Hagga Basin is the structured early-game region of Dune: Awakening, designed as both a tutorial zone and a full-featured sandbox survival area. The Hagga Basin South zone includes onboarding systems, skill unlocks, social hubs, and contract networks that connect directly into midgame progression.
It is not just a starter map — the region is described as “an entire survival RPG game in itself” and supports up to 40 players per shard layer. The zone includes everything from basic base-building to dungeons, PvP wrecks, and your first vehicle.
Players can easily spend 30–100 hours here mastering systems before entering the more hostile Vermillius Gaps or the Deep Desert. Layered servers allow you to visit friends on different instances of the basin, and although your base remains fixed to one shard, cooperative bases and guild settlements are fully supported within the same shard.
1. What Is Hagga Basin in Dune: Awakening?
Hagga Basin South acts as the central hub for early-game activities. It includes your first encounters with survival systems, building mechanics, research trees, and mobility options. The area introduces many of the game’s permanent systems, meaning your time here is not wasted — it forms the foundation for success in the harsher midgame zones.
2. Where to Start Quests and Main Objectives
Imperial Testing Station
The zone begins with the main story campaign and branches into sandbox tasks through the Journey menu and Contract Boards. These systems grant XP, intel points, skills, and cosmetics, and they define your early build direction.
- Broken Stone Station – If you are fast enough when the server starts, you can find here several sandbikes for free.
- Griffin’s Reach Trade Post – Grants access to the Trooper class after you finish a quest to kill three targets. You can buy or sell stuff at a Merchant. Travel to HUBs for 2500 Solari or accept contracts at the contract board.
- Imperial Testing Station – Acts as a dungeon-like POI and is required to gather materials for your first Sandbike.
- Outposts and Caves – Contain intel folders used to unlock crafting recipes in the research tree. You can expect at least 24+ intel points in South Basin.
These locations are not optional — they represent your progression path through gear, skills, and player power. Missing one of them means falling behind in build potential or lacking mobility for later content.
3. Best Route and Unlock Progression in Hagga Basin South
Travelling on Arrakis
How to Complete Hagga Basin South Efficiently
The most efficient way to complete Hagga Basin South is by following the main quests and avoiding detours until you reach the Griffin’s Trade Post. Visiting POIs like the Imperial Testing Station too early will only lead to repeated backtracking. For the fastest progression, complete your early objectives, unlock vehicle access, and then move north into the next region.
If your spawn is on the eastern edge of the map, complete the first quests, skip all optional areas, and travel directly to the Griffin’s Reach Trade Post when you get the quest for it. This will unlock contracts, tools, and skill trees that are essential before exploring the rest of the region.
- Broken Stone Station — Check for a scrap Sandbike and collect the Aren’s Vengeance schematic from the upper floor. Craft a Spawn Beacon before moving through desert zones.
- First Trial — Travel west to complete this required trial to unlock the next stage of the main questline. Reachable on foot or via Sandbike.
- Griffin’s Reach Trade Post — Accept all contracts and speak to Ghavouri to unlock the Trooper skill tree. Sell extra loot, turn in components like copper, Microfiber Fabric, and EMF Generators, and unlock MK2 inventory and the Vehicle Backup Tool.
- Imperial Testing Station No. 2 — This dungeon-like POI contains key vehicle parts including the Sandbike Engine, Particle Capacitor, and Advanced Servo. Collect the Mysterious Vials from the boss, and retrieve the Emperor’s Wings MK1 schematic for levitation movement.
- Unlock Planetologist — After clearing the Testing Station, go to its upper level and deliver the Mysterious Vials to Derek Chinara. This unlocks the Planetologist skill line instantly.
- Unlock Trooper — Visit Calip Stand, Shamal Tunnel, and Edgeway Cavern to complete the Trooper class contract. Gather layered fiber and EMF Generators needed for crafting.
- Old Griffin Hideaway and Crashes — Explore hidden POIs to loot intel folders, Microfiber Plant Fabric, and Way of the Fallen pistol schematic. These are required for Stillsuit crafting and contracts.
- Use Emperor’s Wings + Grappling Hook — Combine levitation from the Emperor’s Wings with the Shigawire Claw from Trooper to cross terrain and reach high cliffs quickly.
- Trial in Vermillius Gap — Once you’re ready to move north, use your crafted Sandbike and drive straight across the sand dunes North of Griffin’s Trade Post. This route avoids threats and allows a quick transition to the next biome. Head northeast into the Vermilious Gap and complete the second trial to unlock the sand compactor needed for silicone block crafting.
