The deserts of Arrakis are alive with conflict and opportunity in Dune Awakening’s first global event — CHOAM Salvage Rights. Running until September 10, 2025, this limited-time event transforms Hagga Basin into a war zone of crashing freighters, enemy ambushes, and lucrative salvage runs. If you want to unlock exclusive cosmetic rewards, you’ll need to know exactly how to start the event quests and progress efficiently.
How to Start the CHOAM Salvage Rights Event
Unlike regular quests in Dune Awakening, the game does not directly notify you about this event. To get started:
- Travel to a CHOAM Representative (Merchant)
- Head to the Anvil Tradepost in the Eastern Vermillius Gap or the Pinnacle Tradepost in Hagga Basin. CHOAM Representatives can also appear at Arrakeen, Harko Village, and Griffin’s Reach, marked by a floating white CHOAM hologram near the contracts board. If you don’t see one at your nearest post, try another location as spawns vary by server.
- Speak to the CHOAM Representative
- Interact with the vendor and choose:
- “What do you have for sale?” — to view rewards you can buy with CHOAM Cargo.
- “What work do you have for me?” — to accept event contracts (quests).
- Interact with the vendor and choose:
- Accept All Contracts
- You can take on all three event contracts at once. Each pays around 150 XP and 4,500 Solari, and you don’t need to return to the vendor to complete them — a prompt allows instant turn-in.
- These contracts are one-time tutorials; the main loop afterward is farming cargo through freighters and turrets.
All Contracts in the CHOAM Salvage Rights Event
There are three (3) contracts available during the CHOAM Salvage Rights event.
1. Retrieve CHOAM Cargo
Objective: Salvage cargo from downed CHOAM freighters or Kirab turret sites.
Steps to Complete: Approach a crashed freighter (visible as smoke trails and wreckage in Hagga Basin).
- Land at the rear of the ship.
- Use your Cutteray to scan and cut through two access panels.
- Loot the chests inside for 1–3 pieces of CHOAM Cargo each.
Freighters usually contain two cargo holds, with hazards like fire, poison gas, blocked paths, or Kirab ambushes waiting inside. They despawn quickly or get devoured by sandworms, so move fast once you engage. Turrets, while yielding less cargo, are a safer alternative.
2. Sabotage Kirab Emplacements
Objective: Disable enemy missile turrets that are shooting CHOAM freighters from the sky.
Steps to Complete:
- Defeat the two Kirab guards defending the emplacement.
- Scan the side panel with your Cutteray.
- Remove the shielding plate and interact to deactivate the launcher.
A small chest often spawns nearby with additional CHOAM Cargo. These sites respawn over time, but some are located in PvP-enabled areas, so keep an eye out for rival players.
3. Make Them Pay
Objective: Kill 25 Kirab enemies.
Where to Find Them: Found around Vermillius Gap, near turret sites, and around freighter crash zones.
Progress is tracked automatically and doesn’t require turning in at a vendor. Depending on your server, this quest may also appear as “They Shall Pay”, but the task remains the same.
CHOAM Cargo and Rewards
The main currency of this event is CHOAM Cargo, earned through salvaging freighters, looting turret sites, and completing contracts. Cargo occupies inventory slots and cannot be banked, so plan frequent turn-ins to avoid wasted space.
Rewards Available at CHOAM Merchants
- CHOAM Tech Rifle Skin – 25 Cargo
- CHOAM Tech SMG Skin – 25 Cargo
- CHOAM Tech Sword Skin – 20 Cargo
- CHOAM Tech Pistol Skin – 20 Cargo
- Harkonnen Turret Statue (Base Decoration) – 35 Cargo
You’ll need 125 CHOAM Cargo in total to unlock everything. Merchants refresh periodically, so if their inventory seems missing, return later or visit another location.
Tips for Starting and Completing the Event Quests
- Solo vs Group Play:
- Solo players should focus on turret sites for low-risk cargo farming. Groups can clear freighters faster by splitting roles, with some handling Cutteray work and others defending against Kirab.
- Sandworm Safety:
- Monitor your worm meter and exit freighters when it turns yellow or red. Avoid raising shields near wreckage, as vibrations attract worms. Use rocky terrain for landings and deploy Thumpers to distract them. Vermillius Gap spawns worms faster, while Mysa Tarill offers safer salvage opportunities.
- Gear Preparation:
- Equip a Cutteray Mk2 for quicker cuts, a radiation suit for environmental hazards, and bring plenty of healing kits. A disruptor pistol also helps against ambushing Kirab.
- Efficient Farming:
- The northern Hagga Basin offers the densest freighter spawns. For maximum efficiency, loot a freighter and then disable nearby turrets in a single loop.
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The CHOAM Salvage Rights event is a perfect mix of risk and reward, offering both combat challenges and treasure-hunting opportunities. Starting at a CHOAM Representative, accepting all three contracts, and balancing freighter salvage with turret disables ensures steady progress toward exclusive cosmetics. With 125 CHOAM Cargo required to claim everything, you’ll need to play smart — but the unique weapon skins and base decoration are worth the effort.
As the event leads directly into Chapter 2 and The Lost Harvest DLC, farming now not only earns cosmetics but also prepares you with Solari, resources, and survival skills for the content ahead. Take to the sands of Arrakis, claim your salvage rights, and thrive in the chaos.
