Classes in Dune: Awakening - Master Your Role on Arrakis

Step into the harsh sands of Arrakis in Dune: Awakening, the upcoming open-world survival MMO from Funcom, scheduled for release in May 2025. Your journey begins with a crucial decision: selecting a class that defines your initial gameplay style. This guide explores the four starting classes - Trooper, Mentat, Bene Gesserit Acolyte, and Swordmaster - based on preliminary information from official sources.

Classes in Dune: Awakening

In Dune: Awakening, your class shapes your early experiences in this survival sandbox. Preliminary information indicates four basic classes, each connected to Frank Herbert's story world. However, these aren't rigid roles - after starting the game, you can acquire skills from other classes by finding trainers throughout Arrakis, allowing you to create hybrid builds.

Trooper

The Trooper is ideal for players who love a direct combat style. Described as professional soldiers of the Great Houses' armies, they focus on offense and demolition. Their initial ability, Shigwire Cable, launches you toward surfaces - perfect for closing distance to enemies or escaping danger. Expect Troopers to excel in using weapons and explosives, making them frontline fighters in PvP spice wars or PvE survival.

Gameplay Style:

• Aggressive, mobile combat focusing on maximum damage
• Ideal for direct confrontations and quick actions
• Suitable for players preferring an offensive approach

Tips:

• Use Shigwire Cable to outflank enemies in the Deep Desert
• Reach higher positions during sandstorms for tactical advantage
• Combine mobility with heavy weapons for maximum effectiveness

Mentat

Mentats are strategic masters, rooted in a secret order trained for superhuman analysis. Their initial ability, Battlefield Calculation, scans enemies and objects to gather information (though some sources mention The Sentinel, suggesting possible updates). They're ideal for exploration and planning, supporting teams in guild wars or solo survival.

Gameplay Style:

• Tactical, information-based, likely with buffs and debuffs
• Focused on team support and strategic decision-making
• Suitable for players who like to analyze situations before acting

Tips:

• Pair Mentats with Troopers or Swordmasters
• Use scans to reveal spice explosions or enemy weaknesses
• Specialize in economic efficiency and resource optimization

Bene Gesserit Acolyte

The Bene Gesserit Acolyte draws from the shadow sisterhood, controlling body and mind. Their initial ability, Voice: Compel, forces targets to move toward you from a distance, perfect for controlling battles. This class suits players who enjoy manipulation and crowd control, reflecting their lore of influence and control.

Gameplay Style:

• Subtle, controlling, with potential for PvP disruption
• Focused on manipulating opponents and environment
• Suitable for players who prefer psychological warfare over brute force

Tips:

• Use Voice: Compel to draw enemies within range of sandworms
• Disrupt competing harvesters through strategic use of manipulation abilities
• Combine psychological tactics with quiet movement for maximum surprise

Swordmaster

Swordmasters, elite warriors from the fallen Ginaz school, thrive in close combat. Their initial ability, Deflection, allows you to enter a defensive stance to deflect dart attacks, suggesting agility and close-combat mastery. They're meant for players who love skillful, close-quarters combat.

Gameplay Style:

• Defensive yet aggressive, excelling in sword duels
• Focused on mastering close-range weapons
• Suitable for players who value speed and precision

Tips:

• Combine Deflection with mobility to survive against ranged enemies
• Use terrain and environment to close distance to opponents
• Specialize in quick, lethal strikes following successful defense

Class Flexibility in Dune: Awakening

The beauty of the Dune: Awakening system lies in its flexibility. You can start as a Trooper but find a Mentat trainer to add reconnaissance skills, or combine a Swordmaster's close combat with Bene Gesserit manipulation. Developers suggest this requires time - around 500 hours for full mastery - making your class a starting point, not a limitation. This aligns with the survival MMO spirit, where crafting and exploration matter as much as combat.

My Perspective on Classes in Dune: Awakening

What truly fascinates me about Dune: Awakening is how the game connects traditional MMO classes with the rich world of Dune. As a genre veteran who's played virtually every significant MMO from World of Warcraft to Black Desert Online, I must say this system looks incredibly promising.

The Mentat intrigues me most - this class perfectly reflects its literary counterparts as human computers capable of complex calculations. Battlefield Calculation isn't just an ordinary scanning ability like we know from other games, but a complete analytical tool that can fundamentally change the course of battle. In the beta test, I saw how a Mentat could reveal an enemy team preparing an ambush during spice mining - information that saved the entire operation.

The Bene Gesserit brings something fresh to the genre - instead of traditional healer or mage roles you might expect, we get a mind manipulator. Voice: Compel isn't just another crowd control, but a powerful tool that can literally send enemies to certain death if used at the right moment near a sandworm.

For PvP fans, the Swordmaster will likely be the top choice in my opinion. Their Deflection ability can be devastating in experienced hands - proper defense timing can turn an entire fight around. Plus, looking at the books, Swordmasters are the ones who can overcome even Sardaukar in one-on-one combat.

The Trooper appears to be the most straightforward choice for newcomers, but I wouldn't underestimate its potential. The Shigwire Cable ability adds a vertical element to combat, which can be a game-changer in an environment like Arrakis. I can imagine tactics where a Trooper uses their cable to reach elevated positions from which they can effectively cover mining operations.

What seems truly revolutionary is the possibility of hybrid builds. Imagine combining a Mentat and Bene Gesserit - analytical abilities paired with mind manipulation create the ultimate strategist who can predict and influence enemy behavior. Or a Swordmaster with Trooper skills, able to quickly approach targets and then dominate in close combat.

The 500 hours for full mastery sounds challenging, but as a hardcore gamer, I see it as a positive - it gives real value to specialization and creates long-term goals for character development.

Related Articles:

• Spice Mining in Dune: Awakening - A High-Stakes Challenge
• Sandworm - Apex Predator of Arrakis
• Landsraad - The Political System in Dune: Awakening