4. Loot and Item Locations in Hagga Basin South
Shipwreck
Several fixed POIs contain unique schematics, vehicles, crafting components, and rare materials. Most of these must be physically looted — they cannot be bought early. Exploration is directly rewarded with powerful gear and crafting progression.
- Keyhole Rock – Blueprint: Mohandis Sandbike Engine Mk1 Schematic, Old Sparky Mk1 Schematic (battery), Sim’s Cutter Schematic.
- Old Griffin Hideaway – Blueprint: Way of the Fallen (unique pistol).
- Broken Stone Station – Blueprint: Aren’s Vengeance (burst rifle). You can also find several scrap sandbikes. But when someone takes them before you, they are gone forever. You must rush there right at the start of the server.
- Caves – Contain Microfiber Plant Fabric, used to craft your first Stillsuit.
- Crashes & Wrecks – Provide Plasteel Microflora Fiber, Mechanical Parts. These resources respawn every 45 minutes.
Always check behind containers in POIs — several blueprints are hidden in crates near fridges or terminal corners. The loot system favors thoroughness and rewards players who fully search environments instead of rushing through objectives.
5. Enemy Types and Combat Zones
Hagga Basin South features progressively tougher PvE enemies, teaching players to manage both combat and environmental threats. Some enemies carry shields that require specific weapons or combos, while the desert terrain introduces permanent dangers like traps and sandworms.
- Scavengers – Common human NPCs found in caves, wrecks, and outposts. Drop scrap metal, blood, and copper.
- Shielded Enemies – Appear later in the zone’s progression. Must be hit with charged melee attacks or weapons that can break shields.
- Environmental Traps – Present in caves. Include explosives, proximity mines, and flame vents.
- Sandworms – Roam the open desert. Triggered by movement or equipment vibration. Causes instant death and full inventory loss on contact.
Combat abilities must be unlocked and actively slotted from class progression. Always save early skill points so you can spec into Trooper or Planetologist trees once unlocked. Managing cooldowns, maintaining safe distance from worm-trigger zones, and pulling mobs strategically are all core survival tactics even within this first shard.
6. Secrets, Shrines, and Hidden Bonuses
Dune Awakening Worm
There are multiple hidden mechanics and POIs that offer huge XP and utility advantages. Discovery and resourcefulness are heavily rewarded, especially if you take the time to explore off-path areas and interact with minor events or story triggers.
- Discovery XP – Earned by visiting marked and unmarked POIs. Every gray icon discovered on the map grants bonus XP.
- Binoculars – Crafted from salvaged metal. Reveal distant POIs on your map for free XP and navigation.
- Spice Dreams – Triggered by story milestones. These grant buffs, vision, and sometimes hallucinated encounters that reveal new mechanics or narrative insights.
- Stillsuit Fabrication – After the Trial of Aql, players can create their first Stillsuit to manage hydration passively via Catchpockets.
Each POI may contain intel folders or crafting items that are only lootable once per respawn cycle. Make sure to revisit these zones often and track respawn times for optimal farming routes.
The desert punishes haste and carelessness. Sandworms, dehydration, and stealth mechanics all require strategic awareness and preparation. Knowing how to move between POIs without triggering deadly encounters is part of mastering the zone.
- Never walk on open sand longer than necessary. Use Bindu Sprint or a Sandbike to cross quickly.
- Deactivate your shield when not in combat. It causes vibration and attracts sandworms.
- Build bases only inside rock formations. Bases on sand will be destroyed by worms.
- Always have some fuel cells in your storage to power your generator. If it fails, sandstorms will destroy your base.
- When you have a sandbike, keep some Welding Wire and Welding Torch to be able to repair it.
- Carry a Small or Medium Battery to be able to refuel the sandbike if you make a big journey.
- Use Spawn Beacons before attempting high-risk travel across sand gaps.
Most deaths in the game come from players underestimating how unforgiving the environment can be. Prioritize safety, use recon tools, and never travel across the sand without an exit strategy or a waypoint saved.
8. Crafting Stations and Resource Nodes
Your first base will include essential tools for water, ore, and fabric production. These allow survival and unlock further progression. Managing hydration, heat, and power consumption are central mechanics tied directly into these stations.
- Fabricator – Crafts weapons, armor, and utility gear.
