Learn more about Dune: Awakening and Wishlist us on Steam.
Story Trailer Out Now, Large-Scale Beta Weekend Coming on May 9-12!
Greetings Sleepers,
We have a huge Beta Weekend and broadcast coming up soon! Read on to get all the details, and don’t miss our brand-new Story Trailer, giving you a taste of the cinematic storytelling awaiting you in Dune: Awakening.
Large-Scale Beta Weekend – May 9-12
From May 9 until May 12, a large-scale Beta weekend will take place, the largest one yet, with a huge number of new players joining, and no NDA, unlike previous closed Betas. Share any info you want with your friends, or even stream the game for all to see!
With access to the first 20 hours of the game and most of Act 1 of the story, you will get a taste of both spice and story.
You have a chance to gain access to the Beta weekend by wishlisting and request access on the Dune: Awakening Steam page, or by getting one of tens of thousands of Beta codes that will be given out during the global broadcast on May 10.
We will share the full details about the Beta soon.
Global Broadcast – May 10
Tune in to our Global Dune: Awakening LAN party, broadcast from both London and PAX East. Throughout the event, we will jump to many other locations around the world to check in with people playing the game. Watch lead developers discuss the game, with various content creators then facing off in-game in an exciting competition.
For a chance to get access to the Beta weekend, this is the place to be, as tens of thousands of Beta keys will be handed out during the broadcast to all those watching. Keys can be used to get immediate access to the Dune: Awakening Beta weekend.
Anyone attending PAX East in person is more than welcome to visit our Dune: Awakening booth for a chat and to play the game.
Survival and Story
Find the Fremen. Wake the Sleeper.
Gom Jabbar held at your neck, this is your mandate. Embark on an odyssey across Arrakis, told through a rich cast of characters and cinematic cutscenes. Get a glimpse of the epic journey in today’s Story Trailer:
Dune: Awakening’s cinematic story is an essential thread in the full tapestry - the open world survival experience – rooting you firmly in the universe of the sci-fi masterpiece. With this game, we aim to pull cinematic storytelling further into the multiplayer survival space.
Walk in the footsteps of the Fremen as you learn to survive the desert and uncover a past that the sands have buried. In the deadly crucible of Arrakis, each of you must eventually answer: who are you?
On June 10, you will finally be free to fully explore the rich and imaginative world created by Frank Herbert, feet in scorching sand, for the first time ever.
We can’t wait for you to get there. Neither can the worms.
See Building, Crafting, and the Landsraad in the Next Dune: Awakening Livestream
Join us live on April 29th at 9am PT / 12pm ET / 6pm CEST on Twitch or YouTube for our next Dune: Awakening Livestream where we’ll be doing an Ultimate Edition Giveaway!
In this stream, we’ll be diving into Dune: Awakening’s in-depth building and crafting mechanics as well as the Exchange and the Landsraad system. Watch so you can learn how you’ll be able to claim your piece of the desert - your piece of Dune.
We’re looking forward to seeing you all there, Sleepers!
Catch Up on Our Combat Livestream and Learn About Combat Mechanics!
Catch Up on Our Combat Livestream
Have you been looking to learn more about how combat works in Dune: Awakening? We recently had a livestream where we go over all you need to know to survive and fight on Arrakis. Watch the full stream here, or dive into the segments which interest you most below. The combat livestream covers the following:
Combat
Servers & Guilds
Q&A
Combat
Join Senior PR Manager, Natascha, Expert Designer, Alex S, and Senior Game Director, Viljar as they discuss how we seek to sharpen and refine the edges of combat mechanics commonly found in the survival genre. We also go over player archetypes and their gameplay differences, skill trees, and PvP and PvE.
Servers & Guilds
In this segment we go over Dune: Awakening’s server structure, the difference between Worlds and Servers, the Deep Desert and Guilds. We also go over how to form parties and join your friends so you don’t tackle the dunes of Arrakis alone.
Q&A
Our host and guests answer questions gathered from our Twitch and YouTube communities. Check this out to see if something you’ve been wondering about is answered.
[TAG-20]
Pre-order Dune: Awakening now and play on June 10. Choose the Deluxe or Ultimate Edition for a 5-day head start and begin playing on June 5. Make sure to follow our social channels and join the official Discord to meet other Sleepers and stay up to date on everything Dune: Awakening.
Until next time, Sleepers.
Important Dune: Awakening Update
Dear Sleepers,
These are exciting times, we’re closing in on launch, and we’ve just initiated a major preview beta where hundreds of journalists and content creators are playing the early parts of the game and will be releasing their coverage on April 25th.
