While sandworm-riding is usually the first thing we want to try, and then fail at, in Dune: Awakening, it turns out that if you’re super patient and don’t mind a little screen-tearing or clipping through assets, it can be done.
No, it isn’t an official feature that can be unlocked — although developer Funcom did apparently consider it for a while before discarding the idea — but it turns out that if you have lightning-quick reflexes and study the sandworms’ behaviors and attack patterns like they’re an Elden Ring boss, you can climb aboard.
Redditor SgtDolphin has now shared not one but two videos of him riding the worm, using a combination of skills and equipment like the super-sprint Bindu Sprint ability, the Full Suspensor Belt, and Emperor’s Wings to help move quickly and better control his player in the air (thanks, PC Gamer). Once you’re on, no, you can’t control the worm any more than you can stop yourself flying off it from time to time, but Dolphin shows it can be done.
“It’s very glitchy at times especially on the sand that’s being displaced,” SgtDolphin explained in the comments. “Many deaths from the worm to get these rides, it’s a pretty dangerous sport!”
We’re still in the process of reviewing Dune: Awakening. While there’s no score at yet, and we’re still a little unimpressed by the gunplay, our reviewer wrote: “After more than 35 hours I still feel like I’m fairly early into my Dune: Awakening adventure, and still have new zones to visit, haven’t gotten very far into the main story, and have only had a few encounters with PvP. There’s a ton for me to do, so look for an update sometime this week as I work my way through to the endgame.”
If you’re wondering what players are making of Dune: Awakening so far, the survival multiplayer game has already set a concurrent player peak on Steam of over 117,000 players. For more, check out details on the MMO’s business model and post-launch plans.
To help you survive on Arrakis, we’ve got Dune: Awakening resource guides that’ll help you find iron, steel, aluminium, and more. If you’re just getting started, check out all the Dune: Awakening classes you can choose from, and keep an eye on our in-progress Dune: Awakening walkthrough for a step-by-step guide to the story.
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
