Dune: Awakening Patch 1.1.0.17 Enhances Deep Desert Endgame for All Players

Funcom is moving at lightning speed with updates for Dune: Awakening, and just as we were catching up on the latest news about the Public Test Client and the planned expansion of the PvE zone in the Deep Desert—from roughly 10% to a massive 50% of the map—the studio has already rolled out the change live for all players, effective June 26.

"The PvE area has been adjusted to encompass the entire southern half of the Deep Desert map," Funcom confirmed in the latest patch notes. "This means players uninterested in PvP can now access endgame content, including Imperial Testing Stations, caves, and other key locations, without being forced into player-versus-player combat."

The team emphasized its commitment to player feedback: "Rest assured, we will continue to listen and make adjustments as needed."

This update follows a recent AMA where developers acknowledged player frustrations with the endgame, particularly around toxic behavior and griefing—issues that persisted even after removing the ability to crush other players with Ornithopters. In response, the studio is actively formulating a plan to improve PvP dynamics in the Deep Desert.

"We want PvE players to fully experience the endgame and access its content," said creative director Joel Bylos. "Our goal isn’t to force PvE-focused players into a PvP system they’re not interested in."

Funcom still stands by the core vision of the Deep Desert: a weekly-resetting, self-renewing zone offering high-risk, high-reward gameplay. The idea remains to encourage tension, exploration, and cooperation—inspiring players to form guilds and brave the dangers of Arrakis together.

However, it's important to note: Control Points and Shipwrecks will remain PvP zones across the entire map, meaning players in the southern PvE half may still encounter localized PvP around these points, similar to how Shipwrecks operate in Hagga Basin.

Additional vehicle adjustments are now in effect:

• Equipping a Rocket Launcher Module now reduces the top speed of Scout Ornithopters by 20% and Assault Ornithopters by 10%.
• Infocards for these modules have been updated to reflect the change.
• Exiting an Ornithopter mid-air now causes it to drop straight down instead of gliding away—reducing the risk of losing your vehicle during disconnects or accidental exits.
  Known issue: If a vehicle lands in quicksand while you're in it, interaction may be blocked. The workaround is to climb on top of the vehicle. This will be fixed in the next patch.

Other key changes in Patch 1.1.0.17:

Deep Desert

• The southern half is now fully PvE, with loot balanced for shared PvE activities.
• Each player in the PvE zone receives individual loot, including one schematic.
• In the PvP north, loot is first-come, first-served, with higher quantities—expect 2–6 schematics, some of the rarest in the game.
• Plasteel plates are exclusive to PvP zones.
• Medium spice fields reduced from 8 to 5; small spice fields increased from 20 to 22.
• Titanium and Stravidium spawn rates reduced in PvE zones, with larger deposits only in northern PvP areas.
• Respawn time for Titanium and Stravidium increased from 30 to 45 minutes.
• Resource node density reduced in PvE hotspots.
• Some Imperial Testing Stations remain in PvP zones—players seeking all weekly schematics may need to venture north. Remember, loot rotates weekly, so missed items may reappear later or become available via trade or the Exchange.

Visiting

• Players can now visit any sietch in their world and claim land freely—no more restrictions based on "home" sietch.

Technical & Stability

• Improved overall game stability.
• Added support for the latest NVIDIA drivers in the GPU check at launch.

Other

• Player Reporting is now live: report offensive messages via text chat or through the Inspect menu.

Fixes

• Closed multiple exploit vulnerabilities.
• Fixed an infinite loading screen issue caused by specific network problems.
• Resolved client freezes when transitioning between Deep Desert servers.
• Melee attacks no longer obstructed by ground-level corpses.
• Guild faction alignment now properly localized in the Guild Overview.
• Fixed black screen issue when skipping the “Wreck of the Hephaestus” cinematic.
• Updated Sandbike research schematics to correctly list Imperial Testing Stations as the primary source.
• Players can no longer lose learned emotes when respeccing their skill tree.
• Fixed unintended use of Ornithopter pilot services from cities to Hagga Basin after arriving via personal Ornithopter.

Dune: Awakening has had an outstanding launch, earning a "Very Positive" rating on Steam. Within hours of its June 10 release, it attracted over 142,000 concurrent players, later peaking at 189,333—and has now surpassed 1 million players, making it Funcom’s fastest-selling title to date. It also earned a Great 8/10 in our review.

If you're just getting started, be sure to explore our full guide on Dune: Awakening classes, follow our Dune: Awakening walkthrough for story progression, and consult our resource guides for locating iron, steel, and aluminium. Don’t miss our Dune: Awakening Trainers locations guide to help you survive the harsh deserts of Arrakis.