Dune: Awakening Chapter 2 was released on September 9, 2025, bringing major story progression, a paid DLC, and sweeping gameplay changes to the deserts of Arrakis. This update expands the narrative with new quests, characters, and rewards, while also improving combat, vehicles, and quality-of-life systems. Whether you’re chasing the new Treadwheel vehicle, exploring the Deep Desert changes, or diving into the Lost Harvest DLC, there’s a lot to cover in this patch.
In this guide, you’ll find:
- Chapter 2 story update: The Great Convention and how it continues the main questline
- Paid DLC – The Lost Harvest with its rewards, locations, and exclusive Treadwheel vehicle
- New gameplay features like character re-customization and archetype armor sets
- Dynamic encounters and world events adding life to Arrakis
- Major quality-of-life improvements for vehicles, bases, and guild systems
- Combat overhaul with new weapons, AI tweaks, and instanced loot
- The redesigned Deep Desert with expanded travel and exploration
- Future update plans for PvP, dungeon layers, and seasonal progression
Dune: Awakening Chapter 2 Story Update – The Great Convention
The narrative of Dune: Awakening expands significantly, introducing new and familiar characters through a free continuation of the main story and a new paid DLC adventure.
Free Story Content: The Great Convention Questline
The main story chapter continues for all players at no cost as part of the chapter 2 free update. Picking up directly after the events of “Find the Fremen” and “The Assassin’s Handbook,” the Great Convention storyline tasks you to investigate brutal murders that have rocked Arrakeen City. This gripping quest will lead you into the city’s darkest corners and through new locations like the hidden archives deep beneath Arrakeen. As you unravel the mystery, you will uncover sinister revelations and interact with both new and familiar characters, including the formal introduction of the pivotal and familiar character from the lore, Lady Jessica.
Dune Awakening DLC – The Lost Harvest (New Rewards & Treadwheel Vehicle)
The “Lost Harvest” DLC offers a complete standalone storyline that begins with a message about a massive, crashed Miner’s Guild spice harvester. This quest will feature new voiced NPCs and take players to new locations to investigate the crash and its missing cargo. To start this journey, your character must have completed the “Moving On” journey in Vermilius Gap and be “watersealed.”
Completing this storyline provides access to the new Treadwheel vehicle and other exclusive rewards, including:
- New Building Pieces: For the dedicated builders, this DLC adds four new “Dune Man” building pieces. These offer a distinct aesthetic, with unique components like retractable doors that function differently from existing models.
- New Decorations: Customize your base further with five new decorations and base decorations, including a hologram roof piece and new floor mats.
- Cosmetics & Emotes: The package includes two armor skins, four new weapon skins, a new Thumper emote, and the Vermillius Dusk color swatch for cosmetics.
- Expanded Content: The DLC also adds three new, expanded Imperial Testing Stations to the world, offering fresh challenges.
| Item | What it is | How to get it | Notes |
| Treadwheel vehicle | Maneuverable ground vehicle | Complete The Lost Harvest DLC questline | Better acceleration than Sandbike; ultra-tight turns; strong reverse movement; passenger seat for co-op |
| “Dune Man” building pieces (×4) | Thematic base structures | DLC rewards | Includes retractable doors with unique function |
| Base decorations (×5) | Cosmetic additions (holo roof, mats, etc.) | DLC rewards | Adds visual variety to settlements |
| Cosmetics & Emotes | 2 armor skins, 4 weapon skins, Thumper emote, Vermillius Dusk color swatch | DLC rewards | Cosmetic customization only |
| Imperial Testing Stations (×3) | New/expanded PvE areas | World (added with DLC) | Provides group challenges and loot opportunities |
Chapter 2 Gameplay Features & Character Re-Customization
Character Re-Customization in Dune Awakening
A highly requested feature, character re-customization, is now live. Players can visit a new recustomizer room located within the social hub of either Harko Village or Arrakeen City. For a fee of 5,000 Solari, your character’s appearance can have its appearance altered at any time. The system allows you to experiment with changes before committing to and paying the fee. To unlock this feature, you’ll first need to find and interact with specific new NPCs.
