"Dune: Awakening - Latest Updates Revealed"

Dune: Awakening News

2025

May 8

⚫︎ Dune: Awakening recently hosted its open beta weekend, offering players a deep dive into the first 20–25 hours of gameplay and key game systems. During the Global LAN Party livestream, an unexpected PvP exploit was discovered—allowing players to stunlock opponents indefinitely. The development team at Funcom quickly responded, with World Director Jeff Gagné and Lead Producer Ole Andreas Haley confirming the issue is a top priority and will be resolved before the official launch.

Read more: Dune: Awakening PvP Exploit Discovered During Open Beta (Game8)

May 8

⚫︎ To ensure a smooth launch experience, Funcom is leveraging its expertise from previous MMO releases to prevent server congestion in Dune: Awakening. The game will run on thousands of dedicated servers, known as Hagga Basins, each supporting 40 active players while accommodating several hundred accounts through natural player rotation. If a server nears capacity, a queue system will be activated to allow fair access. The team is fully prepared to scale up server infrastructure in real time, ensuring stable performance across all global regions.

Read more: Dune: Awakening will be Ready for Thousands Of Players, Says Developer (Game8)

April 28

⚫︎ Momentum is building as Dune: Awakening approaches launch with a large-scale global beta weekend on the horizon. Funcom announced the event on their official site, accompanied by a new trailer showcasing cinematic cutscenes and story highlights. Players can secure beta access by wishlisting the game on Steam or obtaining beta codes during the upcoming global broadcast event.

Read more: Dune: Awakening Beta Spans Weekend and Features Global LAN Party (Game8)

April 25

⚫︎ Funcom has confirmed the third official Dune: Awakening livestream, set for April 29 at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET, airing live on the game’s YouTube and Twitch channels. The stream will spotlight core gameplay systems, including base building, crafting, resource gathering, and story progression. Deep dives into The Exchange, Landsraad, and Blueprint mechanics will also be featured. Viewers can participate in a live Q&A and enter for a chance to win an Ultimate Edition giveaway.

Read more: Dune: Awakening Livestream #3 Features Base Building Mechanics (Game8)

April 16

⚫︎ Dune: Awakening has been rescheduled to June 10, 2025. Developer Funcom cited the need for additional development time to refine the game and incorporate feedback from beta testers, ensuring a polished and immersive launch experience.

Read more: Dune: Awakening Release Delayed By Three Weeks (Game8)

March 27

⚫︎ The system requirements for Dune: Awakening have been revealed, showing the game is accessible to older gaming rigs while still demanding high-end hardware for 4K performance. Minimum specs include an NVIDIA GTX 1060, AMD Radeon 5600 XT, or Intel Arc A380, paired with an Intel i5-7400 or AMD Ryzen 3 1200, and 16GB RAM. At this level, gameplay runs at 1080p and 30fps. For optimal performance, the recommended setup features an RTX 3070 or RX 6700 XT.

Read more: Dune Awakening system requirements let older gaming PCs in on the fun (PCGamesN)

March 26

⚫︎ Dune: Awakening will launch in May with no early access phase or monthly subscription fee—breaking the mold of traditional survival MMOs. Creative Director Joel Bylos confirmed the game will receive ongoing free updates, delivering new content and quality-of-life improvements post-launch.

Read more: Dune: Awakening Will Be an MMO With No Monthly Subscriptions (Game8)

March 14

⚫︎ A new trailer for Dune: Awakening offers a detailed look at life on Arrakis, from base construction to resource discovery. The footage highlights survival mechanics such as vehicle crafting, material scanning, and exploring points of interest like crashed spacecraft with valuable loot. Mobility tools like the grappling hook and suspensor belt enable vertical traversal, while Coriolis Storms—massive, weekly sandstorms—reshape the PvP zones, altering terrain and revealing new opportunities for bold explorers.

With a focus on dynamic world evolution and endless exploration, Dune: Awakening is emerging as a bold new entry in the survival MMO genre.

Read more: Dune Awakening's latest trailer offers a glimpse of its massive coriolis storms, which reshape swathes of the map each week for 'infinite exploration' (PC Gamer)

February 20

⚫︎ Funcom has officially announced that Dune: Awakening will launch on PC via Steam on May 20 for $49.99, with pre-orders available soon. Early purchasers will receive the exclusive in-game ‘Terrarium of Muad’Dib’ decoration. While console versions are planned for a later release, PC players can already access a free character creator and benchmark tool on Steam to customize their avatar and test system performance ahead of launch.

Read more: Dune: Awakening Character Creation is Already Available (Game8)

January 7

⚫︎ Dune: Awakening is set to deliver a next-generation experience with its integration of NVIDIA DLSS 4 and advanced Razer Chroma and Haptics technology. Announced at CES 2025, the game will utilize NVIDIA’s Multi Frame Generation to boost performance and visual fidelity, bringing the brutal beauty of Arrakis to life in stunning detail. Razer’s haptic feedback and synchronized lighting will deepen immersion, letting players feel sandworm tremors, sandstorm gusts, and combat impacts in real time.

Read more: Dune: Awakening Brings Arrakis to Life as one of the First to Feature Cutting-Edge NVIDIA DLSS 4 and Next-Gen Razer Chroma Integration (Funcom)

2024

November 15

⚫︎ In a developer Q&A from November, new gameplay insights were shared for Dune: Awakening. Shields, powered by Holtzman technology, block fast-moving projectiles but are vulnerable to slow melee attacks, fire, and poison—and their energy vibrations can attract sandworms. Shield components are rare and typically found in locations like Imperial Testing Stations. While gameplay is primarily in third-person, tools such as binoculars and weapon scopes switch to first-person view.

Vehicles, which can be crafted or scavenged, support customizable access permissions and can be securely stored using a vehicle backup system. Although sandworm riding won’t be available at launch, the team plans to introduce it meaningfully in a future update. Progression is tied to exploration and contract completion, unlocking abilities, crafting recipes, and specialized skills—including teachings from Wandering Masters, such as Bene Gesserit techniques.

Read more: Dune: Awakening Shares Development Updates and Answers FAQ (Dune: Awakening)

August 20

⚫︎ At Gamescom, a five-minute gameplay preview of Dune: Awakening gave fans a closer look at survival on Arrakis. Players must master Fremen techniques to endure the desert, engaging in combat, spice harvesting, construction, and trade. With rising guild conflicts and battles for control over spice, every decision shapes a player’s path in this player-driven world.

Read more: Dune: Awakening Gameplay Trailer Showcased For a 2025 Release During Gamescom ONL (Game8)

March 5

⚫︎ In March 2024, Funcom revealed new details about Dune: Awakening, their upcoming survival MMO set on the desert planet Arrakis. Inspired by Frank Herbert’s Dune novels and Denis Villeneuve’s film adaptations, the first-ever Dune: Awakening Direct featured in-game footage powered by Unreal Engine 5. The presentation reignited excitement for the title—originally announced in 2022—amid growing anticipation for Dune: Part Two.

Read more: Dune: Awakening Shows Off Its Unreal Engine 5 Chops (Game8)