These past few weeks we’ve been steadily gearing up, releasing the Character Creator & Benchmark Mode back in February, starting pre-orders in March, and continuing to release new livestreams, videos, and details to keep you informed.
We want to thank everyone who has shared in our excitement. It’s been a joy reading all your comments across the various community channels.
Our ongoing Persistent Closed Beta is also continuing in full force, with regular updates, and the feedback we’ve been collecting from beta testers has been invaluable in making sure we can launch a quality game. We have a very active Discord going with our beta testers where our developers can interact directly with them to ensure we collaboratively make Dune: Awakening a better game.
Thanks to this process, we’ve concluded that 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.
As such, we will be moving the release date of Dune: Awakening to June 10th, with head start launching on June 5th. This is not a decision we take lightly, we know everyone is very excited to get playing, but these three extra weeks will give us the time needed to make improvements that will lead to a better gameplay experience from day one.
We’re also excited about the fact that this will allow us to do a large-scale beta weekend next month where even more of you will get the opportunity to play the game and share your feedback. We will release more information about this soon.
Dune: Awakening is a beast of a game. This is multiplayer survival on a massive scale, and we’re making gameplay and technical strides not seen in the genre before. We want to make sure we stick the landing.
Also, don’t forget to tune into today’s livestream on Steam, YouTube, and Twitch, where our developers will be showing and talking more about the combat in Dune: Awakening.
With best regards from the entire Dune: Awakening team here at Funcom
Communinet Signal #7
As the saying goes, “April showers bring May flowers”. But the “showers” are actually “sandstorms” and the “flowers” are actually “a sandy death”….or something like that. Anyway, the launch for PC is quickly approaching, so it’s a good thing you’re here to read up and prepare yourself! Not to mention that pre-orders are live on Steam right now along with different editions of the game we are offering.
There were numerous reveals and updates in the last couple of weeks and this issue will make sure you don’t miss a thing in our round ups section below. We are also showcasing some amazing concept art of the Saudaukar dropship you’ll encounter in the game, answer questions from the community, and show off some great fanart.
If you missed any previous Signals, you can take a look here:
If you’re looking for one good reason to pre-order, let us introduce you to the smallest and most adorable creature on Arrakis (besides you).
By pre-ordering any edition of the game, you could have this little guy in your base, waiting for you to come home every day with beady eyes that say, “please don’t drink me”.
Our Deluxe and Ultimate editions also come with even more additions, so much sure to check out our latest blog post that details everything that comes with them.
We also announced our business model and post-launch plans so you can make an informed decision to buying Dune: Awakening (if the Maud’Dib wasn’t enough to convince you). You can find all details on this, as well as system requirements in our article here.
Exploring Arrakis
Though Arrakis is hot, dangerous, and sandy, it’s still very much beautiful and holds many secrets. Take a look at our narrated video, Exploring Arrakis, that gives you a peek into what challenges you will face to uncover what the sands have hidden and how to overcome them.
New Screenshots Imperial Testing Stations all over Arrakis hold echoes of the past and a valuable technology. Equip your best weapons and abilities and fight your way to learn unique blueprints and recover resources. Whether you’re in for a contract or a haul, beware: trouble is around each corner.
The Shield Wall is a proving ground for experienced explorers of Arrakis. Its rugged terrain demands a reliable ornithopter or groundcar, but provides valuable resources in exchange. With a harsher climate and enemies, you'll want to be properly prepared.
The Sounds of Arrakis
If you like what you see so far, then you’ll love what you hear. Knut Avenstroup Haugen returned after having worked on Conan Exiles to create the soundtrack for Dune: Awakening, and is joined by Audio Director, Arild Iversen. From classical orchestration to experimental synths, it's a harmonious blend to capture the essence of Arrakis.
In this behind-the-scenes look, they discuss their musical journey and how sound design is so incredibly important in this game.
Live Stream And of course, we’d be remiss not to mention our very first Dune: Awakening live stream, packed with two hours of information, interviews, gameplay, and Q&A. Hosted by our Senior PR Manager, Natascha, various developers from Funcom talked about their work in the game.
We began with a live gameplay segment where our World Director, Jeff, and Expert Environmental Artist, Øyvind, walked us through various parts of the game you’ll experience. This includes finding a trade post, sandstorm, flying an ornithopter, combat, exploring a shipwreck (community voted!), and more.
We were then visited by Knut Haugen and Arild in the flesh to talk more about their creative process in making sounds and music for Dune: Awakening.
Lastly, we touched on the business model and Q&A with lead producer, Ole Andreas. Among other topics, our team confirmed that you can pet sandworms… from the inside. For more insights such as this and on topics that are you have probably been more curious about, make sure to watch the stream and stay tuned for more of them in the future!
