Arrakis doesn't care if you're hydrated. It certainly doesn't care if you've spent three hours wandering the Hagga Basin looking for a door that seems like it doesn't exist. If you are trying to locate the second trial Dune Awakening throws at you, you’ve likely realized that Funcom isn’t interested in holding your hand through the shifting sands. This isn't your standard waypoint-chasing MMO experience. It’s a survival test.
The second trial is a bottleneck. I’ve seen players spend more time circling the coordinates than they did building their first ornithopter. The game expects a certain level of environmental literacy that most modern titles have trained out of us. You can't just follow a glowing line on the ground. You have to read the rock formations and understand the verticality of the map.
📖 Related: Finding Every Heart Piece in Ocarina of Time: Why Some Are Still a Total Nightmare
Why the Second Trial is a Geographic Headache
Most people head to the map marker and find... nothing. Just sand and heat haze. The frustration is real because the entrance isn't at eye level. It’s tucked into a fissure that looks like a texture glitch from a distance.
When you’re tasked to locate the second trial Dune Awakening presents, you are essentially looking for the "Trial of the Cunning." Unlike the first trial, which is basically a tutorial on how to not die immediately, the second one tests your ability to navigate Arrakis's brutal verticality. You need to look for the basalt pillars near the southern edge of the Basin. If you're looking at the sun, you're already doing it wrong. Keep your eyes on the shadows. The shadows tell you where the depth is.
The entrance is subterranean. Sorta. It’s more of a deep canyon cut that drops you into a pre-imperium testing ground. If you haven't upgraded your climbing gear or at least practiced your jump-mantle timing, you’re going to have a rough time even reaching the door.
📖 Related: Why the Sonic 3 AIR Alternate OST Actually Matters for Fans
Navigation Tips for the Hagga Basin
The Hagga Basin is a nightmare of "samey" looking rocks. Everything is ochre. Everything is sharp. To find the path, look for the ancient stone markers that look like weathered teeth sticking out of the sand. They aren't just decor; they are a breadcrumb trail left by the developers.
Follow the trail of broken supply crates. It’s a classic environmental storytelling trope, but it works. These crates lead directly toward the crevice. If you see a cluster of NPC corpses—scavengers who didn't make the cut—you're getting warm. Honestly, the easiest way to find it is to wait for the wind to die down. When the visibility clears, look for the unnatural geometry. Arrakis is organic and flowing; the trials are brutalist and sharp. That contrast is your biggest hint.
Gear Check Before You Go In
Don't just run in. You’ll die.
- Water. Obviously. But bring more than you think. The internal temperature of the trial zones spikes because of the machinery.
- Static Charges. You'll need these for the puzzles inside. If you show up empty-handed, you're hiking all the way back out.
- Fiber-reinforced Bandages. The falls in this trial are nasty.
The Common Mistakes People Make
The biggest blunder? Thinking the trial is on the surface. It isn't. You have to go down. People spend hours running around the plateau when the actual "interactive" part of the world is forty meters below their boots.
Another thing. Don't try to cheese the climbing. The developers at Funcom put invisible walls in place to prevent players from skipping the intended path. You have to play by the desert's rules. If a ledge looks like you can't reach it, you probably aren't supposed to. Look for the handholds marked by white mineral deposits. It’s a subtle visual cue, but once you see it, you can’t unsee it.
Understanding the Trial of the Cunning
Once you actually locate the second trial Dune Awakening hides from you, the real work starts. This isn't a combat arena. It’s a puzzle box. You’ll be dealing with shifting platforms and resonance-based locks. It requires a bit of patience. If you rush, you'll fall into a sand-trap, and in this game, sand-traps aren't just a minor inconvenience. They are a death sentence.
The lore behind these trials is fascinating, though. These aren't just random dungeons. They are remnants of the testing facilities used to find those "human" enough to survive the harsher realities of the spice cycle. Every time you fail a jump, think of it as the planet telling you that you aren't ready for the deep desert yet.
What to Do Once You Reach the Entrance
You’ll know you’ve found it when the music shifts. The ambient wind noise drops out and is replaced by a low, rhythmic thrumming. That’s the machinery of the trial. There’s a heavy stone door with three circular recesses.
- Step One: Clear the immediate area of any roaming scavengers. They love to ambush players while they’re reading the door puzzles.
- Step Two: Check your oxygen levels. The air inside is stale.
- Step Three: Insert the resonance stones you gathered in the first trial. If you forgot them at your base, well, I’ve got bad news for you.
Actually finding the spot is 60% of the challenge. The game wants to see if you have the "eyes of the desert." It’s about observation, not just combat prowess. If you can’t find a hidden door in a canyon, how are you going to spot a worm sign on the open dunes?
Final Thoughts on the Search
Arrakis is big. It’s empty. That emptiness is the point. When you finally locate the second trial Dune Awakening sets before you, the sense of relief is massive. It’s a milestone. It’s the moment the game stops treating you like a stranded tourist and starts treating you like a survivor.
Don't rely on the coordinates alone. Coordinates in a 3D space with multiple elevation layers are basically useless. Use your eyes. Look for the shadows. Look for the basalt. And for the love of Shai-Hulud, bring enough water.
🔗 Read more: Why Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered Still Hits Different
Actionable Next Steps
- Check Elevation: If you are at the map marker and see nothing, find a way to drop down into the nearby fissures. The entrance is significantly below the main plateau level.
- Look for Basalt: Search for dark, hexagonal rock pillars. These are the primary landmark for the second trial's hidden entrance.
- Prepare for Logic Puzzles: Ensure your inventory has at least two spare resonance stones and full hydration before stepping through the stone door.
- Mark Your Own Map: Once you find it, place a custom marker. The game's default tracking can be finicky if you leave the area and need to return later.