News from Funcom is always exciting, even when they are delaying their next big game by a few weeks. Why? It just means more time to polish those game mechanics and sand dune effects!
Funcom has officially delayed Dune: Awakening’s Steam release, from its initial May 20th launch date to June 5 for Utlimate Ediditon pre-orders and June 10th for the rest of us. No news yet on the future console launch.
Norway’s Biggest Game Studio
Funcom calls Oslo home, as did I at some point. Funcom has been on my radar since Conan—no, not Exiles, but 2008’s Age of Conan. Since then, a lot has happened: they’ve released a number of games; The Secret World, The Park, Conan Exiles, Mutant Year Zero, Dune: Spice Wars, to name a few. They have also started publishing games.
Funcom was also wholly acquired by Tencent in 2020, giving a the studio the leeway to concentrate on developing and publishing good games.
Considering how well Funcom has managed their Conan IP, I am very excited for Dune: Awakening.
What Dune: Awakening is Doing Differently
I’m not part of the press cycle this time around, but studying what’s published by other outlets, there’s a clear direction here: Dune: Awakening is trying to balance survival gameplay with a traditional MMORPG.
At its core, Dune: Awakening is a hybrid; part survival sim / part MMO sandbox. You start with almost nothing. Water is your lifeline. Stay in the shade. Storms roll in. Shai-Huluds coming left and right to shake everything up.
But you’re not doing this alone. Other players are trying to survive too, and whether they become allies, political rivals, or unknown presences in the distance is all part of that social layer that adds pressure and unpredictability.
Credit Funcom
True To Frank Herbert’s Lore
Another thing that excites me is how Dune’s lore is integrated at all levels. Whether you align with the Atreides, Harkonnen, or other familiar factions, or end up crafting stillsuits, being a ornithopter-pilot, or navigating the political power structure, it’s all steeped in Frank Herbert’s source material.
And not just visually. The mechanics reflect the world’s logic. Holtzman shields force a slower, more deliberate style of combat. Spice doesn’t just boost stats—it changes how you perceive the world around you.
Wait, Where’s Paul Atreides?
In Denis Villeneuve’s fantastic movie adaptations, both Paul Atreides and Lady Jessica’s story arcs are very compelling. And we see true character development from one movie to the next. Even though I have not yet figured out all of Pauls motivations.
In Dune: Awakening (this game), Paul Atreides doesn’t exist. Instead, the game plays out in an alternate timeline, a timeline where Lady Jessica obeyed the Bene Gesserit and gave birth to a daughter.
Without Paul, there’s no Lisan Al-Gaib, and all events shift dramatically. Duke Leto survives the fall of Arrakeen and continues to battle House Harkonnen in a long, grinding war.
It’s a clever way to sidestep fan expectations while keeping the political and ecological themes intact and staying true to the universe. You don’t play as a legend—you play as someone trying to survive and maybe shape this version of Arrakis.
Combat is layered and has depth. Firing disruptors makes your shield vulnerable. Blades bypass it. Archetypes like Swordmasters or Bene Gesserit bring something specific to the narrative, especially if Dune: Awakening manages to succeed with role-based politics.
Will I get Tired of All The sand?
This is one question I keep asking myself? Will there be too much sand? Sand in my suit, sand in my shoes, sand in my mouth and foul tasting still-suit water.
Most survival games keep us players interested by changing up the biomes and environments. We often see snowy peaks, lush forests, toxic swamps. But the world of Arrakis gives you one thing; Sand. And plenty of it.
The big unknown is whether Funcom can make a single brown, sandy biome feel diverse enough to keep players engaged over time. Their approach seems to hinge on dynamic geography. The Deep Desert is reshaped every week by Coriolis storms that alter the landscape and uncover new resources. There is also Eco Labs, Crashed Ships, player created bases and potentially other environments.
Is this enough to keep exploration fresh? It’s still the same color palette, the same climate, the same number of sand grains in your still-suit shoes.
I’m hoping they find creative ways to make sand feel interesting. Giving us verticality, buried ruins, cave systems, dungeons, biome-specific hazards. Something that breaks up the homogenous environment.
Pricing and Editions
The game has the following editions:
- The Standard Edition is priced at $49.99
- Deluxe Edition at $69.99
- Ultimate Edition – $89.99
What’s bundled into those higher editions can be seen below.
Credit Funcom
More Coverage Coming April 25
According to Funcom, the game’s Persistent Closed Beta is still in full swing, with regular updates and player feedback loops.
At the time of writing, a major preview beta is on going, and many journalists and content creators are playing through the early hours of the game. Their coverage embargo drops on April 25, so expect a wave of new details, impressions, and footage from the lucky ones who got early access.
The developers are directly interacting with testers via channels like Discord, and that process has shaped the game’s development over the past months.
Funcom’s statement was direct:
“The feedback we’ve been collecting from beta testers has been invaluable in making sure we can launch a quality game. […] With a bit more time to cook, we can act on a lot more of the feedback we know is important to our beta testers.”
This is quoted from their press release dated 15th of April, 2025.
To me, that reads less like a delay and more like extra time to implement direct, good, and needed feedback from Dune: Awakening’s core audience.
Final thoughts
If Funcom pulls it off, Dune: Awakening might be the first MMO in a while that feels new and fresh. Will they manage to stay within the limitations of the Dune IP while still making the game fun and rewarding
As a Norwegian, I also genuinely want the Nordic game studios to succeed and I cannot wait to see more of Dune: Awakening.
Credit Funcom