Dune: Awakening – Everything You Need to Know
Your complete guide to Funcom’s ambitious open-world survival MMO set on Arrakis
Release Date & Availability
Dune: Awakening is set to launch on June 10, 2025, with early access beginning on June 5 for players who purchase the Deluxe or Ultimate Edition. The game will initially be available exclusively on PC, with potential console releases planned for the future.
The game is being developed and published by Funcom, the studio behind another successful survival game, Conan Exiles.
What is Dune: Awakening?
Dune: Awakening is an open-world survival MMO set on the iconic desert planet of Arrakis from Frank Herbert’s legendary science fiction universe. Unlike traditional MMOs, Dune: Awakening combines survival mechanics with a persistent online world capable of supporting hundreds of players simultaneously.
The game offers a unique alternate timeline where Paul Atreides was never born. Instead, his mother Jessica gave birth to a daughter, creating a different chain of events: Duke Leto wasn’t betrayed, House Atreides survived the Harkonnen attack, and the Emperor deployed Sardaukar forces to Arrakis to protect spice harvesting operations. Most notably, the Fremen have mysteriously vanished from the planet.
Players take on the role of a prisoner of the Bene Gesserit, secretly deployed as an agent to find the missing Fremen and “awaken the Sleeper” – though in this timeline without Paul Atreides, the identity of the Sleeper remains a mystery to be uncovered.
Gameplay Features
Survive Arrakis
Experience open-world, multiplayer survival on a massive scale. Learn the ways of the desert to survive the scorching sun, violent storms, and deadly sandworms. Seek shelter in the shadows, craft stillsuits, and extract water from defeated enemies to stay alive in one of the most hostile environments in gaming.
Master Desert Power
Wield a vast arsenal of weapons, abilities, and vehicles to dominate in sandbox combat. Study the teachings of the Great Schools of the Imperium, such as the Bene Gesserit and Swordmasters. Consume the precious spice to unlock new abilities that push beyond normal human limitations.
Build Your Dune
Customize your character and craft everything from stillsuits to ornithopters. Build your base in any style you prefer and upgrade your shelter into a formidable stronghold. Save your designs as blueprints that can be shared or sold to other players in the game’s economy.
Band Together
Play solo or join forces with others in this persistent online world. Form or join guilds and align with either House Atreides or House Harkonnen. Team up to explore ancient ruins, build more efficiently using Solido projections, and trade resources in bustling social hubs.
The World of Arrakis
Dune: Awakening’s version of Arrakis is a dynamic, ever-changing environment that presents constant challenges and opportunities for players. The game features several key regions and environmental elements:
The Deep Desert
The heart of Arrakis is the Deep Desert, where massive Coriolis storms reshape the landscape every week, creating an environment of “infinite exploration.” This is where the most valuable spice fields can be found, but also where the greatest dangers lurk, including the iconic sandworms that can detect movement on the sand and devour anything in their path.
Spice Harvesting
Spice is the most precious resource in the universe and the primary driver of Dune: Awakening’s economy. Players will deploy harvesters to collect spice from “blows” (areas where spice has surfaced), but must work quickly and carefully. The vibrations from harvesting operations attract sandworms, creating a tense race against time with each collection attempt.
Political System: The Landsraad
Beyond mere survival, Dune: Awakening features a complex political system centered around the Landsraad. Players can rise through the ranks of either House Atreides or House Harkonnen, earning unique faction rewards as they gain influence. By securing control of the Landsraad through both PvE and optional PvP objectives, players can vote on decrees that impact the entire server, shaping the future of Arrakis itself.
“Rise from survival to greatness and challenge the power of an Imperium in Dune: Awakening, a multiplayer survival game on a massive scale. Survive the sandworm, craft your ornithopter, build a fortress, and ascend to power on an open world Arrakis shared with hundreds of other players.”
– Official Dune: Awakening description
Base Building and Crafting
Base building in Dune: Awakening isn’t as simple as finding a nice spot and constructing a home. Players must pay taxes to the Emperor (in the form of spice) for their residences. Early in the game, bases are protected from invasion by other players, with Funcom deliberately steering competition toward spice fields in the Deep Desert rather than base raiding.
However, as players progress to the endgame, base raids can become a reality – though this is an opt-in system, allowing players to choose their preferred style of play. The crafting system is extensive, allowing players to create everything from basic survival gear to advanced vehicles like ornithopters for aerial transportation.
Combat and Progression
Combat in Dune: Awakening draws inspiration from the rich lore of the Dune universe. Players can master various fighting styles from the Great Schools of the Imperium:
- Bene Gesserit: Focus on precision, speed, and mystical abilities
- Swordmasters: Specialists in hand-to-hand combat rivaling even the Sardaukar
- Mentats: Human computers with enhanced cognitive abilities
The consumption of spice plays a crucial role in character progression, allowing players to “see just a little bit into the future” and unlock abilities beyond normal human capabilities. The game also features unique mechanics like manually piloting hunter-seeker drones, as seen in the Dune movies and books.
Game Editions and Pre-Order Information
Dune: Awakening will be available in three editions:
Standard Edition – $49.99
Includes the base game with access beginning on the official launch date of June 10, 2025.
Deluxe Edition – $69.99
Includes the base game, 5-day early access (starting June 5, 2025), exclusive cosmetic items, and additional in-game bonuses.
Ultimate Edition – $89.99
Includes all Deluxe Edition content plus premium cosmetics, a digital artbook, soundtrack, and additional exclusive in-game items and bonuses.
Pre-orders are currently available on Steam, with the “Terrarium of Muad’Dib” as a special pre-order bonus that will no longer be available after the official launch.
Private Servers
Funcom has announced that rentable private servers will be available from the head start launch on June 5, 2025. This will allow groups of players to create their own customized Dune: Awakening experience with adjustable settings and rules.
The Spice Must Flow
Dune: Awakening represents an ambitious fusion of survival gameplay and MMO elements, all set within one of science fiction’s most beloved universes. With its unique alternate timeline, complex political systems, and the constant threat of massive sandworms, the game promises a fresh take on both the survival genre and the Dune franchise.
Whether you’re a longtime fan of Frank Herbert’s world or simply looking for a new and challenging survival experience, Dune: Awakening offers a vast desert planet to explore, conquer, and perhaps rule – if you can master the harsh realities of life on Arrakis.
The game launches on June 10, 2025, with early access beginning on June 5 for Deluxe and Ultimate Edition owners. Will you survive the desert and rise to power, or will Arrakis claim yet another victim? The choice – and the challenge – awaits.
Last updated: June 6, 2025
