Arrakis isn’t here to make friends. Between blistering heat, killer sandworms, and bases getting shredded by storms, Dune: Awakening doesn’t forgive mistakes — it buries them under dunes.
If you’re new to Funcom’s brutal survival MMO, here’s how to stay hydrated, avoid getting swallowed, and actually make progress before the desert eats you alive.
🏠 1. Don’t Build on Sand (Seriously)
Your first instinct will be to drop a base right where you stand. Don’t.
If you build on sand, storms will wipe your foundation faster than you can say “Spice must flow.” Find solid ground first — rock beats sand every time.
🧳 2. Don’t Marry Your First Base
You’ll outgrow your starter camp quickly.
Story progress eventually forces you to relocate, so don’t waste time decorating. You’ll get your materials back when demolishing, but hauling your loot to a new site is pure pain.
🕊️ 3. Raise Faction Reputation Early
Between main missions, focus on faction rep. It’s your key to bigger features — like owning your very own Ornithopter. The higher your standing, the more tech and perks you’ll unlock.
📜 4. Don’t Ignore the Main Quest
Side quests are fun, but the main story unlocks core mechanics and advanced tech. Push it forward regularly — it’s how you access new crafting systems and tools that make survival bearable.
💉 5. Extract Blood, Stay Hydrated
It’s gross but genius: kill scavengers, refine their blood, and boom — instant water supply.
Scavengers respawn quickly, so you’ll never run dry.
🌞 6. Respect the Sunstroke Bar
Letting it max out doesn’t kill you, but it drains hydration faster than a heatwave on Tatooine.
Dehydration wrecks stamina, and full dehydration starts eating your health bar.
💧 7. Stockpile Purified Water
Keep a clean water reserve at base at all times.
Your stillsuit helps, but its recharge rate is slow. Think of it as a backup battery, not a main generator.
🌒 8. Travel Smart — Shade Is Your Best Friend
Daytime heat melts you alive. If you must travel before nightfall, plan routes with shaded stops or caves. Rest often, drink often, live longer.
🔪 9. Forget Guns (For Now)
Early pistols are weak and noisy.
Your knife? Faster, deadlier, quieter. Until you’re surrounded, melee beats bullets on Arrakis.
🪨 10. Gather Like a Hoarder
Grab all granite, plant fiber, copper, and metal you see.
These form the backbone of your walls, crafting benches, and progression machines. You’ll thank yourself later.
📦 11. Build Storage Early
Storage runs out fast.
Craft multiple chests and dump resources before venturing out — losing a bag of copper to a sandworm hurts more than dying.
🛰️ 12. Scan for Intel Nodes
Once your map scanner is active, look for Intel nodes.
They grant tons of XP and often sit near valuable loot or resource outposts. High risk, high reward.
💀 13. Death Isn’t the End… Usually
If you die to enemies or the environment, you respawn with gear and can reclaim your dropped resources.
If a sandworm kills you, though — it’s gone forever. No recovery. Choose your dunes wisely.
🪱 14. Don’t Fight Sandworms
You can’t kill them. Period.
If you see one, run. Or hide. Or pray. Any other option ends in digestion.
🪂 15. Fall Damage Is Forgiving
Dropping from cliffs won’t kill you outright — it just leaves you limping. Still, landing near enemies with 1 HP isn’t a good look.
👤 16. Solo Play Is Totally Viable
Playing solo is fine. You’ll grind a bit more and rely on trading to fill resource gaps, but you don’t need a group to thrive.
🏃 17. Prioritize Mobility and Survival Skills
Combat looks cool, but movement keeps you alive.
Invest your early points in stamina, speed, and survival traits before worrying about weapon damage.
🧠 18. Faction > Firepower
Building reputation and unlocking tech does more for your long-term survival than any weapon upgrade.
Arrakis rewards politics almost as much as violence.
💡 19. Adapt or Die (Literally)
Your first few runs will be messy. Bases lost, water gone, sandworms everywhere.
But every failure teaches you a mechanic. Eventually, you’ll go from panic runs to planned expeditions — and that’s when Dune: Awakening truly clicks.
🏜️ Final Thoughts
Arrakis is a harsh teacher, but the lessons stick.
Don’t build on sand, don’t fight worms, and never underestimate a water bottle.
Play smart, keep moving, and maybe — just maybe — you’ll live long enough to own that Ornithopter and rule your patch of desert.
