Dune: Awakening is a multiplayer open-world survival game developed by Funcom, set in an alternate timeline of Frank Herbert's legendary Dune universe where Paul Atreides was never born. Explore the desert planet of Arrakis, master the Great Schools of the Imperium, and uncover the mystery behind the vanished Fremen. The game launched on Windows PC in June 2025, and arrives on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on September 22, 2026, bringing a full single-player mode and cross-platform play to the console release .
Dune: Awakening Key Features
- A gripping alternate timeline of the Dune universe where Paul Atreides was never born, and Duke Leto Atreides wages war against House Harkonnen
- Epic, cinematic storyline filled with mystery, warfare, and political intrigue, following a prisoner's rise through the ranks of Arrakis society
- Dynamic server-wide politics shaped by the powerful Landsraad council, where collective player choices influence the evolving story
- Deep RPG systems with open-world survival mechanics, fortress building, and sandbox PvP and PvE combat
- Character customization and progression across the Great Schools of the Imperium, letting players master one or multiple disciplines
- Guild-based gameplay, banding players together to seize territorial and political power across the Deep Desert
- Iconic vehicles including sandbikes, buggies, and Ornithopters, used for traversal, combat, and reaching the game's most dangerous zones
- A full single-player mode with scalable difficulty arriving alongside the console launch on September 22, 2026
Gameplay
Given the political depth of the Dune universe, most games based on the franchise have traditionally been strategy titles focusing on power struggles. Dune: Awakening takes a completely fresh approach, blending elements of RPG progression, deep character customization, crafting, fortress building, and sandbox combat into a full-fledged simulation of surviving, and thriving, on Arrakis. Players shape their characters based on preferred play styles, mastering disciplines from the Great Schools of the Imperium, while guilds play a central role in banding players together to seize true desert power. Survival comes with no shortage of dangers: one wrong step could summon a terrifying sandworm, deadly sandstorms can strike without warning, and ongoing house conflicts might force difficult political decisions, with vehicles like the Ornithopter, unlocked through faction reputation, becoming essential for reaching the game's most demanding endgame content in the Deep Desert.
Story
Dune: Awakening transports players to the desert planet of Arrakis, but with a twist: in this alternate version of the world, Paul Atreides was never born. Instead, his father, Duke Leto Atreides, is locked in a brutal war against the Harkonnen Empire, while the Fremen, the native desert dwellers, have mysteriously vanished. Players take on the role of a prisoner whose fate quickly shifts, and as they rise through the ranks, they must uncover the mystery behind the disappearance of the Fremen and eventually choose their place in the escalating planetary conflict. Server-wide politics driven by the Landsraad council allow collective player choices to shape the world's evolving story, making every player's allegiance and strategy matter on a grand scale, culminating in what Funcom describes as an epic story finale arriving with the console launch.
Graphics
Built in Unreal Engine 5, Dune: Awakening renders the vast, sun-scorched landscapes of Arrakis with sweeping dunes, rocky canyons, ancient ruins, and the ever-present threat of massive sandworms breaching the surface. Ornithopters and other vehicles let players traverse the Overland Map and take in the scale of the environment from above, while detailed character and vehicle customization add further visual variety across factions like House Atreides and House Harkonnen.
Who will like Dune: Awakening
- Fans of the Dune novels and films looking for a fresh, alternate take on Frank Herbert's universe
- Players who enjoy open-world survival games with deep crafting and base-building systems
- Fans of RPG character progression across specialized schools and disciplines
- Guild-oriented players who enjoy large-scale PvP and territorial control
- Gamers drawn to sandbox combat, dynamic events, and emergent survival challenges
- Players interested in server-wide, community-driven political storytelling through the Landsraad council
- Console players waiting to jump in with the full single-player mode arriving September 22, 2026 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S
