If you recall, Funcom recently confirmed to Dune: Awakening players during an AMA that it was already "developing a strategy" to enhance PvP in the Deep Desert. This area had been criticized by players as "toxic" due to persistent griefing, even after the patch that removed the ability for players to crush others with their Ornithopters.
In a frank open letter, Creative Director Joel Bylos stated, "We want PvE-focused players to experience the endgame and access all its content." He emphasized, "Our aim is not to force PvE players into a PvP system they may not enjoy."
"We remain committed to the core vision of the Deep Desert—a perpetually renewing zone that resets weekly, offering a rewarding activity loop. The thrill of venturing into the universe's most perilous region, constantly alert for threats, is central to the experience. We hoped players would embrace this cycle, banding together in guilds to conquer the Deep Desert's harsh challenges."
Bylos acknowledged that the "intensely competitive environment" of the Deep Desert was pushing PvE-oriented players into unwanted conflicts. As a result, "specific sections" of the Deep Desert will now be designated as "Partial Warfare (PvE)" zones, allowing players to harvest rare resources without the threat of ambush. However, the most valuable spice fields, shipwrecks, and Landsraad control points will remain "War of Assassins (PvP)" areas, maintaining their high-risk, high-reward nature.
Now, merely two days later, Funcom is already testing some significant adjustments.
This coincides with the launch of the Public Test Client for Dune: Awakening, where players can preview the latest patch and features, understanding that builds may contain bugs or be unstable. As part of the initiative to improve the endgame experience, the PvE-safe zone near the Shield Wall has been substantially expanded to cover rows A, B, C, D, and half of row E within the Deep Desert.
Compared to the current live servers, where only row A is PvE, this change effectively converts half of the Deep Desert from PvP to PvE territory.
As PC Gamer notes, this doesn't guarantee the change will go live—test servers exist to experiment with new ideas, after all—but it strongly signals Funcom's commitment to refining the endgame.
Dune: Awakening has had an outstanding launch, earning a 'Very Positive' user rating on Steam. Within hours of its release on June 10, Funcom's survival MMO attracted over 142,000 concurrent players on Valve's platform and surpassed that earlier this month with a new peak of 189,333 players. The game has also surpassed 1 million total players, becoming Funcom's fastest-selling title to date.
In our review, we awarded Dune: Awakening a Great 8/10, noting: "Dune: Awakening is an excellent survival MMO that masterfully captures Frank Herbert's sci-fi universe, largely to its benefit, though with occasional drawbacks. The journey from a parched outsider to a formidable power on Arrakis is consistently engaging, and the rich story and worldbuilding are a delight. That said, the combat system hasn't fully realized its potential, and the endgame currently feels chaotic and insufficiently rewarding."
If this has piqued your interest but you're unsure where to begin, explore all the available Dune: Awakening classes and consult our Dune: Awakening walkthrough for a detailed story guide. We also offer Dune: Awakening resource guides to help you locate iron, steel, and aluminium, plus a Dune: Awakening Trainers locations guide to aid your survival on Arrakis.