Please note that this service only covers your character’s physical appearance; it does not allow for a name change.
This full character re-design suite, found in the recustomizer room, includes:
- Four new hairstyles.
- New tattoo options and, for the first time, new tattoo tinting.
- A full custom color palette to truly let you re-customize your look.
New Archetype Armor Sets – Free Chapter 2 Rewards
The chapter 2 free update introduces five new sets of exclusive armor, one for each of the game’s archetypes: Bene Gesserit, Mentat, Swordmaster, Trooper, and Planetologist. These unique, Durasteel-tier sets each provide a 7% cooldown reduction for skills from their corresponding class tree.
- Unlock Method: This exclusive armor is unlocked by fully completing all advanced trainer contracts. The rewards are retroactive, so if you’ve already completed the prerequisites, the schematics will be available in your Garment Fabricator.
- Gameplay Impact: This cooldown bonus is particularly potent for the Trooper and Bene Gesserit classes, as it stacks with their existing skills. However, for most builds, it may not offer a significant gameplay advantage over a perfectly optimized non-set build. The Planetologist set, while visually distinct, has a cooldown bonus of limited utility for its class.
| Archetype | Set Tier | Set Bonus | Unlock Requirement |
| Bene Gesserit | Durasteel | -7% ability cooldowns (class tree) | Complete all Advanced Trainer contracts |
| Mentat | Durasteel | -7% ability cooldowns (class tree) | Same as above |
| Swordmaster | Durasteel | -7% ability cooldowns (class tree) | Same as above |
| Trooper | Durasteel | -7% ability cooldowns (class tree) | Same as above |
| Planetologist | Durasteel | -7% ability cooldowns (class tree) | Same as above |
Dynamic World Events & Encounters on Arrakis
The vast deserts of Arrakis are now more populated. In addition to new static contract-givers in social hubs like Harko Village and Arrakeen (offering jobs like acting as a bouncer or helping a customs agent), there are also new dynamic encounters. These are essentially new mission givers found in the open world, marked by a visible red flare when a player gets close, making them easy to locate. This system is expected to expand to include more dynamic encounters in future chapter updates. The new contracts feature minor narrative details that are reflected in the gameplay; for example, an assassination target described as old and weak will fight using unique animations that simulate a depleted stamina bar, a nice touch of detail.
Chapter 2 QoL Improvements – Vehicles, Bases & Guild Systems
This patch includes many quality of life improvements and extensive bug fixes across the board.
| Area | Change | Why it matters |
| Containers & vehicles | Renaming | Cleaner base and inventory organization |
| Travel | Auto-run (Right Shift) | Easier desert traversal |
| Vehicles | Seat swap hotkeys (F-keys) | Faster access to mounted tools/weapons |
| Assault Ornithopter | Capacity buff (15→20 slots, 1000→2000 volume) | Carry more loot and resources |
| Guilds | Improved logging | Tracks who accesses shared containers |
| Support | Vehicle salvage system (planned) | Recovers vehicles lost to bugs |
| Base upkeep | Opt-in email alerts (planned) | Prevents surprise power/tax losses |
Vehicle & Base Management:
- Renaming: Storage containers, vehicles, and other placeable items can now be renamed for better organization.
- Auto-Run: A new auto run toggle (Right Shift) has been added for convenient long-distance travel across the vast deserts.
- Seat Swapping: Hotkeys (F-keys) are now available for instantly swapping seats in multi-seat vehicles, streamlining actions like using the Buggy‘s mining laser.
- Assault Ornithopter Buff: The storage capacity of the Assault Ornithopter has been increased from 15 to 20 slots, and its volume was doubled to 2,000.
Systems & Support:
- Improved Player Logging: Guilds can now track who accesses and withdraws items from shared storage containers.
- Vehicle Salvage System: A system is planned to help players recover vehicles lost to bugs or clipping through the environment.
- Offline Notifications: An opt-in system will send email notifications regarding a base’s tax and power status to help prevent accidental loss of property.
