Image credit: Funcom

It’s been a little while since Dune: Awakening hit the digital sands, so let’s look at how Funcom’s survival MMO is holding up.

MMO Launch: Global Release Details

“Dune: Awakening” officially launched on June 10, 2025. Early access began June 5. Originally planned for May 15, the release got pushed back just under a month. Funcom said the delay was to give the team more time.

Dune: Awakening — Official Launch Trailer

Probably the right call. History shows that a messy MMO launch can seriously hurt long-term success. With a massive license like Dune, expectations were sky-high and Funcom had no room for a stumble.

Player Base Stats From SteamDB

The game’s launch day pulled in 142,050 peak concurrent players on Steam. Its highest peak came June 15, with 189,333 players. Daily concurrency now hovers around 67,198.

Steam reviews are sitting at “Very Positive” with 83.90% positive from nearly 29,000 submissions. Twitch gave the game decent visibility too – 50,019 viewers at peak, with 16,300 watching at one time.

What Are Players’ Impressions?

Early reception was mixed, but the devs acted fast. North American servers saw unplanned downtime, which got patched in 1.1.0.13 to improve stability.

PvP was a sore spot. Complaints were loud and clear:

  • Ornithopter dominance: Foot combat felt pointless since players got rammed constantly.
  • High risk, low reward: PvP felt punishing with little payoff.
  • Short respawns: 12-second respawns let big teams steamroll fights.
  • PvP imbalance: Many fights felt one-sided and unfair.
  • Patch 1.1.0.15 helped a lot. Respawn timers got bumped: 70 seconds for first death, 115 after. Most importantly, vehicle damage to players was removed, solving the ramming issue. Players called it “a step in the right direction.”

Endgame wasn’t safe from criticism either. The Landsraad system was slammed for rewarding big guilds while locking out solos and smaller groups from PvE rewards. The system ends faction-wide progression the moment a goal is met, shutting others out. Joel Bylos, Funcom’s Creative Director, said changes are in the works.

Outside those gripes, the game’s world is a highlight. Vertical map design and survival mechanics around water scarcity and solar danger feel immersive. Crafting things like stillsuits and Holtzman shields is genuinely satisfying.

That said, combat gets repetitive, enemy variety is lacking, menus feel clunky, and the eight-slot hotbar feels tight. Driving without a minimap is a pain. Some players grief others by blocking routes with buildings. And yes, capes can glitch out into infinity. No fishing or animal petting, but you can drink blood from desert mice. Silver linings.

Players also report that exploration feels surprisingly rewarding, especially when you stumble across deep desert ruins or rogue sandworm nests that can appear without warning. There’s something oddly satisfying about surviving a long trek across the dunes with nothing but scrap gear and a leaky stillsuit. Add in dynamic weather effects and sandstorms that can completely alter visibility, and Arrakis starts to feel alive. It’s a brutal kind of beauty, but it fits.

Climbing narrow rock paths, dodging patrols, and catching a glimpse of a worm breaching in the distance? Feels cinematic, even without a scripted story. There’s still plenty of rough edges, but underneath it all, the potential is definitely there.

Connection to Dune Lore and Expectations

The game spins a new timeline – Paul Atreides never existed. The Atreides and Harkonnens are locked in war. Fremen? Gone. This choice lets Funcom build something familiar but different. Survival on Arrakis feels real. Water matters, sun kills, and Dune tech like stillsuits and shields adds flavor.

Sandworms can eat you and your ride. Sardaukar ships drop assassins at night. It’s tough out there. Despite the bugs and bumps, this feels like it was made by people who actually care about Dune.