Dune: Awakening – Release, Beta, Gameplay and more about the new Survival-MMO

Dune: Awakening will be a new survival MMO with an open world, a dangerous desert, and many social interactions. In this article, we have collected everything about the release date, the beta, and all other known information.

Update: We last updated the article on October 11 with small news.

What kind of game is this? The MMO takes place in the universe of Dune: The Desert Planet, one of the most successful sci-fi stories. You should also be able to meet well-known characters from the books and films.

You start in the middle of a barren desert, where you fight for survival. You need to gather resources to build a base and, of course, collect water so you don’t die of thirst. But Dune: Awakening wants to take it a few steps further:

• You don’t play alone, but with thousands of other players. Social interactions are supposed to be one of the core features. However, there will also be a lot of PvP.
• In massive battles, not only special melee techniques come into play, but also huge tanks and air units.
• There will be NPC factions that you can influence with your self-founded guild.
• The world of Arrakis is supposed to be completely open and free of loading screens.
• In addition to food intake, there will be other survival factors, including sandstorms and sandworms. The temperature in the world is also supposed to play a role.
• With the drug “Spice,” you will become stronger and develop your abilities.
• There is supposed to be a detailed character editor.
• Crafting will play an important role. You are supposed to be able to create weapons, attachments, modifications, and armor yourself.

The MMO is being developed by Funcom, who also had a hit with Conan Exiles. MeinMMO editor Maik Schneider has high hopes for the game: The new survival MMO from Dune feels more like an MMORPG and could redefine the genre.

You can check out the first gameplay in this trailer:

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Release date, platforms, and monetization

Dune: Awakening doesn’t want to be a sci-fi version of Conan Exiles

How exactly does the gameplay work? At the beginning, you create a character with which you then explore the game world in the third-person perspective. In this world, you search for water, which is essential for survival. You cannot starve, but you can die of thirst. Food, on the other hand, is supposed to support you with buffs.

The game world of Arrakis is dominated by a large, barren desert. However, there should be plenty to explore, including deep canyons, caves, underground oases, and wandering dunes. You will constantly encounter other players, but also other dangers like bandits or huge sandworms. The latter are attracted by vibrations in the ground, so you should choose your steps wisely. By the way, riding sandworms will likely only be possible after the release (via GameStar).

Your primary goal in the game is to stockpile Spice and either consume it yourself or sell it to NPC houses in the game, thus influencing the economy.

The Creative Director Joel Bylos explained in an interview that Dune: Awakening essentially proceeds in 4 phases:

• Survive – You should try not to die
• Protect – You stock up on Spice reserves, which you protect from enemies
• Expand – You create a clan, increase your influence, and rise to power
• Control – You influence the economy and create your own economic cycles in your base

Bylos also makes it clear: At least in the endgame, you will need other players and a guild to fully enjoy the package.

What is the deal with Spice? The drug plays an important role in Dune: Awakening, not only from an economic perspective. You will have to consume Spice yourself to maintain a certain level. Only then will you be able to learn new skills and maintain your maximum health points.

However, you should not die if you consume too little Spice.

What do we know about classes, weapons, and the combat system? In Dune: Awakening, there will be no fixed classes. However, you can adopt different play styles, such as as a melee fighter with superhuman powers or as a ranged fighter with firearms. You will learn different skills and be able to improve them through frequent use.

To craft special weapons, you will need to find schematics for them. Some are said to be very rare. Whoever wants to craft this weapon must sometimes go to another player who possesses the recipe. This is intended to strengthen interaction.

Crafting is supposed to depend less on tech trees than it does in Conan Exiles.

In larger battles, tanks or flying units like the ornithopters will also come into play.

What do you think of Dune: Awakening? Does the game idea and the world appeal to you? What do you like and what less? Feel free to write it in the comments.

Would you rather inform yourself about other survival titles, we have a suitable list for you: The 25 best survival games for PlayStation, PC, and Xbox