Funcom Announces Open World Survival MMO Dune: Awakening at Gamescom

Inspired by Frank Herbert’s sci-fi masterpiece and the award-winning, blockbuster film by Denis Villeneuve, Funcom’s upcoming open world survival MMO will let us explore Arrakis like never before.

Funcom is thrilled to announce Dune: Awakening, an ambitious next step for open world survival MMOs, coming to PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Working with Legendary Entertainment, Dune: Awakening is set on Arrakis and takes inspiration from both Frank Herbert’s novels and Denis Villeneuve’s Academy Award-winning film while exploring exciting new possibilities in the franchise.  

Announced at Gamescom Opening Night Live, the brand-new cinematic trailer gives a taste of what’s to come. The game can be wishlisted now on Steam and anyone can also sign up for the Beta on www.dunegames.com. More details about the Beta will come at a future date.  

Dune: Awakening combines the grittiness and creativity of survival games with the social interactivity of large-scale, persistent multiplayer games to create a unique and ambitious Open World Survival MMO. Rise from survival to dominance in a vast and seamless Arrakis shared by thousands of players.  

Head into unmapped sectors and be the first to discover secrets and riches before the coriolis storms once again shift the sands and alter the landscape. Narrowly escape colossal sandworms, build your home from shelter to mighty base, and traverse the dunes in iconic vehicles from the universe. 

Hunt for spice blooms and deploy your harvester, then protect it from rival factions in fast-paced, deadly combat that shifts seamlessly from armored groundcars to ornithopters in the sky. Plot your rise to power and build your influence within the Landsraad through careful intrigue. 

Rui Casais, CEO of Funcom, says, “Funcom has been pushing boundaries in the MMO genre for 20 years. It’s where our roots are. We built on that with Conan Exiles, our first big success in the survival space. With Dune: Awakening we’re bridging the survival and MMO genres to create something truly unique and ambitious within a universe we’re all so passionate about.” 

VP of Interactive Media at Legendary Entertainment, Sam Rappaport, adds, “Dune: Awakening truly promises to bring the world of Dune to life in an exciting new way. We are thrilled to be creating this with a partner like Funcom, who is so adept at capturing the rich detail and wonder of cinematic worlds for the gaming audience.” 

Since the early ‘90s, Funcom has honed its craft creating unforgettable experiences in existing IPs and persistent online worlds with games like Anarchy Online, Age of Conan, The Secret World, and Conan Exiles. Now, Funcom sets its eyes on Arrakis, for its most ambitious project yet. 

Dune: Awakening will come to PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. With the Beta already planned, anyone can sign up right now at www.dunegames.com and wishlist the game on Steam. More secrets will be revealed on the website in the months ahead, offering a glimpse into what players can expect.