Many adversaries will be a danger to you on Arrakis, most of them bandits and scavangers in their camps and invaded buildings. But at night, a much more lethal threat will be out, actively hunting you: The Emperor’s Sardaukar.
Starting from the age of 6, the Sardaukar are trained in all manner of martial skills as they grow up in a system designed to promote the most skilled and ferocious; the mere mention of their name is often enough to ensure submission.
As they serve the emperor himself, you’ll spot them in the sky surveying and scanning the land below on his orders. Traveling at night will keep the sun off your back, but you’ll still want to keep an eye on their patrols. Here we are showcasing some beautiful concept and 3D art of the Sardaukar drop ship; equipped with high powered spotlights, you won’t want to be detected unless you’re looking for a fight.
If found, they’ll release an anti-gravity field that holds you in place and keeps you from running before sending down the Sardaukar troops onto your position.
Concept art is by Kemp Remillard, and the 3D art is by André Sterzenbach.
Final version of the ship found in game is subject to change.
We have a fresh batch of community made fan work that we always love seeing and sharing! Whether it’s physical or digital media, paper or mixed elements, we want it all. These featured here will have a shiny invitation to the Dune: Awakening Closed Beta!
Make sure to you share yours with us in the #fanart channel of the official Dune: Awakening Discord server, or use the #CommuninetSignal tag on social media.
Characters Kaelen and Lysara who are siblings, created by CarolCGod (Reddit)
POV: Your first login on the Deep Desert by Araborn
A Sandworm miniature created, printed, and painted by dogbump
We use metrics because Frank Herbert also used metrics in the books.
Yes! You’ll be able to review and edit your character after it’s imported if you made them through the character creator on Steam.
Vehicle permissions aren’t tied to guilds. These are personal settings that you can adjust.
You can add 5 horizontal and 5 vertical extensions. To extend a fief you need "staking units". These can only be applied to advanced subfief consoles.
Yes. We have fall off, custom recoil patterns per weapon, accuracy, magazine size, reload speed, custom camera shakes and all that to match the accuracy and recoil, shield damage, stagger/poise damage, slowing effects, holster/unholster speeds, move speed while firing, weapon drag/rotation modifiers, and fun stuff like that.
Yes we have both swatches (which is color variations) and variants (take the appearance of another outfit).
We plan to clearly telegraph what known issues are present in the live version of the game to minimize impact they might have on the player experience. Whether that will take shape of a board, list, or be hosted on a specialized platform, that is something we are actively investigating and testing along the closed beta tests.
There was a lot to go through the last month, but we hope that answered a lot of questions you might have had after our launch date reveal. We know that you may have more, so don’t be afraid to join the Dune: Awakening official Discord server where you can ask and be answered in the next Signal!
We have exciting things planned to go out in the coming month, so keep your eyes peeled on our socials, Discord, and official website for news. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a small Muad’dib to tend to…
See Combat, Guilds and More in Action in the Next Dune: Awakening Livestream!
Sleepers,
Fill up your literjons and stock up on some spice-infused snacks, because the next Dune: Awakening livestream is scheduled for Tuesday, April 15th at 9am PT/12pm ET/6pm CEST!
We’ll dive into archetypes, skills, and the mechanics of PvP and PvE, exploring how you’ll fight and survive on Arrakis. But that’s not all—learn how to form parties and guilds, manage permissions, and carve your place in the dunes.
And for the first time, we’ll put these mechanics to the test live! Watch as we explore one of the enigmatic Imperial Testing Stations and jump into some PvP action on screen. Join us live on April 15th at 9am PT/12pm ET/6pm CEST on Twitch or YouTube to see all of it in action! After the stream, some of our developers will Bindu Sprint over to PirateSoftware’s channel for more discussions and to answer questions!
In the meantime, you can check our first livestream here. Wishlist, Follow and Pre-order Dune: Awakening on Steam here.
We’re looking forward to seeing you all, Sleepers.
The Classic 90's music from Dune and Dune II games is coming to Dune: Awakening!
Greetings Sleepers,
There is no school like the old school, and it doesn’t get much more old school than the soundtracks from the Dune and Dune II video games from 1992.
You can listen to them on the in-game radio while playing Dune: Awakening. The Dune II: Battle for Arrakis soundtrack was composed by Frank Klepacki. Philippe Ulrich and Stéphane Picq composed the Dune: Spice Opera soundtrack and it was remastered in 2024. Unfortunately, Stéphane Picq just passed away in February 2025.
