Funcom has announced new games set in the universe of Frank Herbert’s Dune novels. Among them is an open-world multiplayer game. But what can we expect here?
Dune as an Online Game
What has Funcom announced? At least three games based on the Dune books are being developed. To this end, Funcom has entered a partnership with Legendary Entertainment, which holds the rights to Dune and is currently developing a film about it. The partnership is set to last for six years initially. Among the games is an “open world multiplayer” title.
How does Funcom describe the online game? It was mentioned in a live stream that it will be a “Conan Exiles-like title” that won’t necessarily be exactly like Conan Exiles. What exactly this means is something Funcom wants to discuss when the team is ready – which will take a while.
The developers also explain that they are big fans of Dune and that a game can emerge that is made by fans for fans.
Survival Game or Loot Shooter?
What do the fans wish for? Funcom’s explanation leaves plenty of room for interpretation, and the community is already speculating about what kind of online game we might expect. Among other things, there is the question of why Funcom refers to the game as an “open world multiplayer” title. This was evidently a deliberate choice. Could it be that it is not an MMO? Otherwise, they could have simply chosen that term.
Therefore, the current speculations lean towards the loot shooter direction:
- The Division
- Destiny
- Anthem
Gold Farmer writes on Reddit: “I hope that “open world multiplayer” means something like The Division, Destiny, or Anthem and does not describe a traditional MMO.”
However, then the question arises of why Funcom said it would go in the direction of Conan Exiles. Are we expecting a survival game? Conan Exiles is already set in the desert. However, another title with similar gameplay in a comparable scenario is rather unlikely.
Unfortunately, according to Funcom’s statements, it will still be a while before they reveal more about the “Dune” open-world multiplayer game.