Fun Additions:
- You can now pet the Kulon (the donkey-like pack animal) in settlements.
Combat Overhaul in Chapter 2 – Weapons, AI & Instanced Loot
Combat has been significantly refined to be more tactical, challenging, and responsive.
- New Weaponry: The powerful Adept Missile Launcher has been added to the arsenal.
- Ornithopter Combat: Rocket launchers now feature a lock-on mechanic, and their damage is more accurately calculated based on where the projectile impacts a vehicle. Furthermore, the firing cone for ‘thopter weapons has been narrowed, requiring pilots to aim their craft more directly at targets and adding a layer of skill to air combat.
- Enhanced NPC AI: Enemy NPCs are now more formidable. They will activate shields, respond faster, and their accuracy now scales with their tier. This makes encounters in new locations more challenging.
- Instanced & Synced Loot: Loot from chests in high-contention areas like Testing Stations is now instanced for each player, ensuring all participants are rewarded. Additionally, enemies in these locations will now respawn in tandem with the loot chests.
New Vehicle – Treadwheel & Deep Desert Zone Changes
A new vehicle rolls onto the scene, and the endgame zone has been redesigned.
- The Treadwheel (DLC): This unique ground vehicle emphasizes maneuverability. Compared to its base game counterpart, the Sandbike, it has better acceleration but a lower top speed. It also boasts an exceptionally tight turning radius and can travel in reverse nearly as fast as it moves forward. It features a passenger seat on the back for co-op potential and can be acquired by non-DLC owners if crafted for them.
- Deep Desert Changes: The quicksand barriers have been completely removed, allowing for seamless travel across the entire zone. The landscape has also been updated with new caves, rock island layouts, and more buildable spots.
- Future Plans: As confirmed in a developer livestream, the team plans to eventually revert the Deep Desert to its original, more PvP-centric design and introduce “no-fly zones” to encourage ground combat.
Free Weekend & Twitch Drops
| Date (2025) | Event |
| September 9 | Chapter 2 release (The Great Convention free story + Lost Harvest DLC) |
| September 11–15 | Free Weekend trial period |
| September 11–October 8 | Twitch Drops campaign: Observer-themed building pieces |
For those looking to try the game for the first time, a free weekend took place from September 11-15, 2025. Additionally, a Twitch Drops campaign ran from September 11 to October 8, allowing players to earn exclusive Observer-themed building pieces by watching streams.
This awakening chapter is a massive step forward, addressing community feedback and laying the groundwork for the future of this ambitious open world survival RPG.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is included in Dune: Awakening Chapter 2?
Chapter 2 brings both free and paid content. The free update continues the main quest with The Great Convention, while the paid Lost Harvest DLC adds a separate storyline, the Treadwheel vehicle, and exclusive building pieces, cosmetics, and testing stations. Alongside this, players also get new archetype armor sets, combat changes, and world events.
How do I start The Great Convention questline in Chapter 2?
The questline becomes available after finishing Find the Fremen and The Assassin’s Handbook. You’ll be tasked with investigating murders in Arrakeen City, traveling into new locations like hidden archives, and encountering Lady Jessica for the first time in the game’s story.
What is the Lost Harvest DLC in Dune: Awakening?
The Lost Harvest DLC tells the story of a crashed Miner’s Guild spice harvester. It introduces voiced NPCs, new areas, and a progression track leading to rewards like the Treadwheel vehicle, new armor skins, decorations, and expanded Imperial Testing Stations. It’s designed as a self-contained adventure.
How do I unlock the Lost Harvest DLC content?
To access Lost Harvest, your character must complete the Moving On journey in Vermilious Gap and be “watersealed.” After these requirements are met, you’ll receive a DLC quest marker that launches you into the storyline.
What is the Treadwheel in Dune: Awakening?
The Treadwheel is a DLC-exclusive ground vehicle designed for maneuverability. It accelerates quickly, turns tightly, and can reverse almost as fast as it drives forward. It also includes a co-op passenger seat, making it practical for exploration or group play. Non-DLC owners can still use it if crafted by another player.