The in-game centralized communications network, called the Communinet, offers three channels to choose from alongside broadcasts about emergencies, sandstorms or the Landsraad.
Looking for something extra while gathering resources or building your base? Tune in to Harvester Radio, the station for spice miners and the commoner workforce, broadcasting ads, survival tips, music and entertainment.
Want to check out what is going on with the Harkonnen or Atreides? Listen to their official stations, broadcasting propaganda, slave fight coverage and motivational speeches.
“Dune has a legacy in books and films – but also in video games.” Says Chief Creative Officer Joel Bylos. “The soundtracks of Dune and Dune II were some of the greatest of the 90’s and it is a great honor to be able to share them with a new generation of players through the Communinet in Dune: Awakening.”
The in-game radio does not only offer entertainment, but also a deeper understanding of living on Arrakis. It is the most dangerous planet in the universe, but if you manage to survive you may want to dive into its rich cultures and endless conflicts.
One of the things you can enjoy on the radio stations is a full multi-episode radio play, and on the 8th of April we will share the first episode of Five Days at Carthag with you, a radio theatre and an Arrakeen Playhouse production.
We also hope that you will want to tune in to the rest of the story when playing Dune: Awakening and discover the official truth of what happened to the Harkonnen stronghold of Carthag.
Until next time, Sleepers.
Pre-Orders Now Live, Game Editions Revealed
Greetings Sleepers,
Last week we shared with you that pre-orders will begin today. Guess what? Today is today, and Dune: Awakening is now available for pre-purchase!
If you missed it, make sure to also check out our post from a few days ago outlining Dune: Awakening’s business model, post-launch plans, and system requirements. It was important to us to share this information with you before pre-orders began, to ensure you can make an informed decision before purchasing.
If you don’t want to read, you can also check out this short video where Creative Director Joel Bylos gives you the key information:
Discover the Dune: Awakening Soundtrack
The Ultimate Edition of Dune: Awakening includes, among many other unique items, an incredible, 90-minute-long digital soundtrack. The soundtrack has been created by Knut Avenstroup Haugen, the award-winning composer who also brought to life the music for Funcom’s two Conan games, Age of Conan and Conan Exiles.
We’ve prepared a video bringing you on a journey behind the scenes of the making of the soundtrack, giving you a unique glimpse at how the music was brought to life with a live orchestra at the legendary AIR Lyndhurst studio in London.
The digital album will also be available on streaming services, published by Milan Records, a Sony Music label.
Check Out the Pre-Order Rewards
By pre-ordering any of the three available editions of the game – Standard, Deluxe, or Ultimate – you will receive two unique rewards when the game is available.
Terrarium of Muad’Dib – This detailed in-base decoration houses our favorite desert mouse as he goes about his life. Muad’Dib may be wise in the ways of the desert, but also of the terrarium.
Sunset Dye Global Swatch – A unique color pattern that can be applied to weapons, vehicles, and armor.
If you pre-order the Deluxe Edition or Ultimate Edition, you will also receive a 5-day head start, which means you can play the game starting May 15th. Head start is not included in the standard edition of the game.
Full of Goodies: Deluxe and Ultimate Edition
For a quick bird’s eye view, here’s a comparison matrix showing the different content available in the standard edition, Deluxe Edition, and Ultimate Edition:
The Deluxe Edition contains:
Season Pass: Includes 4 DLCs. The first of these will contain several placeables inspired by the wildlife of Arrakis, including Shai-Hulud himself. The 3 next DLCs will be released later.
Sardaukar Bator Armor: The menacing armor worn by the Sardaukar, the elite military force that players find themselves hunted by in the game.
Pre-order only: 5-day head start, Terrarium of Muad’Dib, and Sunset Dye Global Swatch
One copy of the base game
The Ultimate Edition contains:
Season Pass: Includes 4 DLCs. The first of these will contain several placeables inspired by the wildlife of Arrakis, including Shai-Hulud himself. The 3 next DLCs will be released later.
Sardaukar Bator Armor: The menacing armor worn by the Sardaukar, the elite military force that players find themselves hunted by in the game.
Dusk Rider Sandbike Swatch: A unique color pattern for your sandbike
Blue Dasher Ornithopter Swatch: A unique color pattern for your ornithopter
Caladan Palace Building Set: Building pieces and placeables from the 2021 film
Dune 2021 Film Stillsuit: The stillsuit worn by Paul Atreides’ in the film
Digital Artbook: A 50-page artbook full of artworks from the game’s development
Digital Soundtrack: 90 minutes of music from the game
Pre-order only: 5-day head start, Terrarium of Muad’Dib, and Sunset Dye Global Swatch
One copy of the base game
Note that while pre-ordering the standard edition will give you the Terrarium of Muad’Dib and the Sunset Dye Global Swatch, the 5-day head start is only included in the pre-order of the Deluxe Edition and Ultimate Edition.
