Finally Realized: Dune: Awakening Completely Shifts Focus to PvE
Funcom just announced a pretty big pivot for Dune: Awakening — the project will lean into PvE from now on. Not a slow nudge but a deliberate reorientation.
Their analytics reportedly found that 80% of players want to steer clear of head-to-head fights (i.e., 8 out of 10 prefer non-confrontational play), so PvP will become optional rather than the default. Take that as a sigh of relief or a warning, depending on whether you like getting sand-blasted in combat.
The Deep Desert gets split: separate PvE and PvP maps. Risk will still matter — resource yield in dangerous areas is being boosted by 2.5× — a clear attempt to keep thrill-seekers interested without forcing everyone into conflict.
Looking further ahead, PvP areas are slated to vanish from the Hagga region. The design focus moves toward repeatable missions and the political maneuvering of the Landsraad. If you wanted more scheming and fewer open brawls, this is in that direction.
Also — and this one matters to communities — players will be able to host their own servers with adjustable parameters, e.g., resource gathering speed, item durability, etc. That should let groups tailor the experience to their taste rather than accept a one-size-fits-all setting.