Dune: Awakening – An Exciting New Chapter in the Dune Universe
Following recent news of Denis Villeneuve’s upcoming third installment of the Dune series starting production this summer, developer Funcom has made an exciting announcement regarding its highly anticipated open-world MMO, Dune: Awakening. Set to premiere on May 20 for PC, players can start customizing their characters today with a dedicated character creation tool.
Exploring a Unique Take on Dune’s Narrative
Dune: Awakening draws heavily from Frank Herbert’s literary works and the recent films but introduces intriguing new story elements. In this alternate rendition of the Dune universe, notable changes occur: the Fremen are absent, Paul Atreides never comes into existence, and Lady Jessica obediently follows her orders from the Bene Gesserit to have a daughter instead. This divergence allows for creative freedom in crafting an engaging narrative without being bound to existing lore.
This creative flexibility allows Funcom to incorporate well-known environments and characters while exploring fresh narratives within the expansive universe established by Herbert.
Create Your Own Heroic Journey
The character customization tool available now enables aspiring players to design their unique avatars by adjusting physical appearances and selecting attributes such as home planet, caste affiliation, and mentor—ranging from Swordmaster to Trooper—and even including members of Bene Gesserit or Mentats. To stay authentic to its roots, players will also need to face challenges like placing their hand in that infamous box for the Gom Jabbar test (but don’t worry; you’ll be safe behind your keyboard or controller!). Players can utilize these crafted characters when Dune: Awakening officially launches.
The character creator also features a benchmarking mode so users can determine if they need upgrades for their gaming rigs ahead of release day.
A Launch Date You Can’t Miss!
Dune: Awakening is scheduled to go live on May 20 via Steam with pricing set at $50. Pre-orders will commence shortly before launch. The game is also confirmed for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S; however, specific release dates for consoles have yet to be disclosed. Be sure not to miss out—check out the latest trailer below!
