.
So, to ensure those folks don’t get locked out of the endgame, the director revealed that “starting soon, some areas of the Deep Desert will now be flagged as ‘Partial Warfare (PvE)’ areas where players will be able to explore testing stations and harvest T6 resources without the threat of conflict they may not want”. The likes of “Landsraad control points, shipwrecks and the largest spice fields” will stay as PvP areas, to preserve the biggest rewards coming with the biggest risk.
We’ve been listening.
The Deep Desert is evolving. PvE players will have more space to explore and progress without unwanted conflict. The Landsraad is getting more variety, better pacing, and stronger rewards.
Check out the letter from our Creative Director to know more about… pic.twitter.com/ZbHKgEBDwk
— Dune: Awakening (@DuneAwakening) June 23, 2025
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Speaking of PvP, Bylos wrote that the devs are “planning to make more changes to the Deep Desert to accommodate ground battles and reinforce the use of player builds”, outlining some already incoming scout ornithopter tweaks designed to help ensure air superiority isn’t the be all and end all. There’ll also be “additional changes to mechanics like respawn timers, vehicle storage tools, hand scanners, and other mechanics that we see being abused in the Deep Desert”.
Meanwhile, Funcom are aiming to address some “key flaws” in the Landsraad that folks have cited. These include problems with tasks being turned in very quickly, and folks being able to do nothing with them once they’re completed. “Stockpiling is currently rewarded, but that is not our intention for this system, and we will make some changes to address it as best we can,” the director wrote, adding that the system will also be “updated to provide micro rewards for solo/small group players”.
It’s nice to see the devs finding a way to balance their vision for DA with making the changes folks want. Judging by the socials, the worm lovers who’ve been doin’ the Dune are glad to see these steps are being taken, even if there’s no concrete timeline on a lot of them at this point.
