In its first developer Q&A following Dune: Awakening's June 10 launch, Funcom addressed upcoming changes to the survival MMO's endgame content.

The studio stated it's "currently formulating plans" to improve Deep Desert PvP - an area players have criticized for toxic griefing behaviors. While Funcom already patched out the Ornithopter squishing exploit, senior game director Viljar Sommerbakk revealed additional aerial vehicle adjustments under consideration, including rocket-equipped Ornis that would reduce maneuverability and maximum speed.

Developers are also evaluating increased heat costs for Scout Orni rockets, maintaining their aerial threat capability while preserving the Assault Ornithopter's combat superiority.

"We're actively working to address player concerns about respawn times and revives," explained creative director Joel Bylos. "The Deep Desert will maintain its full-loot potential through Landsraad decrees, existing control points will remain, and we have no current plans to reduce the zone size." He emphasized ongoing efforts to enhance PvP rewards while monitoring gameplay patterns.

Lead producer Ole Andreas Hayley confirmed: "While the Deep Desert remains an open PvP zone, we're considering adding faction-based warfare locations elsewhere."

Sommerbakk expanded on combat philosophy: "We want meaningful player choices regarding loadouts and vehicle customization. Once combat begins, encounters should feel responsive and clearly understandable." The team continues addressing movement desync issues and ability activation reliability.

Upcoming quality-of-life improvements include named storage containers/vehicles and bulk deposit/extract functions for water storage. Future PvE content will introduce dungeon boss encounters.

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Hayley teased potential expansions: "The Dune universe offers numerous fascinating locations we're excited to explore beyond our current foundation."

The team confirmed no plans to visually distinguish NPCs from players ("aligns with our vision") or implement dialogue/animation skipping ("absolutely not").

Our review awarded Dune: Awakening an 8/10, praising its authentic adaptation of Herbert's universe and satisfying survival progression, while noting combat inconsistencies and endgame organizational challenges amidst technical bugs.

The MMO has achieved impressive launch metrics, maintaining 'Very Positive' Steam reviews and peaking at 189,333 concurrent players during its launch weekend.

New players can explore our comprehensive guides covering Dune: Awakening classes, an in-development walkthrough, and essential resource locations for materials like iron, steel, and aluminum.