Everybody is going a bit Dune mad, it seems, with fans clamouring for Denis Villeneuve to get the funding for a second movie in his Dune movie series (spoiler: he got it), and Dune: Spice Wars hitting Early Access on PC. That’s without mentioning an upcoming Dune: The Sisterhood TV series and several Dune board games. Everywhere we turn is a sandworm.
Funcom, the studio behind Dune: Spice Wars, have the video game licence for Dune and they’re planning to use it. That includes Dune: Awakening, a survival MMO set in the Dune universe. While it doesn’t have a release date yet, it’s planned for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, and you can add it to your wishlist on Steam or sign up for more information on the official website. You can also hop over there to see a panoramic shot of the game world.
A new trailer has launched today, so don your sandsuit and ride your worm over there to watch it. It’s certainly got a strong pedigree: Funcom have been creating MMOs for a couple of decades now, being the minds behind the mighty successful Conan: Exiles. This is their attempt at a more survival focused open-world MMO that draws heavily from the Brian Herbert novels that kicked the whole spice wars off.
In Dune: Awakening you aim to survive the dangers of Arrakis alongside thousands of other players. We can’t confirm whether one of those dangers is Sting in his pants (watch the Lynch movie people!). Explore your role and identity while experiencing an epic personal journey, from searching for water and building shelters against storms to controlling the flow of spice in the top tiers of the planet.
If you’ve played the seminal Dune II, way back in the day, you will know what the game centres on. Everything is about spice, as it’s the foundation of conflict, advancement, and power in Dune: Awakening. Where spice blows appear, players converge. Fights can range from quick skirmishes to large-scale battles with infantry, ground vehicles, and ornithopters each providing an essential role.
Don’t just take our word for it: Sam Rappaport, VP, Interactive Media at Legendary Entertainment, has this to say about the game: “we are thrilled to bring the Dune universe to life in such an immersive and interactive way. The depth and detail Funcom is bringing to the Dune: Awakening PC and console experience is astonishing and we can’t wait for fans of Dune and survival games to join us on Arrakis and try their hand at surviving the most dangerous planet in the universe”.
Further, Joel Bylos, Chief Creative Officer at Funcom and Creative Director of Dune: Awakening, says, “Working with a universe as rich and expansive as Dune is the perfect fit for Funcom’s drive to create compelling multiplayer open worlds. With Dune: Awakening, we’re trying to push the boundaries of what people expect in the Survival space – and I can’t wait until we can get it into the hands of our players.”
If you’ve been practicing your mau dib, then this might be the game for you. A reminder that it’s not got a release date yet, and you can expect to play it on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. The future is sandy.
