Dune: Awakening Dev Says Its Release Date Is 'The Full Launch,' and While There's No Subscription, There Will Be 'Optional' DLCs

Dune: Awakening, the much-anticipated multiplayer survival game inspired by Frank Herbert's legendary sci-fi novel and its movie adaptations, is set for a full launch on May 20, as confirmed by developer Funcom. Excitingly, the game will not follow the subscription model typical of MMOs, opting instead for a business model that offers free updates and optional DLCs to keep the experience fresh and engaging.

Funcom has a proven track record with its long-running MMOs like Anarchy Online and Conan Exiles, which continue to receive free updates, DLCs, and expansions years after their initial release. Dune: Awakening will follow this tradition, ensuring players enjoy a continuously evolving world filled with new content, features, and enhancements.

The game's standard edition is priced at $49.99, while the Deluxe Edition at $69.99 and the Ultimate Edition at $89.99 offer added value. Both Deluxe and Ultimate Editions include a five-day head start and unique items. The Deluxe Edition also features the armor of the Sardaukar, the elite military force from the game. The Ultimate Edition goes a step further, adding Paul Atreides' iconic stillsuit from the 2021 film, a digital artbook, a digital soundtrack, unique color patterns, and the Caladan Palace Set, complete with building pieces, placeables, and decorations.

Pre-ordering any edition grants players a universal color pattern applicable to vehicles, weapons, and armor, along with the Terrarium of Muad'Dib, an in-base decoration featuring the iconic desert mouse.

For PC gamers, Funcom has detailed the system requirements for Dune: Awakening, which supports advanced graphics technologies like Nvidia’s DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation, AMD’s FSR, and Intel’s XeSS 2. This ensures a smooth and visually stunning gaming experience.

Minimum Requirements:

• OS: Windows 10 64-bit (or newer)
• Processor: Intel Core i5-7400, AMD Ryzen 3 1200
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB), AMD Radeon 5600XT (6GB)
• Storage: 60 GB available space

Recommended Requirements:

• OS: Windows 10 64-bit (or newer)
• Processor: Intel Core i7-10700K, AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 (8GB), AMD Radeon 6700XT (12GB)
• Storage: 75 GB available space

For a deeper dive into the game, check out IGN's final preview of Dune: Awakening.