After a strong debut, Dune: Awakening is now facing mounting backlash from its once-enthusiastic player base. What began as a promising entry in the open-world multiplayer survival genre has quickly turned sour for many fans, due in large part to two major issues: a deeply flawed PVP system and a rising number of cheaters.
At the center of the controversy is the game’s PVP balance, which many players claim feels punishing for solo players. Complaints have also been raised about the Deep Desert region, which is described by many as "empty and frustrating," and about the lack of PVE-exclusive servers for those who prefer cooperative experiences over player-vs-player conflict.
While Funcom has acknowledged some of these issues and promised sweeping updates, it has explicitly stated that air combat will not be changed for now. However, a larger threat looms one that could jeopardize the game’s long-term health far more quickly: the rise of cheaters.
Over the past few days, a wave of reports has appeared across Reddit and Discord servers, documenting increasingly rampant hacking. The most common scenario involves hackers waiting by entrances to the Deep Desert area, where they steal ornithopters and loot from players who are still loading into the game. With multiple accounts confirming the same behavior, the problem appears widespread and persistent.
Welcome to dune awakening but all your ornithopter get stolen by hackers
byu/TottiThePotato induneawakening
One post by Reddit user TottiThePotato detailed how these hackers have essentially locked down their server:
"Currently, in our server, there are hackers stealing every ornithopter at each entrance of Deep Desert whenever players are loading in."
Another user, Big_Web_3309, expressed deep frustration:
"This server is impossible to play on. Our guild has been reporting these cheaters and their guild, but nothing has happened. Funcom doesn't even reply to emails. This is so sad. I really like this game. But now, everyone in my guild, all 30 of us, has decided to stop playing until Funcom does something about it."
However the OP of the thread also replied to this thread stating that there may still be hope, saying "we've developed an effective playstyle to avoid/kill these hackers whenever they let their guard down." Which is a good sign that there may still be a way to combat these cheaters and keep them in the dirt where they belong.
These concerns about cheaters and hackers are not isolated or unreasonable. A simple Google search reveals just how easily accessible cheat software for Dune: Awakening has become, ranging from exploit tools to movement hacks and vehicle hijacking mods. The lack of visible action by Funcom has only intensified community outrage.
As the game sits at a precarious moment with a still active and vocal community Funcom’s next steps will be critical. Fixing exploit issues and addressing the broader gameplay balance must become a top priority if the developer wants to retain its user base.
Without a swift and transparent response, Dune: Awakening risks becoming another cautionary tale in the live service space a game with promise undone by poor anti-cheat enforcement and neglect of its community's feedback. Will cheating bring a big hit to the playerbase as some may think? Will it raise the chances of PvE servers? Only time can tell. One thing is for certain however, cheaters are the worst.