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How to find buried treasure in Dune: Awakening | Sietch Watermaster

SW Staff

SW Staff

— 4 min read
How to find buried treasure in Dune: Awakening | Sietch Watermaster
The buried treasure in Dune: Awakening can yield small amounts of spice sand, among other crafting materials and Solaris. (Image credit: Funcom via Gamers Heroes)

Uncover the hidden riches beneath the dunes of Arrakis without becoming a sandworm’s meal.

In your initial hours playing Dune: Awakening, you'll instinctively avoid open sand unless it's absolutely essential. However, after completing a few quests, the game gradually encourages you to venture into the desert, risking an encounter with hungry sandworms. Buried treasure is one of the primary incentives for braving the dunes, but the game isn’t very clear about how its treasure-hunting system works.

In the Vermillius Gap region, you'll encounter a quest appropriately titled "Buried Treasure," where you're tasked with unearthing hidden loot using special Fremen devices unlocked after completing the Second Trial of Aql. Armed with the Handheld Scanner and Static Compactor, you’re ready to become a desert treasure hunter—assuming you figure out how these gadgets operate.

How to locate buried treasure in Dune: Awakening

Buried treasure in Dune: Awakening is hidden beneath open sand. Keep an eye on your screen; if the sandworm meter appears, you’re likely in the correct spot.

By the time you're on this quest, you should have both the Handheld Resource Scanner and Static Compactor. However, if you need replacements, you can find materials to craft new ones by exploring moisture-sealed caves for Fremen resources. Both gadgets require EMF Generators, a fairly common type of Fremen loot. 

To locate buried treasure, use your Handheld Resource Scanner to examine the sands for anomalies. When something is buried beneath, it will be indicated by a diamond-shaped icon.

This is what the treasure icon looks like. This is what you should look for. (Image credit: Funcom via Gamers Heroes)

It may take multiple scans before finding treasure, so don't panic if you don't immediately uncover anything.

Once a diamond icon appears, approach the indicated location and deploy your Static Compactor onto the marked ground.

Shoot your Static Compactor into the sand near the treasure icon. (Image credit: Funcom via Gamers Heroes)

After a few seconds, the compactor will clear away the sand, revealing a container buried below. 

The treasure box will look like the normal loot container in the game. Don't expect it to look like the cosmic chest within Dune: Awakening's dungeons. (Image credit: Funcom via Gamers Heroes)

These hidden caches may contain Solaris, gear, or occasionally just a few pieces of ore—meaning every chest won’t necessarily yield great riches.

The treasure you find will usually only yield some Solaris, crafting materials, and possibly some spice sand. (Image credit: Funcom via Gamers Heroes)

You can discover buried treasure across Arrakis wherever there’s open sand, so it’s beneficial to scan frequently as you journey through various regions.

Of course, sandworms don’t exactly appreciate treasure hunters pillaging their territories. Simply walking and scanning creates noise, but the Static Compactor dramatically increases that racket. It practically broadcasts your presence to the worms. Always be ready to sprint toward rocky ground unless you're keen on donating your gear to a sandworm’s stomach.

If you’re struggling to find treasure in Dune: Awakening, focus on expansive open sand areas between major regions. Narrow sand paths between rocky mountains can also yield loot, but there’s much less surface area for treasures to appear compared to open dunes.

Avoid areas with quicksand or drumsand, as finding treasure here is notably more difficult. Instead, seek out hazard-free zones. Areas known for Flour Sand deposits are ideal, as they’re calmer and feature more expansive sand to explore. Watch for white wisps of sand kicking up from dunes to pinpoint these locations.

How to get a Sandbike Scanner

If you want to stay safe during treasure hunts, it’s wise to equip your sandbike with a scanner. While the Handheld Resource Scanner is useful, constantly dismounting and walking around significantly increases your chances of becoming worm food.

Try not to become this guy. (Image credit: Funcom)

With a vehicle-mounted scanner, you can safely search for buried treasure without even stopping.

You can research and obtain a Sandbike Scanner relatively early in Dune: Awakening, and it’s definitely worth the effort.

This is what the Sandbike Scanner looks like. (Image credit: Funcom)

To craft one, you'll need Iron Ingots and Advanced Servoks, both easily accessible in the game's starting regions. Iron Ore is abundant throughout the Vermillius Gap, while Advanced Servoks are typically found inside Imperial Testing Stations scattered across the map.

Beyond scanning on the go, the Sandbike Scanner provides another key advantage over the handheld version. While the Handheld Resource Scanner consumes substantial energy, the Sandbike Scanner operates on a fixed cooldown and won’t drain your Power Pack.

This is what scanning on your Sandbike looks like. (image credit: Funcom)

Serious treasure hunters will find the Sandbike Scanner indispensable, and you can even research upgraded versions featuring longer range and shorter recharge times to enhance your desert scavenging efficiency.

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