Surviving Arrakis: Dune Awakening Beta Testers Struggle with Thirst and Sandworms

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In the beta phase now, Dune: Awakening reveals its lethal obstacles for players. Testers have shared their experiences of being eliminated multiple times thanks to recurring hazards like dehydration and enormous sandworms, creatures we humans recognize from an area named Australia.

Readers familiar with the books might not find it unexpected: sandworms and dehydration are issues one could foresee arising.

Initially starting with a compact team of testing participants, this group has expanded progressively through the years. However, despite the growth in our player community, two major challenges persist as formidable hurdles. A blog post from Funcom at the close of 2024 offers additional information on these ongoing beta developments.

Welcome to Arrakis

In the fictional planet Arrakis from Dune: Awakening, besides being rich in valuable spice, it is also home to colossal, dangerous sandworms and intense heat. As water scarcity is a significant issue on a desert world, every drop of this vital resource must be conserved carefully. To endure such harsh conditions, characters are equipped with specialized suits that accumulate and reuse various bodily fluids, albeit not an appealing concept.

The recently posted article disclosed the predominant reasons for character demise within the game, unveiling that Non-Player Characters (NPCs) contribute to about 58% of player’s deaths. Sandworms account for a significant portion as well, taking 27%, while dehydration comes in third place with approximately 22%.

What happens on Arrakis stays on Arrakis

In the far-flung world of Dune, even centuries from now, the struggle for survival remains a harsh reality. To ensure my journey doesn’t end prematurely due to dehydration, I must think on my feet and adapt. The game offers an unsettling yet necessary skill: drawing blood from fallen bodies using a syringe-like tool. This extracted blood is stored in a portable bag, which I can either drink directly or transport back to my base for purification. At the base, a craftable device converts the collected blood into safe drinking water – definitely a smart move to prolong my adventure.

As per the blog post, it appears that animals like the tiny, innocent muad’dibs, or desert mice, can also be drained for their blood. Remarkably, about 100 players have resorted to this extreme measure, utilizing the blood stored in their large ears as a means of survival. However, isn’t it strange how thirst can make us do things we wouldn’t normally consider?

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2025-01-08 13:09