Dune Awakening’s New Patch Was Meant to Fix Vehicle Glitches But It’s Breaking the Game Instead
Dune Awakening, the highly anticipated MMO survival game by Funcom, just pushed a new patch that was supposed to improve gameplay—especially the long-standing vehicle interaction bugs. However, instead of making the desert smoother to ride through, it seems the developers may have thrown a wrench into the machine.
Players across Reddit, Discord, and official forums are reporting that the fix has introduced new bugs and made existing issues worse. What was intended as a solution has ironically turned into a new nightmare for the Dune community. Let’s unpack exactly what went wrong and what players are experiencing now.
Vehicle Interactions Were Already Buggy Before the Patch
Before this update, players of Dune Awakening frequently complained about unpredictable vehicle behavior. Mounting and dismounting would sometimes cause the game to freeze. Vehicles would randomly glitch through sand dunes or clip into enemy bases. But for the most part, they were manageable annoyances.
The patch aimed to refine this system. On paper, it promised smoother transitions, better collision detection, and more responsive controls. Unfortunately, reality painted a very different picture after the update went live.
What the Patch Actually Did to Vehicles in Dune Awakening
After installing the latest update, many players found their vehicles now behave more erratically. The most reported issues include:
- Vehicles disappearing completely after dismounting
- Stuck in vehicle mode with no option to exit
- Increased lag or FPS drops whenever vehicles are nearby
- New clipping errors causing vehicles to fall through terrain
- AI enemies now target mounted vehicles more aggressively than before, sometimes breaking combat balance
Several streamers and players shared clips on social media showing vehicles launching into the air randomly or getting trapped in endless movement loops. What’s more concerning is that the patch has also affected related systems, such as gear loadouts and combat readiness when dismounting.
Funcom Acknowledges the Issue But No Hotfix Yet
Funcom has acknowledged the backlash from the community and confirmed they are “actively investigating” the unintended consequences of the patch. However, no ETA for a hotfix or rollback has been provided at the time of writing.
In their latest developer update, they mentioned that these bugs were “not replicable in internal testing environments,” which hints at poor QA simulations compared to real-time multiplayer stress testing. The community is now calling for a more transparent beta testing process and quicker dev response times.
Players Are Divided Over Whether to Continue or Wait
The Dune Awakening player base is now split into two camps. One group remains loyal and hopeful, waiting patiently for the fix, trusting the devs will iron out these rough spots. The other group is frustrated and temporarily quitting until a more stable version is released.
On gaming forums, some users have begun sharing DIY solutions, like avoiding vehicle use altogether or reverting to an older game version (for those who saved files manually). But for most players, these aren’t viable long-term options.
How This Patch Might Affect the Game’s Future and Reputation
Patches like this can severely impact the trust between developers and their communities. Dune Awakening is still in its early stages, and while players expect bugs, they also expect patches to make things better—not worse.
If Funcom doesn’t act quickly, this incident might deter new players from joining and hurt the game’s long-term player retention. The MMO survival genre is already crowded with titles like ARK, Conan Exiles, and Rust. Dune Awakening needs to build a solid reputation—not lose ground due to buggy patches.
What You Can Do If You’re Facing Vehicle Bugs After the Patch
If you’re one of the many players struggling with vehicle bugs after the Dune Awakening update, here are a few steps you can take:
- Report the bug via the official Funcom support page or community Discord
- Avoid using vehicles until the next hotfix arrives
- Join community forums for updates and temporary workarounds
- Watch official social media channels for patch notes and announcements
Final Thoughts Dune Awakening’s Patch Did More Harm Than Good
It’s disappointing when a patch meant to improve gameplay ends up hurting the core experience. Dune Awakening’s vehicle system is now more unstable than ever, and the community is understandably upset.
Whether you’re a loyal fan or a newcomer, this incident highlights how delicate the relationship is between developer promises and player expectations. We hope Funcom responds soon with a hotfix and more open communication moving forward.
Until then, maybe stick to foot travel on Arrakis—at least you know where your feet are going.