Funcom’s Dune: Awakening has arrived, offering players a chance to survive the harsh sands of Arrakis in a way that’s thrilling for MMO genre fans and newcomers alike.
Dune: Awakening
Developed By: Funcom
Platforms: PC via Steam (for now)
Release Date: June 10, 2025
Funcom’s highly anticipated survival MMO, Dune: Awakening has finally launched for everyone to enjoy (on PCs only for now)…and I’ve been unabashedly addicted to it. I had the chance to get in on the game during the “head start” period earlier in the month, and I can honestly say, I haven’t missed a single day of playing since I installed it.
This is not the usual for me, and I’m not just talking about the fact that any kind of MMO/persistent multiplayer game isn’t normally in my wheelhouse. In general, between parenting, trying to run the charity, and other writing gigs that need to be done, playing a game every single day is tough for me to do. And yet, I’ve been adamant about carving out time to play.
I have to make sure all of my responsibilities are taken care of, however, because the game is dangerously addictive. Even if I tell myself I’m only hopping on “real quick” to make sure my base’s generator is topped off (to keep the shields up and protected from storms), I end up losing myself to the experience. I’ll glance down at my clock to see that significantly more time than intended had passed.
By and large, my overall thoughts on Dune: Awakening remain the same from my lengthy hands-on preview. As such, I won’t be recapping the same points I made there (so if you’re curious about my more detailed thoughts on mechanics and such, head there). Suffice it to say, however, the gameplay remains super engaging. The mechanics feel intuitive for newcomers to online survival games, while offering plenty of depth and nuance for long-time players to still get a thrill out of.
Instead, I want to highlight a few things that stood out to me most during my newest playthrough (since my hands-on time limited me to the initial opening area of the game).
Production Values
Dune: Awakening, to put it plainly, is a good looking game. I was impressed with it’s overall cinematic presentation during the beta a couple months ago, but Funcom has done a great job of polishing it all up for its actual release. It’s very obvious the care and attention to detail they’ve put into the game, and that extra month they had after delaying the game was put to good use.
From interacting with NPCs, transitioning between cutscenes, and the overall gameplay, it’s a very smooth experience. Many of the minor glitches I encountered during the beta were gone, and they added even more details to make the world feel alive.
Traveling across the dunes, you may come across some scurrying desert mouse, Muad’Dib. You’ll hear the telltale thump of the drum sand patches you might inadvertently come across, before seeing the rippling of sand in the distance; heralding an oncoming sandworm. The layout of the dunes shift and alter when the storms come, and the soundtrack knows exactly how to kick tense moments into a higher gear.
Awakening looks and feels like a top-tier, AAA game. As someone who is much more of a single-player gamer, these touches added a great deal to the overall game. I can’t tell you how many times I found myself stopping in the middle of whatever I was doing, simply to admire the view. I literally gasped the first time I was climbing up a tall outcropping (to survey the area) and looked up to see a giant Guild Heighliner hanging in orbit. As terrifying as sandworm encounters can be, seeing one erupt from the ground, spraying sand in every direction, never gets old. Gives me a little thrill every time.
Play Your Way
Awakening does an excellent job of incorporating a number of gameplay elements, which allows players the freedom to enjoy the game however they want. The combat is a fun blend that incorporates elements unique to the Dune universe (having to time your strikes to get through shields), and some traditional shooting. With the various weapons you can find, craft, or upgrade throughout the game it feels like there are a myriad ways to approach each combat situation. Especially as the game handles progressive difficulty well.
Enemies get tougher as you venture deeper into the desert, but more than simply being stronger, the way they come at you begins to change. You’ll eventually have to deal with aerial patrols of Saudakaur, who will engage if they catch you in the spotlight. They also come at you in bigger waves and using abilities unique to their houses/classes. You’ll definitely find yourself up against some serious challenges, more if you opt for some PvP action to boot, but it’s handled in a way that doesn’t feel punishing either. It’s very well balanced.
Mostly, however, I spend a whole lot of my time building up my base and crafting things. Much like my love of life-sim/farming games, I enjoy being able to simply live within this universe (as harsh as it can be). Some days I’ll have entire sessions where I just roam around, collecting resources, tweaking my gear, and rearranging things within my base. That’s it, and I still have an absolute blast while doing it.
But you don’t have to play that way. In fact there’s no real “correct way” to play the game. Pushing ahead to rush the endgame or simply be a terror to any and all scavengers you come across, can be just as rewarding. There are numerous ways to play and survive, and the game does a fantastic job letting you have fun on whatever path you choose.
A big factor in this is the game’s open class system. Yes, you have to choose a specific class when you’re first creating your character, but afterwards, you can progress however you want. Simply find the right instructors in the game (they aren’t hiding), follow some sidequests, and you’ll be able to unlock other class skills and abilities. You’re really not limited it how you want to approach things.
Immersive Lore
This aspect might vary from fan to fan, but I was greatly impressed with the story and worldbuilding done within the game. An important thing to remember, however, is this really isn’t meant to be any kind of adaptation of Frank Herbert’s story. From the outset, it tells you this is essentially an “alternate universe” take on the franchise (a vision of Paul’s in which he wasn’t born). So if you’re going into the game expecting it to be anything else, you might be in for a little shock.
That said, Awakening does a great job of still incorporating important bits of Dune lore into the game. It does feature some story elements from the source, but puts a fresh spin on them in the context of the alternate version story they’re telling. Again, this might not be for everyone. As someone who’s been obsessed with those books since I was kid (and re-read every year or so), I thought it was neat to see certain moments reinterpreted.
It also helps that the game features a number of deep cut Easter eggs, even the new movies haven’t touched on. From how certain locations are named, to the random recordings you can find, the game is a treasure trove of Dune lore. Some of my favorites came during the Trials of Alq quests which puts your character on the path of the Fremen.
These are somewhat slower segments, and aren’t particularly difficult to get through, but they pull you deep into the game’s story as characters (ghosts of the past) discuss the ancient history of the Fremen. Some of the references given are only ever mentioned in the novel’s appendices, while others reference some events in the later novels not yet explored in the movies.
It’s just…neat. It shows the level of attention to detail the developers have for the source material and makes exploration even more fun/worthwhile. Even though Awakening isn’t telling the Dune story we know, it still very much feels like Dune in just about every way.
Tidbits
I won’t dive much into some of the later game stuff, mostly because I don’t want to spoil anything in particular, and because I’m still working my way through much of it. I will say, however, things get a bit “grindy” during the latter part. Obviously, some level/gear grinding is always going to be a major part of these kind of games; so I can’t say it’s especially egregious or anything. Just something to be aware of, however.
You may have noticed I haven’t touched much on that actual multiplayer aspect, despite this being an MMO. To be frank, as someone who doesn’t play these games all that much, I’m not sure of anything that stands out in particular worth mentioning. By and large, I’ve been playing the game as a solo experience, but the times I’ve jumped in with some friends to tackle a testing station or something has been pretty darn fun. I very much like the fact the game is immensely enjoyable whether I’m playing by myself or joining up with others.
All in all, Dune: Awakening has blown me away. I can’t stop playing, and even when I’m not playing, I find myself thinking about the things I need to do when I hop back on. The learning curve makes it easy to jump into, even if you’re a noob to the genre like myself, while it offers plenty of depth for long-time gamers.
Combine all that with a stellar cinematic presentation and story/world that makes you feel like you’re in Frank Herbert’s iconic universe and there’s no reason to pass on this experience. I’m already looking forward to when it comes to consoles at some point next year.
