Dune Awakening now has a solo mode for players put off by its MMO leanings, while Funcom has adjusted progression so 'you don't have to lose things anymore'
Friction? Who needs it?
Dune Awakening, the survivalist take on Frank Herbert's epic sci-fi series, has received updates to address player dissatisfaction with its MMO-like elements. Funcom, the game's developer, has introduced a solo mode, making it possible for players to explore the desert planet Arrakis without the need to collaborate with others. The update, Update 1.5, also includes changes to several core mechanics to make the game more accessible and less punishing.
In the solo mode, multiplayer-reliant systems such as the player-driven market, known as the Exchange, now function as a sci-fi supermarket. Additionally, the Landsraad political system simulates rival guilds automatically, ensuring progress even without player participation. Coriolis storms, which can be very dangerous, have also been softened to allow players to maintain progress in the Deep Desert.
Funcom has further adjusted difficulty settings, offering three presets for both single-player and self-hosted servers, along with a customisable difficulty mode. This allows players to tweak parameters such as sandstorms, security zones, item durability, base decay, and XP multipliers. The update also includes a new snapshot system that enables players to reconstruct their bases wholesale and recover destroyed vehicles for up to 30 days after they are lost.
Base upkeep taxation has been removed entirely, and the durability penalty upon death has been lowered from 5% to 2%.
The game now allows for PvE multiplayer, and the starting area of Hagga Basin is exclusively PvE, although players can transform it into a full PvP zone on their own servers. Funcom summarized the changes with the line, "You don't have to lose things anymore," reflecting the overall shift towards smoother, more siloed gaming experiences. Despite the game's brutal nature on Arrakis, Dune Awakening is currently available at a discounted price until October 1.
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