Dune Awakening is a game that encourages experimentation, letting players adapt their playstyle to survive the harsh deserts of Arrakis. Whether you’re a seasoned survivor or a newcomer still learning the ropes, there will come a time when you’ll want to reallocate your skill points. Maybe that ability you thought was game-changing turned out to be underwhelming, or perhaps your strategy has evolved, and your current build no longer fits. Fortunately, respeccing in Dune Awakening is straightforward—but there are a few things you should know before hitting that reset button.
Respeccing, short for “respecting,” is the process of reallocating your skill points. It lets you undo previous choices and redistribute them differently, giving you the freedom to tweak your character without starting from scratch. In Dune Awakening, this mechanic is designed to be forgiving, allowing players to experiment without fear of permanent mistakes.
How to Respec Your Skills
The actual process of respeccing is simple. Open the Skills Menu, and you’ll find a “Respec Skill Tree” option in the bottom right corner. On a keyboard, the default keybind is R, while controller users can press the down d-pad button. There’s no cost involved—no rare items to gather or in-game currency to spend. Just press the button, and you’re free to reassign all your skill points however you like.
However, there are a couple of restrictions. First, you can’t change your starting class. If you began as a Trooper, you’ll always be a Trooper, even after respeccing. Your initial class ability remains locked, so choose wisely during character creation. Second, respeccing isn’t something you can do endlessly—there’s a 48-hour cooldown between respecs. This means you’ll need to plan your builds carefully rather than constantly switching on a whim.
Why Respec in Dune Awakening?
There are plenty of reasons you might want to reset your skills:
- Early-Game Adjustments: Some skills are great for early survival but lose value later. Respeccing lets you transition into a more optimized build.
- Trying New Playstyles: Maybe you started as a stealthy Bene Gesserit but now want to try heavy combat as a Swordmaster. Respeccing allows that flexibility.
- Correcting Mistakes: We’ve all invested in a skill that sounded amazing but turned out to be useless. A respec fixes that.
Since you can’t max out every skill tree (you only get 200 skill points total), respeccing helps you refine your build over time.
Secondary Classes and Hybrid Builds
One of Dune Awakening’s best features is its class flexibility. While your primary class is permanent, you can mix and match skills from other classes by finding their trainers across Arrakis. For example, a Trooper can learn Bene Gesserit mind-control abilities or Mentat crafting skills. This opens the door for hybrid builds, letting you tailor your character to different situations—whether that’s PvP, resource gathering, or exploration.
When respeccing, you can freely reallocate points across all unlocked skill trees. So if you’ve invested in Swordmaster techniques but now prefer Planetologist survival skills, a quick respec lets you shift focus without losing progress.
Planning Your Build Before Respeccing
Since you only get one respec every two days, it’s smart to plan ahead. Here’s how:
- Use a Skill Planner: Unofficial tools like the Dune Awakening Skill Builder let you experiment with builds before committing.
- Focus on Core Skills: Prioritize abilities that fit your playstyle rather than spreading points too thin.
- Balance Active and Passive Skills: You can equip 3 active abilities and 3 techniques at once, so choose ones that synergize well.
Final Tips for Respeccing
- Experiment Early: The early game is the best time to test different skills before settling on a long-term build.
- Unlock Trainers First: Before respeccing, make sure you’ve found all class trainers to access their skill trees.
- Don’t Stress Over Mistakes: The respec system is forgiving, so even if you mess up, you can fix it in 48 hours.
