Funcom’s open world survival MMO game has officially been revealed! Dune: Awakening will offer the exciting prospect of exploring Arrakis, harsh desert setting of Dune, while interacting with thousands of other players in a persistent online world. The video game will be released on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.
In addition to today’s title announcement, during the 2022 Gamescom: Opening Night Live, a cinematic trailer has been released. Dune: Awakening draws its inspiration from the best-selling Dune books by Frank Herbert, as well as Denis Villeneuve’s Oscar-winning movie adaptation. This new open world game clearly shares the latter’s aesthetic—you’ll recognize the film’s already iconic visuals, whether it’s the Fremen stillsuit, spice harvester, or that gargantuan sandworm.
The official description for the open world survival MMO reads as follows:
Dune: Awakening combines the grittiness and creativity of survival games with the social interactivity of large-scale, persistent multiplayer games to create a unique and ambitious Open World Survival MMO. Rise from survival to dominance in a vast and seamless Arrakis shared by thousands of players.
Head into unmapped sectors and be the first to discover secrets and riches before the coriolis storms once again shift the sands and alter the landscape. Narrowly escape colossal sandworms, build your home from shelter to mighty base, and traverse the dunes in iconic vehicles from the universe.
Hunt for spice blooms and deploy your harvester, then protect it from rival factions in fast-paced, deadly combat that shifts seamlessly from armored groundcars to ornithopters in the sky. Plot your rise to power and build your influence within the Landsraad through careful intrigue.
Back in 2019, it was reported that Funcom secured the license to publish multiple Dune video games, including this open world survival property. Then in 2021 they announced their partnership with Nukklear, to help realize the expanded scope of the project. The developers have not shied away from emphasizing their grand ambition, to craft Dune into an immersive online multiplayer experience.
Funcom has been pushing boundaries in the MMO genre for 20 years. It’s where our roots are. We built on that with Conan Exiles, our first big success in the survival space. With Dune: Awakening we’re bridging the survival and MMO genres to create something truly unique and ambitious within a universe we’re all so passionate about.
Rui Casais, CEO Funcom
As mentioned up top, it’s encouraging to see how closely the trailer follows the look and feel of 2021’s Dune movie. Given the prestige status of Dune and its great potential as a long-term franchise, this feels like a vote of confidence from licensor Legendary Entertainment
Dune: Awakening truly promises to bring the world of Dune to life in an exciting new way. We are thrilled to be creating this with a partner like Funcom, who is so adept at capturing the rich detail and wonder of cinematic worlds for the gaming audience.
Sam Rappaport, VP of Interactive Media Legendary Entertainment
No release date has been communicated at this stage, however Funcom confirmed that they are planning an open Beta and more information will follow at a later date—you can sign-up for that on the Dune Games website. If you’re a PC gamer, you can already add to your wishlist on Steam.
In the meantime, for fans of 4X and/or real-time strategy games, we recommend checking out our early access review of Dune: Spice Wars. That game is available to play now on Steam, either on PC or via devices that support GeForce Now.
Stay tuned to Dune News Net for the latest in video game news—whether it’s for Dune: Awakening or Dune: Spice Wars—and our ongoing coverage of the movies, books, and upcoming TV series.