Make Sure Your PC Can Run the Game
Make sure to check out our earlier post where we shared the system requirements from the game. You can also download the Character Creator & Benchmark Mode from Steam, not only to create your character ahead of time that can be imported into the full game, but also to test Dune: Awakening’s performance on your PC.
And remember, if you want to know more about the business model and post-launch plans before you make your purchase decision, just head on over to our post from last week.
The wait is almost over, May 20th is less than two months away. At this point you can probably smell the spice in the air. Soon you and your friends can finally find out whether you have what it takes to survive the most dangerous planet in the universe.
Until next time, Sleepers.
Business Model, System Requirements, and Post-Launch Plans
Greetings Sleepers,
We have a lot of news to share today, so get your spice coffee brewing!
We’re excited to reveal that pre-orders will begin next week, on March 24th! On that day, we will also reveal the contents and pricing of the game editions.
For you to make an informed decision before purchasing we’ve collected some essential info in today’s article. After all, the best way to survive Arrakis is to be prepared.
Business Model and Post-Launch Plans
Joel, Creative Director on Dune: Awakening, sat down with us to guide you through Dune: Awakening’s business model and post-launch plans.
In short, when Dune: Awakening launches on May 20th:
It will not be in Early Access, this is the full launch
It will not have a subscription
The game will continue to be expanded through free updates, bringing new content, features, and enhancements
There will be optional paid DLCs
Funcom has been developing and supporting live service games for a long time. All our three MMOs are still in service, with Anarchy Online turning 25 years old next year. Our survival game Conan Exiles is still in active development and being updated after eight years of DLCs, expansions, and countless free updates.
Dune: Awakening will be no different. With these games, launch is only the beginning, and we look forward to working closely with our community for many years to come.
System Requirements
Today, we’re also happy to share Dune: Awakening’s system requirements.
Remember, you can also download the Character Creator & Benchmark Mode on Steam not only to create a character you can import at launch, but also to test how your system performs running Dune: Awakening at various settings.
PC Features
Dune: Awakening will feature several exciting features at launch:
NVIDIA’s DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation: Dune: Awakening will be one of the first games to feature this cutting-edge technology, enhancing the game’s majestic visuals and providing ultimate performance.
AMD’s FSR: The latest open upscaling and advanced frame generation tech from AMD will also be available at launch.
Intel’s XeSS 2: Experience faster, smoother gameplay with higher image quality and a more connected playing experience with Intel® Xe Low Latency (XeLL).
Razer Chroma RGB and Razer Sensa HD Haptics: Experience unparalleled immersion with the Razer Kraken V4 Pro headset, synced lighting and intelligent haptic feedback. Plunge your entire room into an Arrakis sunset and feel the hum of your ornithopter’s seat with the Freyja Gaming Cushion’s full dynamic range.
PC Settings
Below you will find all the most important PC settings that will be available at launch.
Settings
Remappable keyboard & mouse controls
Better support for AZERTY/QWERTZ and ESDF users
Subtitles on/off
Subtitle backgrounds
Optional chat indicators or chat bubbles in social areas
Optional loadout hotbar, mini-radial or radial wheel
Controller rumble on/off
Screenshake on/off
Motion blur on/off
FOV adjustment
Framerate limiter
Ultrawide HUD option (21:9 and 32:9)
Multiple audio channel sliders
Multiple sensitivity sliders
General Gameplay
Controller support
Dialogue system with path highlights
Audio SFX to support key actions/events
Tutorials with highlighted text
Tutorial repository for reviewing unlocked or missed tutorials
Emotes system
Help popups on several menus to explain specific features or game mechanics
Live Gameplay Stream – Monday March 24th
We have a big livestream coming your way, March 24th at 6PM CET / 1PM EST!
Tune in and watch senior developers play the game live, answer community questions, and provide more insight into the game and its development. Among others, award-winning composer Knut Avenstroup Haugen will be there to talk about the music in Dune: Awakening, and World Director Jean-François Gagné will show and talk about the incredible open world of Arrakis.
The livestream will be hosted by Senior PR Manager Natascha Röösli and will air on Funcom’s Twitch channel and Steam.
May 20th is Almost Here!
We hope all this information helps! Launch is approaching faster than a heighliner on a spice run and we can’t wait to continue expanding the game after that. The vastness of Arrakis awaits.
