Dune: Awakening has finally announced its release date. Unfortunately, that’s still a while away – but those who can’t wait can check out the game starting now. Playing it is not possible yet. MyMMO editor Benedict Grothaus is extremely excited.
What kind of game is this?
- Funcom, the creators of Conan Exiles and Anarchy Online, are planning a new survival MMO in the world of Dune with Dune: Awakening.
- The game combines survival elements with true MMO gameplay and is already considered by some to be a kind of evolution of both genres.
- Dune: Awakening has been in testing for months and has thousands of players on Steam, even though it hasn’t been released yet. The release date is finally known.
When will Dune: Awakening be released? On May 20, Dune: Awakening will start, and not in early access, but directly in the 1.0 release. There won’t be a years-long “public beta,” as is often the case with survival games. The game will cost €49.99.
The release will initially only take place on Steam. PS5 and Xbox will follow, but there is no date yet. Accordingly, there is also no information on crossplay. Here you can find all the information about the release, content, and platforms of Dune: Awakening.
- Here you can find Dune: Awakening on Steam
By the way, if you pre-order, you’ll receive a cute Muad’Dib, a desert mouse, as a “pet” in the terrarium for your base.
If you can’t wait and want to take a first look at the game, you can do that now. Character creation is available starting now, and you can have fun customizing with various backgrounds and sliders for appearance. However, the notorious penis slider is not included.
You can then transfer your characters into the game on May 20. Additionally, a benchmark test is available, showing you some scenes from the game. With this, you can test if your hardware is sufficient for the game, or if you need to upgrade to an RTX 5090. Participants in the benchmark test will receive a code for a knife skin in the finished game.
Dune: Awakening is different from any survival MMO you know
I’m an absolute survival fan and have spent thousands of hours in Conan Exiles, Fallout 76, and similar games. One of my very first games was even Stranded from 2003. I’ve been looking forward to the Dune game for years.
Recently, Funcom invited me to Oslo to finally see Dune: Awakening live. My opinion after about six hours: The new Dune game is completely different from any survival game I know and is really fun. What makes the game special includes:
- Classes like Bene Gesserit and Mentat that determine the playstyle
- A storyline with quests that guide you through the game – similar to the journey in Conan Exiles, but as a real quest series like in an MMORPG
- Plenty of NPCs for trading, learning skills, or just chatting
- Guilds and PvP battles for important resources
- Factions where you can build reputation
- An endgame system with the Landsraad revolving around intrigues, politics, and power
Additionally, there are of course classic survival elements like crafting and thirst. However, water is the only resource you really need to “survive.” You obtain it in… questionable ways that shock even the developers.
Personally, I’m extremely excited about Dune: Awakening and even if it shouldn’t be an absolute blockbuster, it will be a highlight of the year for me. Admittedly, the game will be quite special, but it perfectly suits my taste. For those who prefer the classic style, you can find the best survival games in 2025 for PC, PS5, and Xbox.
