Everything About Dune Awakening Release Date, What to Expect, Features and More

Discover everything about Dune Awakening including key features of the game, what to expect from it, release date, and more.

Character - Dune Awakening

Funcom’s latest title, Dune: Awakening, is a few months away from the official launch. This new upcoming title is based on the infamous Frank Herbert’s sci-fi world, Dune. However, this new exciting adventure will keep the spotlight on players as it will be their story to shape and conquer the World of Arrakis. We also got an even closer look at the game with a new gameplay trailer confirming the PC release date in May.

We and thousands of players are excited to jump into the universe’s most dangerous planet and experience how to overcome the challenges. From getting water for survival, using spice to acquire powerful abilities, to facing the nightmares that come with the day and night cycle in the arid. Here is everything you need to know about Dune: Awakening, including what the game is about, what to expect from it, its features, release date, platforms, and more.

What Dune Awakening Game is about?

Dune Awakening - Group up and exploring questing together in Co-op

Dune: Awakening is an upcoming survival MMORPG developed by Funcom, the team behind Conan Exiles survival open-world video game. The new title from Funcom is tempted to deliver an exciting adventure on Arrakis like never before. Dune is one of the most beloved fantasy worlds ever created, which is famous for its exciting, adventurous story of Paul Atreides.

However, in Dune: Awakening, it is all reversed. Paul Atreides was never born and Lady Jessica gave birth to a girl while obeying Bene Gesserit. Duke Leto Atreides survived the attack on Arrakeen and is now locked in a brutal conflict with the Harkonnen over Arrakis and its precious spice. Moreover, the Fremen have disappeared and as the game begins, players will have to investigate the disappearance of Fremen.

Players start on planet Arrakis’s desert, a harsh, arid world with vast sand dunes and extreme climate conditions. One of the most notable enemies is the gigantic sandworms who roam the deserts and are drawn to rhythmic vibrations. On the other hand, many factions fight for control of Arrakis. All entangled in political intrigue and power struggles, with noble houses, the Spacing Guild, and the mysterious Bene Gesserit playing the leading roles. Spice Melange is a valuable substance mined on Arrakis, grants extended life, and enhances mental abilities, but its extraction comes at a perilous cost.

Now, there is no restriction on playing the game with friends although it is a multiplayer survival sandbox MMO. You can choose to experience the World of Arrakis on your own and get to meet with all the noble houses.

When is Dune Awakening Releasing? Release Date Explored

Dune: Awakening will officially be released on May 20th, 2025 on PC. The new trailer from the past week confirms the release date and the players on PC will finally get to experience the new adventure. However, as the game is also announced for Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5, the release date for them is yet to be announced. Moreover, it also makes sense for Dune: Awakening to come on multiple platforms as it will allow players on different platforms to join together and explore Arrakis. However, the Dune: Awakening will only come out for the current-gen consoles as there is a high chance that the last-gen consoles might struggle to run it. If you are interested in Dune: Awakening, make sure to Wishlist on your preferred platform.

Join the Beta

Another form of learning more about Dune: Awakening for players is to join a closed Beta. Developers plan to do many more server stress tests and invite more players to their closed testing in the future. If you would like to try to receive a Beta invitation, you need to head to the Dune Awakening official website and, from the top menu, pick the “beta signup” option. The small window will pop up and all you must do is type your email and confirm.

What to expect from Dune Awakening?

Dune Awakening - Sandworm

With all the trailers and Direct Episodes released by Funcom, we have a pretty good analysis of the gameplay and what to expect from the game. Right off the bat, Dune: Awakening will be huge. Survival is one of the core aspects of the game which will require players to adapt to the harsh conditions in the desert of Arrakis. The overall day cycle will bring respective dangers to the sand, requiring players to overcome them. Moreover, the most crucial component for surviving in Arrakis is Water. Without the water, players will have an overall hard time surviving through the day as the game will have a separate thirst meter.

One of the main challenges that players will face on a constant basis is the Sandstorms. Players will have to look for shelters to survive the sandstorms. However, things can be a lot different in PVP encounters as other players can sabotage the shelters to eliminate the opponents. Yes, there will be PVP encounters in Dune: Awakening as it is a big MMORPG. In addition to the survival, the base building is another great aspect of the game.

The game offers numerous resources and materials scattered throughout the desert. Players can either build the base on their own or build it collectively with friends and other players. We saw only a glimpse of the base building but it seems like there are good possibilities to customize your base and build epic structures. As crafting plays a big role in advancing your character’s progression, you will be able to craft all sorts of items. It will include stations, weapons, gear, and even vehicles for transportation of various kinds.

