The creative director of Dune Awakening announced upcoming changes to address player concerns by rebalancing combat to reduce air vehicle dominance, removing forced PvP in certain Deep Desert areas, and enhancing endgame content with more engaging activities and rewards. These updates aim to create a more balanced, player-driven experience that accommodates both PvE and PvP playstyles, emphasizing choice and meaningful combat encounters.
The creative director of Dune Awakening, Joe Boss, has recently addressed community concerns about the game’s Deep Desert endgame experience, which players have already been engaging with despite the game being less than a month old. A major issue identified is the dominance of light thopters equipped with rocket pods in combat, overshadowing the more complex and skill-based ground combat mechanics. To rebalance this, upcoming patches will make light thopters more cumbersome when using rocket pods, introduce a tier five rocket launcher for on-foot players to better defend against aerial swarms, and adjust respawn timers to discourage repeated quick deaths, thereby making victories feel more meaningful.
Players have also criticized the Lands Raid system for feeling more like repetitive fetch quests rather than engaging content. The developers acknowledge this and plan to introduce more complex and interesting activities, including micro daily and weekly rewards for smaller groups, and eventually dungeons and PvE raids to enrich the experience. These changes aim to accommodate different playstyles and group sizes, making the endgame more accessible and rewarding for a broader range of players.
One of the most significant changes announced is the removal of “forced PvP” in certain parts of the Deep Desert. Recognizing that PvE players should have access to endgame content without being compelled into PvP combat, the developers will designate some areas as partial warfare PvE zones where players can safely explore and gather resources. However, key high-risk, high-reward zones like control points and large spice fields will remain PvP-enabled, preserving the competitive and dangerous nature of the deepest desert regions.
Joe Boss emphasized that the Deep Desert is designed to be a player-driven, dynamic environment where combat should be a choice rather than an obligation. Players are expected to have the option to retreat safely if they prefer to avoid fighting, and PvP should occur when both parties willingly engage over specific objectives. The intended combat dynamic involves combined arms with infantry, ground vehicles, and air vehicles each playing distinct roles, though current gameplay has leaned too heavily on air combat dominance, something the developers are actively working to fix.
Overall, the developers of Dune Awakening are demonstrating a commendable commitment to listening and responding to player feedback, willing to iterate and experiment to improve the game experience. This transparency and openness are rare in the AAA industry and offer hope for a more balanced and enjoyable game. The community is encouraged to continue providing feedback as these changes roll out, fostering a collaborative development process aimed at refining the Deep Desert experience for both PvE and PvP players alike.