A new storm is gathering in the horizon of Arrakis! Dune: Awakening Update 1.4 is nearly here, a major patch that brings a glimpse of an icy frontier and long-awaited changes. So, continue reading for a definitive briefing on this upcoming update.

Dune: Awakening Update 1.4 Release Date

Developer Funcom confirmed that the free Dune: Awakening 1.4 update will be released on May 19, 2026. Following the structural inclusions of Chapter 3, this patch serves as the next step in a continuous effort to refine Arrakis’s core loops based on the developer's vision and player feedback.

What’s New in the Dune: Awakening 1.4 Update?

Unlike previous patches, the Dune: Awakening 1.4 Update pivots to relatively small additions and changes. For now, players must wait for future updates to continue Muad'Dib's narrative threads. Nonetheless, the upcoming update focuses on expanding the physical world while making fairly small yet meaningful alterations.

Two New Areas

Recalibrate your ornithopter nav-charts as the Overland Map expands with the introductions of two endgame zones: The Wind Pass and The Old Quarry Testing Station. The Wind Pass is a derelict technological hub once operated by the Harkonnens. Now, the ruthless Water Shippers faction controls the location, as well as the fluid economy of the planet. Here, players negotiate the intrigue of this critical chokepoint while getting a hands-on look at the dynasty that now seizes control of the planet’s most essential molecule. As for The Old Quarry Testing Station, its terrain favors those seeking more vertical, combat-intensive challenges. It’s the concealed laboratory of the twisted genius Dr. Jalanta and a scalable battleground hidden beneath the rock. Here, players must storm the quarry and face morally questionable experiments. Succeed, and claim high-end rewards. Fail, and only death awaits you.

Optional PvP

The Deep Desert was once an unforgiving wasteland, as new users must battle it out with veteran players to dominate the sands. However, Funcom has heard the cries of the cautious spice hunter and responded with a solution: PvP will be optional. In particular, PvE and PvP are split into different instances. The Hagga Basin, including its treacherous shipwrecks, will become a conflict-free PvE zone. On the other hand, strict PvP Dune: Awakening servers will become available for adamant thrill-seekers. These PvP worlds also offer a lucrative 2.5x harvesting multiplier, balancing the high-stakes danger. Water Wars DLC Although not part of the free update, the Dune: Awakening – Water Wars DLC is a piece of the current Season Pass puzzle. Priced at $9.99, this standalone offering offers a cosmetic pack with thematic flavor. Adding it unlocks exclusive building pieces and cosmetic overlays, allowing players to visually mirror the Water Shipper cartel’s aesthetics.

An Update on the Polar Cap Map

While many players wanted the Dune: Awakening 1.4 Update to include the Polar Cap map, Funcom decided that this arctic frontier would be released on an undisclosed date. The developer wanted to focus more on the PvE/PvP divide while ensuring the new map delivers on the promise of a worthwhile experience for the player base. Nonetheless, the Polar Cap is still in active development, and it aims to include a standalone storyline. Players should expect to shift their survival strategies from mitigating scorching heat to battling the paralyzing bite of a frozen tundra. Additionally, this new region should include new resources, mechanics, and crafting loops.

Dune: Awakening 1.4 Update Patch Notes (Public Test Client)

The Dune: Awakening 1.4 Update is now available for players who wish to experience it in the Public Test Client. However, it’s important to note that this patch in the experimental branch might come with issues, bugs, and perhaps even crashes. With that, check out the Dune: Awakening Update 1.4 patch notes below for the Public Test Client to help finalize your decision to partake in this experimental patch or not:

Highlights

• NEW Overland Map locations: The Wind Pass: Once a Harkonnen tech hub, now a key point in Arrakis’ water trade under the control of the Water Shippers. The Old Quarry Testing Station: Players will confront the morally questionable scientist Dr. Jalanta, operating from a hidden laboratory.
• NEW The first iteration of Self-hosting Servers is now available for testing! Self-hosting is a way to host Dune Awakening world on your own machines and connect to them. Hosts will be able to tweak various settings in configuration files to change the behavior of the game servers to their liking. You can read the full technical documentation on how to set up a self-hosted server in our blog post.
• Fixed an issue where players who betrayed their faction at rank 20 would have to replay faction content for their new faction.

