The *Dune: Awakening* development team at Funcom has acknowledged a pressing issue that’s been frustrating PvP players — the relentless and seemingly unfair advantage of Ornithopters, better known as helicopters in other games. Players have voiced their concerns about being repeatedly crushed by these flying machines with little to no recourse once targeted.
As highlighted by Reddit user Bombe18 in a widely-shared video, if an Ornithopter decides to target you, there's almost nothing you can do to escape its deadly loop. The moment you self-revive after being flattened, the Orni swoops back in for another hit — a cycle that feels less like competitive gameplay and more like intentional griefing. This becomes even more frustrating when you realize that unless you’re carrying a missile launcher, you’re essentially helpless.
"Dune developers, I agree to have a defeat in PvP," Bombe18 wrote. "But been crushed by orni that does not take any damage? No."
They also proposed a couple of potential fixes: either allow Ornithopters to take damage when they ram into players or remove the crushing mechanic entirely to prevent aerial domination. It didn’t take long for the studio to respond.
Joel Bylos, Funcom’s Chief Creative Officer, quickly chimed in: “Sorry about this. We have people working on fixing the goomba stomping ASAP.”
It's worth noting that the problem isn't limited to just Ornithopters — all vehicles in *Dune: Awakening* currently operate under the same invulnerable crushing mechanic. If only the Orni is patched without addressing other vehicles, players are concerned that the same exploit will simply shift to another form of aerial or vehicular abuse.
Despite this imbalance, *Dune: Awakening* has seen an overwhelmingly positive launch. The game currently holds a 'very positive' review rating on Steam, and within hours of its release on June 10, it attracted over [ttpp] concurrent players — a number expected to rise significantly over the weekend. You can read our ongoing Dune: Awakening review in progress to see what we think so far.
For those looking to thrive in the harsh desert world of Arrakis, we’ve compiled comprehensive Dune: Awakening resource guides to help you locate valuable materials such as iron, steel, and aluminium. New players can also explore all available Dune: Awakening classes to find the best fit for their playstyle. Stay tuned for updates and continue following our in-progress Dune: Awakening walkthrough for detailed story progression tips.
