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. 

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. 

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’s head start begins the day after tomorrow, on June 5th, with full launch arriving on June 10th. Today, Funcom is excited to announce that rentable private servers will be available beginning with the head start.

Private servers can be rented from several third-party providers, allowing players to have their own server where they decide who has access, and where certain gameplay settings can be adjusted including allowing free-for-all PvP.

Private servers have been one of the most requested features by the community, but it’s not at all obvious that this is now finally a reality.

After all, Dune: Awakening combines the survival and MMO genres, featuring large-scale multiplayer content, mechanics, and gameplay systems with several hundred players sharing the same, persistent world. It’s one of the things that make Dune: Awakening unique in the survival genre, with a broad set of features that are fundamentally MMO-like including shared spaces where players can engage in social activities, trade, and conflict.

So how do you make that work with a private server model?

Same as with official servers, each private server in Dune: Awakening also belongs to a World consisting of several other private servers rented by other players. While your private server can hold 40+ players concurrently, one World can have several hundred concurrent players. All servers in a World share the same social hubs and a massive, constantly changing Deep Desert where players will meet to both explore and engage in conflict over spice.

That means that what makes Dune: Awakening so unique as a survival game when playing on official servers, is retained also for private servers.

Because Dune: Awakening features this shared, large-scale multiplayer setup, naturally there are certain restrictions in just how much you can customize your private server.

Key Features:

• Survive the most dangerous planet in the universe. Build shelters against sandstorms, maintain your stillsuit, and master the old ways to walk even the deepest deserts. Avoid or be devoured by the colossal sandworms that dwell beneath the sands.
• Explore the ever-changing face of Arrakis. Walk the ruins of long-forgotten biological testing stations, scavenge the wreckage of fallen spaceships, and wander the dusty halls of abandoned sietches. 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.
• Control the spice, control Arrakis. Hunt for spice blooms and deploy your harvester, then protect it from opportunistic raiders and rival factions. Soak the sand in blood as massive battles shift seamlessly from foot to vehicles and from ground to ornithopters in the sky.
• Make plans within plans. Make a name for yourself among the inhabitants of Arrakis. Wield intrigue and force to influence the Landsraad and impact the world. Build your own faction through spice harvesting, trade, subterfuge, and open conflict.
• Awaken the sleeper. Tailor every aspect of your character. Consume spice to conquer your senses and acquire powerful abilities. Hone your craft to become sought out for the finest creations. Construct your fortress in the style of your choosing. The journey is yours to shape.

Dune: Awakening is coming to PC (Steam) on June 10, 2025, followed by PS5 and Xbox Series X|S at a later time.