Furthermore, players will get to experience a unique exciting story in the Dune world like never before.

Key Features That Dune Awakening Will Have

Now, we all know the generic systems in an open-world MMORPG, but there are various unique systems that we will get to see in Dune: Awakening. Here are all the Key Features that players will get to witness in Dune: Awakening.

Leveling system

Dune: Awakening will include a versatile leveling system, offering boundless possibilities. You can create your playstyle with a combined arms approach. Dune offers melee, ranged abilities, and vehicles. You can combine all those weapons to choose the perfect way to triumph in battles. One of the first decisions you must take is choosing your mentor during character creation. This decision defines your initial abilities and weapons. As you progress, you can explore the world to find trainers who will expand your skill set. Those trainers will offer missions and tutorials to unlock new abilities. This will serve as a starting point and you can expand on those paths further as you level up.

Combat and Archetypes

Combat - Dune Awakening Gameplay mechanics

Dune: Awakening offers a sandbox and versatile combat gameplay. Players can master the art of the sword for close-quarter combat or become a sharpshooting expert, using a grappling hook to attack from above. Alternatively, you can learn abilities from the prestigious Great School of the Universe. Utilize these abilities strategically to manipulate and outmaneuver enemies. The diverse options allow you to forge a unique path and experiment with different playstyles.

These different playstyles depend on the archetypes/classes. There are four classes in Dune: Awakening, unique to the great houses.

  • Swordmaster: Close-Quarters Aggression
  • Bene Gesserit: Physical Mastery & Manipulation
  • Mentat: Recon & Strategy
  • Trooper: Offense & Demolition

Players will get to select the starting archetype after creating their character. As we mentioned above, the players are free to explore and find trainers of other archetypes to expand their skill set.

Factions – Politics

In Dune Awakening, your journey begins as a lost soul in the unforgiving desert and then shifts to gradually align with various factions. You will be able to complete missions for these factions to climb their ranks and aspire even to become a leader. Immerse yourself in the intricate politics of Dune, joining the political stage and engaging in high-stakes intrigues.

The political landscape is intertwined into the sandbox system, encouraging players to actively participate. From Dune Awakening Direct we learned that leaders can issue demands, setting the stage with various tasks for players and entire factions to collaborate or compete. It’s a dynamic environment where guilds race against each other by any means necessary, including sabotage, to achieve objectives and claim victory. PvP and PvE elements seem seamlessly integrated, providing a multifaceted gaming experience.

Now, there are several other features in Dune: Awakening including Group Systems, Base Building, Crafting, Survival, Environment Changing, and more. We have covered most of these features and how they will function in the game. However, for further deep interrogation, we might have to wait for the release or get our hands on the Beta.

Dune Awakening Platforms, Trailer and More

Factions - Dune Awakening Story Elements

Dune: Awakening is officially planned for three core platforms including the following.

  • PC (Steam)
  • PlayStation 5
  • Xbox Series X|S

For PC players, they will get their hands on the game on May 20th, 2025. However, for the current-gen consoles, there is no set release date. It is yet to be announced and there is a possibility that we might get to see an official release date for them after the launch on PC.

Moreover, one of the things that most MMORPG fans ask for is whether the game would include cross-platform functionality or not. Well, for Dune: Awakening, it is still uncertain for now. Developers Funcom haven’t officially revealed details about this aspect of the game.

Dune: Awakening Trailer

Funcom has released various trailers and Direct Episodes showcasing the upcoming exciting adventure. In all those showcases, we have learned much about the lore, gameplay, and features of the game. Last week, Funcom released the official Release Date Trailer, confirming May 20 as an official release date for the game on PC. We are excited as all to experience the deadly desert of Arrakis and forge our way to become a conquerer. Below you can find the Dune: Awakening Release Date Reveal Trailer.

FAQs about Dune: Awakening

What is the Release Date of Dune: Awakening?

The official release date of Dune: Awakening is May 20th, 2025 for PC. As the game is announced for PlayStation5 and Xbox Series X|S, the release date for them is yet to be announced.

What are the Key Features of Dune: Awakening?

Some of the key features that players will get to experience are Survival, Base Building, Combat, Archetypes, Politics, Leveling System, Day Cycle, Environment Changing, and more.

Which is the best Archetype or Class to choose in Dune: Awakening?

If you like to get close and personal, then Swordmaster would be the perfect class for you. It comes with Deflection as a starting ability, allowing you to go into a defensive stance. This ability is great for deflecting dart attacks which will overall increase your survivability. Despite this choice, all the rest of the archetypes have their pros and cons. Moreover, your character will not get locked to a certain archetype. You can progressively branch out to other archetypes in your adventure.

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