Funcom has deployed Hotfix 1.2.20.4 for Dune: Awakening, a small but significant update aimed at smoothing out a recent spike in combat difficulty. If you've felt like the AI enemies have been reading your inputs a little too perfectly lately, you weren't imagining it—and this patch is here to fix it.
Tuning the Melee Meta
Survival on Arrakis is already brutal enough without the local banditry fighting like esports pros. This hotfix specifically addresses a change introduced in version 1.2.20.0 regarding NPC melee behavior. Originally, the developers tweaked the AI to strictly adhere to the same combat rules as players, specifically allowing them to shield dash immediately after a slow blade attack.
While "fair" on paper, in practice, this made NPCs incredibly punishing to fight against, as they could cancel recovery animations to block or dodge faster than many players could react. Funcom has reverted this change, effectively nerfing NPC reflexes back to a more manageable state.
Why was the NPC behavior reverted?
According to the notes, the strict adherence to player rules made the AI behavior too oppressive for the current balance of the game. However, this isn't a permanent removal. The developers noted that this mechanic will likely return in a future update, but only after they have adjusted the balance to ensure it feels challenging rather than unfair.
Download and Downtime
This update requires a client-side download, so you will need to restart your game or launcher to grab the files. Servers are coming back online shortly following the deployment. If you were struggling with melee encounters in the open world over the last few days, now is the perfect time to jump back in and test your steel.