Introduction: The revival of Frank Herbert’s Dune fictional universe caught the world’s attention thanks to the new Denis Villeneuve movies. These big-budget films turned into global blockbusters and provided a new aesthetic for the famous science fiction series. Now, a game from Funcom recreates the survival experience taking place in the central world in the same universe – the desert planet of Arrakis. Here, dangers and opportunities go hand in hand, while the MMORPG setup of the same title offers some interesting twists on the well-known gameplay mechanics. While the launch of the game is still some months in the future, its potential is immense, not just among numerous Dune fans, but also among gamers looking for that next big massive multiplayer experience.
Article: It is hard to comprehend what the now-legendary science fiction writer Frank Herbert took on as inspiration when writing his Dune novels. The first book in the series, simply called Dune, came out in 1965 and brought about a rich tapestry of a distant space-feudal society that had numerous power players, factions, technologies, and philosophies. These both merged and clashed in a story around Paul Atreides and his hero’s journey in the tough and unforgiving environment of the planet Arrakis, the only spot in the known universe that produces Spice. This strange residue of giant Sand Worms is the pulsing heart of the Empire and many of its key elements, which is why the same planet is the focal point of all of the conflicts in this epic space opera. Immediately after its release, the novel brought fame and fortune to Hebert, while it also began one of the most iconic sci-fi stories in the world.
Now, Funcom, a game development company from Norway, is making a new massively multiplayer RPG game in the same universe. The title of the game is Dune: Awakening and it is trying to bank on the popularity of the recent two films by the brilliant Canadian director, Denis Villeneuve. As an MMORPG and survival game, the title will skip all forms of early access and should launch into its full PC version at the start of May, followed by versions for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and Series S. The title’s aesthetics, as well as the interesting combination of gameplay mechanics already got the interest of many gamers. At the same time, it seems to have the potential to become one of the biggest MMORPG releases of 2025, possibly even beyond.
Funcom Multiplayer Background
Funcom, or Funcom Oslo AS as its full name stands, is a game developer and publisher that began working in Oslo, Norway, back in 1993. From its humble roots that were cross-platform, covering both PC games and titles for consoles and mobile devices, Funcom slowly grew to a company specializing in massively multiplayer online role-playing releases. Those include a range of Conan games, like Age of Conan and Conan Exiles, but also Anarchy Online and The Secret World. The company was acquired by Tencent in 2019, which injected further funds and capabilities into its teams. Thanks to this, the company landed a six-year deal with the owners of the Dune franchise and began working on the project that same year. Dune: Awakening as a formed title was announced in the middle of 2022. Many video game industry experts saw the survival MMORPG as a perfect project for Funcom and its expertise.
The Spice Must Flow
At its core, Dune: Awakening is a survival game with massively multiplayer features and an RPG system. It takes place in an alternative Dune timeline where Paul Atreidis was never born. Instead, the House Atreidis and House Harrkonnen are fighting on Arrakis for the control of Spice trade, while the native people of the world, the mysterious and dangerous Fremen, simply vanished. Here is where the players come in, acting as agents of the Bene Gesserit sisterhood, with the simple mission – of finding the Fremen and awakening the Sleeper. In the sands of Arrakis, the players will need to survive the most dangerous world in the Imperium, but also build their base and craft the tools they will need. These will include everything from gadgets and weapons, going all the way to vehicles like the famous ornithopters. The same world will be shared with hundreds of other human players, along with NPC enemies and allies. Throughout this, the role of Spice will continue to loom large over the player’s objectives.
Changing Desert Storms
One of the most interesting elements of Dune: Awakening will be its dynamic map. Every seven or so days, the map in the game will be subjected to a gigantic desert storm that will completely reshape it. Old key points might or might not survive, but the shifting sands will unearth new secrets to discover and use. These might include forgotten Imperial botanical gardens and research stations, or crashed spaceships that were claimed by the desert for centuries. In any case, the system of storms is a very smart solution to the game’s key playing fields and something that can keep the game fresh for months. Funcom is promising that it will push out regular updates and additional content, all free of charge for its players. This means that the title, which can be pre-ordered for 49.99 USD will continue to modify and expand its experience for some time.
Surviving vs Thriving
There is no doubt that Funcom developers are masters of the genre in which they are developing this title. Besides that, in every aspect, it is an ambitious game that uses the visuals and the design of the modern Dune movies to great effect. The same goes for its savvy use of the narrative element of the same universe, where the storm mechanic is a perfect example. However, the key challenge of the game will be to balance its survival and combat elements, which will be immediately set in front of new players, with the longevity of the crafting and base-building processes. The players might come for the game’s action, but ultimately, they will either stay or leave because of Dune: Awakening’s long-term gameplay potential. If Funcom can balance that element of base-building with the game’s pure action side, the new Dune game could end up being the fastest-growing new MMORPG of the year. Otherwise, the sands of Arrakis might devour this game and simply place it into a plethora of other Dune games that did not make the cut in one way or another.
Dune Awakening on Steam
Author: Ivica Milaric, game designer and assistant professor of game design at the Novi Sada Academy of Arts, Republic of Serbia