Dune Awakening: How to avoid Sandworm Spawns

Sandworm Spawns are so frustrating in Dune Awakening; take it from us. Everyone who took part in the Dune Awakening beta for Funcom’s latest survival MMO got eaten at least once. I almost got eaten twice, but thankfully, I found safety before the titanic worm burrowed out of the sand a second time. It’s the most frustrating death in the game, because you lose everything you had on you, and there’s no recovering it.

If you’re careful, you can avoid them completely, and even if you start to see signs that one is coming, there are some steps you can take to avoid the ultimate fate of those who cannot walk without rhythm. If you’re troubled by Sandworm Spawns in Dune Awakening, we’ve got some tips to help you out.

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Tips to avoid Sandworm Spawns and being eaten in Dune Awakening

The moment you start walking on open sand in Dune Awakening, you tempt Sandworm Spawns. This is when a gigantic Sandworm pops up out of the sand, and spends a few minutes diving at you to try and eat you. It’s something you certainly want to avoid, unless you like losing all your equipment on hand.

This was not a good situation. I made it to the rocks safely, but it was close (Image via Funcom)

If you must cross open sand, having technology like shields active is bad, as it appears to attract the sandworms. Crouching, while slower, also does less to attract them, so that’s something I recommend as well. Sandworms are drawn to vibrations, so sprinting, shields, and similar tech is dangerous on open sand.

You’ll be able to see a meter on your screen as you cross open sand that gets more and more erratic, the closer sandworms are to you. If you see a wildly vibrating red line, that’s the danger zone. I often find myself stopping and pausing to let the meter calm down, when I walk across long expanses of sand.

Even with a vehicle, it can be dangerous to drive across open sand. You still tempt Sandworm Spawns this way. No vehicle in the game can outrun Shai-Hulud, after all. In all honesty, the best defense against sandworms is to go the long way around. Always go the long way around.

This is the worst screen in the entire game. Be safe, and you can avoid this fate (Image via Funcom)

Take a look at the map, and look at your destination. Then, search for the rocky outcroppings on the map, and look for the way around that doesn’t require you to walk across open sand quite as much. It’ll take longer to get where you’re going, but it will be safer.

Another important strategy to avoid getting eaten by Sandworms is to get on rocky ground. If you see the meter is red and wildly moving, immediately find the closest rocks and get to them.

Any skill that moves you forward, like the Shigawire Cable, can come in handy in these dangerous times. Simply being next to rocky ground is often enough to stop the sandworm from coming in, if they haven’t spawned yet. With these tips, you should be able to avoid many of the sandworms that plague the Hagga Basin.

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Check out our other Dune Awakening guides and features:

• Can you play Dune Awakening solo?
• Is there PvE content in Dune Awakening endgame?
• Dune Awakening: Landsraad Decree voting system, explained