- Ore Refinery – Converts copper ore into ingots.
- Chemical Refinery – Produces Fuel Cells from refined chemicals.
- Blood Purifier – Turns extracted enemy blood into clean water.
- Wind Trap – Unlockable via research; passively collects water overnight. Unlocked in Vermillius Gap.
Hydration and power management are vital. Build within cover and ensure you keep your base generator stocked to prevent decay. As sandstorms and server layers shift, your base location and infrastructure quality will determine whether you survive or start over.
9. Vehicles, Tools, and Player Utilities
Sandbike
Mobility and logistics become essential after your first few hours. These tools define how far and how fast you can progress — and whether you can even reach key POIs across deadly terrain.
- Sandbike – Repaired at Broken Stone Station. Fastest and safest early travel tool.
- Vehicle Backup Tool – Allows secure storage of your vehicle when entering dungeons or wreck zones. Prevents permanent loss.
- Hajra Literjon – Water container that stores large amounts of purified fluid. Crucial for long expeditions or high-heat POIs.
- Sub-Fief Console – Land claim beacon. Displays base power duration, handles blueprint builds, and allows centralized control.
Vehicles can be recovered and moved with backup tools. Build sandbike storage for longer expeditions beyond Hagga Basin. Consider setting up travel rest points with basic utilities at major intersections of the map to reduce backtracking time.
10. Moving Beyond Hagga Basin South
Once you unlock the bike and complete basic class contracts, the map opens up toward more dangerous content and deeper sandbox play. Hagga Basin is meant to prepare you for these systems, and skipping steps will only punish you later.
- Transition points: Eastern Vermillius Gap and Western Vermillius Gap.
- Expect: PvP wrecks, more layered servers, and harsher survival mechanics.
- Recommendation: Fully unlock at least two class trees and build a stocked vehicle before moving on.
Wrecks in Hagga Basin South are PvE only. In later zones, wrecks become PvP zones with high-tier components. PvE players can buy materials via vendors at major hubs. Don’t risk transitioning until you’re properly geared and stocked.
11. Additional POIs to Explore
While not directly part of the main quest flow, these additional POIs are valuable for resource gathering and navigation. They serve as connective tissue between major locations and often contain useful environmental storytelling or loot nodes.
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- Kurab Camp – A large transition POI linking South Basin to Testing Station 10. Accessible only after navigating a major sand gap.
- Deep Struggle Rock Formation – Serves as a major traversal hub and staging point before entering Eastern Vermillius Gap.
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12. How to Unlock New Zones with Survey Probes
Vermillius Gap
To access Eastern or Western Vermillius Gap, players must unlock the zones using Survey equipment. These items allow exploration beyond the visible zone and mark the start of midgame.
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- Craft a Survey Kit and Probe Launcher using components like EMF Generators.
- Climb to a high elevation (e.g. cliff or rock arch) and fire the probe toward unexplored territory.
- This reveals new sectors on the world map, enabling progression to midgame regions.
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Probes are limited, and some require specific resources or faction reputation. Prioritize zones with class trainers or high-tier loot paths when choosing which directions to unlock first.
13. Where to Unlock Classes in Hagga Basin South
Not all class trainers are available in this region. Progression is gated by zone access and quest completion. Here is the correct unlock order:
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- Trooper – Unlocked at Griffin’s Reach. Provides offensive skills like Shigawire claw, which can be used as a grappling hook.
- Planetologist – Unlocks on the rock above the Imperial Testing Station No. 2 from Derek Chinara. Offers support abilities and resource scanning.
- Swordmaster and Mentat – Cannot be unlocked in Hagga Basin. Found only after entering Vermillius Gaps.
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Each class has its own progression path, passive bonuses, and combat role. Picking one early helps define your playstyle, but unlocking multiple provides synergy and long-term versatility.
14. Must-Have Gear and Utilities
These high-impact tools and schematics should be prioritized before leaving Hagga Basin. They provide both mobility and safety, and skipping them will make Vermillius content significantly harder.
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- Suspensor Belt – Grants temporary float and reduces fall damage. Found in loot or unlocked through Research Tree. Essential for vertical movement and cliff traversal.
- Vehicle Backup Tool – Safely stores your Sandbike before entering wrecks or dungeons. Prevents vehicle loss during storms or shard transitions.
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Equip these before attempting transitions or major exploration zones. They provide both safety and mobility advantages that define midgame success. Treat them as mandatory gear, not optional bonuses.