Known Issues

• Please note this is still a Work in Progress build and as a result you may find issues and unexpected game behaviour. Of importance during your testing are:
• Due to an issue, Deep Desert servers are back to their pre-1.3.20.0 mixed PvE and PvP state.
• Enemies may not spawn during Art of Kanly.
• Enemies in Arsunt Garrison may not spawn, blocking progress of a related Harkonnen contract.
• You may receive an error when attempting travel to Hagga Basin through the south entry point in the Overland Map.
• Workaround: Use any other entry point.
• Multiple dynamic encounter contracts cannot be canceled after being obtained.
• Guild member chat notifications might get repeated multiple times.
• Sometimes, when running the installation from scratch, the database may fail with ERROR: relation “encrypted_player_state” does not exist.
• Workaround: Try rerunning initial-setup.bat
• When running the initial install the first time you may get Missing Configuration on steamcmd.
• Workaround: Try selecting “y” to retry.

Features And Changes

New Feature: Self-Hosted Servers

• The first iteration of Self-hosting Servers is now available for testing!
• Self-hosting is a way to host Dune Awakening world on your own machines and connect to them. Hosts will be able to tweak various settings in configuration files to change the behavior of the game servers to their liking.
• You can read the full technical documentation on how to set up a self-hosted server in our blog post.

Technical and Stability

• Removed deprecated items from the PTC Progression Unlock Panel.
• Improved building replication performance on the client.
• Improved performance for player and vehicle cameras.
• Adjusted streaming distance on the Wreck of the Delphis for performance.
• Small memory improvement to fabricators, refineries and turbines.
• Improved Solido Projection Rendering when Depth of Field is enabled.

Resources, Building, and Crafting

• Recycler inventory slots have been increased from 20 to 25 and the maximum volume storage has been increased from 100 to 300.

Combat

• Changes to Abomination AI behavior so it becomes less aggressive; abominations should feel slightly easier to fight.

Worldbuilding and Exploration

• NEW Overland Map locations:
• The Wind Pass: Once a Harkonnen tech hub, now a key point in Arrakis’ water trade under the control of the Water Shippers.
• The Old Quarry Testing Station: Players will confront the morally questionable scientist Dr. Jalanta, operating from a hidden laboratory.
• These also come with new Landsraad missions.
• Added a blocking volume around bankers in Arrakeen and Harko Village to stop players from blocking interaction with the bankers.

Graphics, Animations, and VFX

• Improved visuals and performance of all explosion effects used in game.
• Added animation functionality for powering on placeables outside of base power.
• Improved Character Rendering in the inventory/main menu.
• Optimized and improved light animation on fireplaces.
• Various optimizations to ships in the sky and caves in Hagga Rift.
• Optimized VFX assets to decrease their memory usage.

Audio

• Added unique audio for big garage doors.

Fixes

Technical and Stability

• Improved recovery from crashing during dialogues. Multiple dialogues can now be resumed instead of just the last one.

Resources, Building, and Crafting

• Fixed an issue that caused low-tier medical container to contain high-tier healkits.

Combat

• Fixed Confidence ability not triggering when using Dual Blades.

Worldbuilding and Exploration

• Fixed the Smugglers Railing Gate so they can be crossed smoothly without getting blocked.
• More reliably cleaned up the corpses after a grand encounter beneath a roaring crowd in Outside the Law.

Story, Journey, and New Player Experience

• Fixed an issue where players who betrayed their faction at rank 20 would have to replay faction content for their new faction.

User Interface

• Corrected the tutorial pop-up for flying on the overland map to remove obsolete information.
• The “Dune Man Placeable Set” is now using the correct name of “Desert Mechanic Placeable Set.”
• Improved formatting of text in the Respawn pop-up.
• Fixed several minor typos across the game.

Graphics, Animations, and VFX

• Fixed Base Reconstruction Tool so it’s always properly placed in the hand of the character after switching from a melee weapon.
• Cloth simulations have been improved in the cutscenes leading up to the Mating Index cinematic.
• Improved animation blending when bleeding and under other status effects.