What if Lady Jessica had obeyed the Bene Gesserit and given birth to a daughter in Dune? How would the future of the Imperium diverge, with a timeline where Paul Atreides had never been born? In an astonishing game trailer, dropped today during Summer Game Fest, the premise for Dune: Awakening has been revealed. Watch this new story cinematic (two minute video) for Funcom’s upcoming open-world survival MMO here:
In Dune: Awakening you’ll find yourself on a familiar yet different Arrakis, one radically transformed by Lady Jessica’s pivotal decision. In this alternate timeline, House Atreides survives the betrayal of Doctor Yueh and is now engaged in ongoing War of Assassins with their bitter enemies House Harkonnen. Meanwhile, the Fremen have apparently disappeared after being hunted down.
Some things remain unchanged however – the spice must flow! After rising from destitution— acquiring water and establishing shelter—players will seek out strategic alliances and engage in battle with fierce competition, all towards gaining control of this most precious resource in the Dune universe. To that end, Dune: Awakening will feature encounters with key figures in the Noble houses, including Ariste Atreides (daughter of Duke Leto and Lady Jessica).
Funcom expressed excitement regarding the creative possibilities opened up within this new setting:
It’s exciting and a bit of a relief to finally share the details of the alternative timeline in Dune: Awakening. It’s the pebble that starts a landslide, and it opens up a lot of really cool opportunities for players to explore when they arrive on Arrakis.
Joel Bylos, Creative Director at Funcom
First announced in 2022, no release date has been communicated for Dune: Awakening, however the game has already passed a major milestone: Over one million players have wishlisted it on Steam. In addition to PC, the open-world survival MMO will be available on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
Funcom has teased that more information about the alternate timeline will be revealed in their second Dune: Awakening Direct livestream, scheduled for June 20, 2024. New gameplay footage is also expected to be shared later this summer.