What changes were made to the Deep Desert in Chapter 2?
Chapter 2 removed all quicksand barriers, making traversal seamless. Developers also redesigned the terrain with new caves, islands of rock, and more buildable spots for bases. This opens up the Deep Desert for extended exploration and resource gathering.
Are there plans for PvP changes in the Deep Desert?
Yes. The developers confirmed that the Deep Desert will eventually shift back toward a PvP-heavy design. This includes adding no-fly zones to force ground combat and potentially adjusting resources to encourage conflict in high-value areas.
How does character re-customization work in Chapter 2?
You can now visit recustomizer rooms in Arrakeen City or Harko Village. For 5,000 Solari, you can adjust hairstyles, tattoos, tattoo tinting, and even experiment with a full color palette before confirming changes. Note that names cannot be altered — only physical appearance.
What are Archetype Armor Sets in Chapter 2?
Each of the five archetypes — Bene Gesserit, Mentat, Swordmaster, Trooper, and Planetologist — now has a themed Durasteel-tier set. Each provides a 7% cooldown reduction to skills tied to its class tree, rewarding players who complete advanced trainer contracts.
Do the Archetype Armor Sets affect gameplay balance?
Yes, but the effect varies. For Trooper and Bene Gesserit builds, the 7% reduction can significantly improve combat flow and synergy. Other sets, like Planetologist, are more cosmetic in appeal, since their cooldown bonus provides less practical impact in most encounters.
What are dynamic encounters in Chapter 2?
Dynamic encounters are spontaneous events in the open world. They are marked by red flares when you approach and include missions like assassinations, rescues, or protecting targets. Each encounter ties into the narrative with small details, like enemies showing weakened animations when described as frail.
Do dynamic encounters replace traditional contracts?
No, they expand upon them. Players can still find static contract-givers in Arrakeen or Harko Village. Dynamic encounters simply provide more variety while exploring, ensuring Arrakis feels more alive and reactive.
What combat changes were introduced in Chapter 2?
Combat has been redesigned for more precision and difficulty. Rocket launchers now lock onto targets with accuracy, thopter weapons require tighter aiming, and the new Adept Missile Launcher expands weapon choices. Overall, fights are more tactical and challenging.
How does instanced loot work in Testing Stations?
Loot from Testing Station chests is now unique to each player, preventing competition over rewards. Enemy respawns are also tied to loot chest timers, ensuring content flows more smoothly during group activities.
What AI improvements should players expect?
NPCs now behave more intelligently. They use shields, move faster, and their accuracy scales with difficulty tier. This makes them tougher opponents, especially in higher-level Testing Stations or elite encounters.
What quality-of-life changes were added in Chapter 2?
Players now enjoy auto-run, seat-swapping hotkeys in multi-seat vehicles, and renaming for containers and vehicles. The Assault Ornithopter’s storage capacity was increased, and guilds can track shared storage activity. These features reduce frustration and streamline play.
Can you recover lost vehicles in Chapter 2?
Not yet, but a salvage system is in development. This system will allow players to reclaim vehicles lost to bugs or environmental clipping, a long-requested feature. For now, caution is advised when traveling in bug-prone terrain.
Are there any fun additions in Chapter 2?
Yes. Beyond big systemic changes, small immersive touches were added. The most popular one is the ability to pet Kulons, the donkey-like pack animals. It’s cosmetic, but fans welcomed it as a community-requested feature.
Is there a free weekend for Dune: Awakening Chapter 2?
Yes. A free weekend took place from Sept 11–15, 2025, letting new players try the game without cost. During the same period, Twitch Drops ran until Oct 8, giving exclusive Observer-themed building pieces for watching partnered streams.
What’s next after Chapter 2 in Dune: Awakening?
Future plans include dungeon layers featuring old bosses, expanded PvP systems, and further seasonal progression updates. The story will also connect into the Renegades expansion, with Chapter 2 laying the groundwork for larger endgame changes.
