If you want to brave the sands of Arrakis, Dune: Awakening might be your next favorite online game. Described as an open world survival MMO, Dune: Awakening allows you to explore the ever-changing desert planet alongside thousands of other players.
Dune: Awakening is only a fraction of the transmedia and merch push the long-lived Dune franchise is currently experiencing. Besides video games like this and Dune: Spice Wars, giants such as Microsoft Flight Simulator, Call of Duty, and Fortnite have also landed collaborations with the IP. Moreover, renowned toy companies are putting out products we never thought we'd see, such as the Lego Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter set.
With the Max series Dune: Prophecy right around the corner, it’s the perfect time to get into all things Dune, whether that means reading through Frank Herbert’s novels, going for a rewatch of David Lynch’s divisive 1984 movie and Denis Villeneuve’s celebrated two-part adaptation, or playing one of the many Dune board games that are available at the moment.
Without further ado, here's what we know so far about Funcom's upcoming online video game and what the developers are trying to achieve.
Dune: Awakening Release date
Funcom hasn't locked a release date yet for Dune: Awakening. After this last summer, however, we have a tentative release window: early 2025.
In the meantime, if you're looking for more great sci-fi video games based on famous franchises then our rankings of the finest Alien, Marvel, DC, Warhammer 40K, and, of course, Star Wars games out there will definitely keep you busy until the arrival of Dune: Awakening.
Dune: Awakening Platforms
Unsurprisingly, Dune: Awakening is being developed with current-gen consoles and PC in mind. That is, the game is coming to PC (Windows), PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
However, as far as we know, the ongoing closed beta tests are only happening for PC at the moment, suggesting it's the lead development platform. This is backed by the fact only the PC launch has been teased for early 2025, with the console versions expected to drop later.
Dune: Awakening Trailers
The first peek at the game was a CG teaser trailer released on August 23, 2022. You can watch it here:
Later, on December 9, 2022, the first-ever in-game footage arrived through a pre-alpha teaser trailer. This gave us a general sense of what to expect from Funcom's rendition of Frank Herbert's universe and Denis Villeneuve's blockbusters. Check it out below:
On June 12, 2023, PC Gamer was lucky enough to chat with the developers and share more gameplay footage. This preview is an especially interesting one as it details more of how the uniqueness of Herbert's vision is being translated into a survival MMO experience. Watch it below:
Funcom has recently started ramping up the marketing push for the long-awaited game. As a direct result, featurettes and ‘directs’ have been dropping regularly via YouTube.
The latest CG trailer was released during the Summer Game Fest 2024, which presents the alternate timeline (teased in the past by devs) in which the game takes place: one where Paul Atreides was never born. It appears that Paul’s mother, Jessica, decided to obey the Bene Gesserit and gave birth to a daughter, Ariste Atreides. This results in a far bloodier war between the Harkonnens and the Atreides on Arrakis. You can watch the intriguing trailer below:
Finally, Gamescom 2024 brought tons of new gameplay through a five-minute trailer and a much longer presentation. You can find both of them below:
Dune: Awakening Plot & setting
Spoilers ahead for the first Dune book and the movies.
Like most online open-world games, Dune: Awakening will put players into the shoes of seemingly unimportant, small-name characters who become part of the huge power struggle on the harsh planet of Arrakis.
Of course, fans and casual gamers alike should expect to meet a number of familiar faces from the Dune books and movies. That said, the developers have explained the game takes place in an 'alternate' timeline where a certain event didn't play out as expected and everything changed. This allows the creative team to explore Arrakis' richness without being constrained by the pre-existing canon. As just revealed by the latest CG trailer, the era-defining timeline change is that Paul Atreides isn’t born. For longtime Dune fans, this is a massive deviation from canon which will surely reshape the Arrakis and factions we’ll see in the game.
For example, Duke Leto Atreides will be alive in the game, allowing players to meet and side with him should they choose to. This appears to imply faction-based gameplay and storylines that will evolve around the players' actions and their online interactions. Under that logic, the ‘alternate timeline’ approach to the story makes a lot of sense.
Dune: Awakening Genre & gameplay
The first details and original teaser seemingly presented Dune: Awakening as an online survival game similar to Funcom's Conan Exiles and other giants of the genre. We later learned the project is much more ambitious in scope and closer to a full-blown MMO experience in which thousands of players can interact at once.
The core 'gameplay loop' is said to include survival mechanics built around the series' famous 'water discipline' and avoiding the notorious sandstorms and sandworms of Arrakis. As you explore the desert planet, expect plenty of political intrigue and faction missions for you to get stuck into, alongside open warfare. This includes melee and ranged combat as well as the use of vehicles and customization and crafting to encourage experimentation.
In the long run, players will build, develop, and maintain relationships with numerous factions and guilds, gain powers and upgrades thanks to the spice and special training, and even construct their own bases of operations.
Funcom devs have also said that they want character progression to be more involved and exciting. So, instead of simply putting points into skill and tech trees by completing tasks, Dune: Awakening will push players into exploring the world on their own and finding the tools and knowledge needed to rise to power.
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