What it is
Dune: Awakening is Funcom’s open-world survival RPG set on Arrakis, combining resource gathering, base building, third-person combat and a cinematic story with large-scale online play. It is now available on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, with a full single-player mode added for the September 2026 console launch.
- UK release
- 22 September 2026 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S; PC launched on 10 June 2025
- Platforms
- PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S; Xbox Cloud Gaming and Xbox Play Anywhere also supported
- Developer
- Funcom
- Publisher
- Funcom
- UK price
- Standard £39.99; Deluxe £57.99 PS5 or £58.49 Xbox; Ultimate £73.99 PS5 or £74.99 Xbox
- PEGI
- PEGI 16
- Genre
- Open-world survival, RPG and adventure
- Online mode
- Yes — online multiplayer with friends and public or private servers, supporting up to 60 players on console
- Game Pass / PS Plus
- Included with Xbox Game Pass; PS Plus required for PS5 online play but not single-player
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
Story and setting
This is Dune in an alternate timeline where Paul Atreides was never born. Lady Jessica obeyed the Bene Gesserit and gave birth to a daughter, Ariste, allowing Duke Leto to survive the Harkonnen assault. House Atreides and House Harkonnen remain locked in a struggle for Arrakis, while the Fremen have disappeared.
You begin as a prisoner sent to find the missing Fremen and awaken the Sleeper. The story brings you into contact with familiar figures including Duke Leto and Feyd-Rautha, while your own past gradually becomes as important as the political conflict around you. It is designed to work as a substantial solo campaign or as part of the wider shared world.
How it plays
The core loop is survival and expansion. You cross Arrakis in search of resources, manage hydration and shelter, avoid sandstorms and sandworms, craft equipment, establish bases and improve your transport. The Shigawire hook helps with traversal, while sandbikes, ground vehicles and player-built ornithopters open up increasingly dangerous parts of the planet. You can build in Atreides, Harkonnen and other architectural styles, then add fabricators, refineries and defensive equipment.
Combat and character development use the Schools of the Imperium. Swordmaster, Bene Gesserit, Trooper and Mentat disciplines provide different abilities, weapons and approaches, and you can mix skills rather than being permanently locked to one class. Online, you can play on public servers with other players, join friends on private servers, take part in House Atreides or House Harkonnen politics, and pursue the Landsraad endgame. PvP is now optional, with PvE routes available through the current endgame structure.
What has been added since launch
The PC version launched on 10 June 2025, but the current game is substantially larger. Chapter 2 added new story missions, contracts and character re-customisation alongside The Lost Harvest DLC, while Chapter 3 rebuilt the late game around a more mission-focused Landsraad and added Raiders of the Broken Lands. Update 1.4 introduced the Wind Pass, the Old Quarry Testing Station, more Landsraad missions and optional self-hosted PC servers; The Water Wars added another cosmetic and building pack.
Update 1.5 arrived on 17 September 2026 for the console launch. It added the full single-player mode, scalable difficulty and extensive gameplay customisation, concluded Book One of the story, improved combat and progression, and made bases and vehicles easier to preserve between worlds. The Filmic Archive DLC launched on 22 September with film-inspired armour, stillsuits, weapons, emotes and a 73-piece Sardaukar building set. A free Polar Cap map is planned for later in 2026.
Platforms, performance and UK price
The standard UK console release was Tuesday, 22 September 2026. The PC version is available through Steam and the Xbox ecosystem. On Xbox Series X|S, Performance mode targets 60fps at Dynamic 4K, while Quality mode targets 30fps at Dynamic 4K; Series X has higher native resolution and enhanced visuals. The Xbox version is also available through Game Pass, Xbox Cloud Gaming and Xbox Play Anywhere.
On PS5, Performance mode targets 60fps with frame generation, while PS5 Pro runs at 60fps without frame generation. Quality mode is 30fps on both machines, with upscaled 4K output. UK digital prices are £39.99 for Standard, £57.99 for Deluxe and £73.99 for Ultimate on PlayStation; Xbox lists £39.99, £58.49 and £74.99 respectively. A physical PS5 edition was distributed in Europe by Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe. PS Plus is not required for single-player, but is required for online play on PS5.
Reception and what remains unconfirmed
The established critical response comes from the original PC release. IGN awarded it 8/10, Eurogamer rated it 4/5 and PC Gamer gave it 80/100. Metacritic lists a PC critic average of 78/100 from 65 reviews, with praise for the setting, survival systems and ambition tempered by criticism of combat, bugs and some endgame friction. These are PC scores rather than a combined score for the new console editions.
Dune: Awakening does have an online mode, but full cross-play between PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S was not available at the console launch. Funcom has confirmed that cross-play is planned after launch without giving a release date. The Polar Cap update is also confirmed for later this year, but its exact launch date has not been announced.
Not yet confirmed
- Funcom has confirmed full cross-play is planned after the console launch, but has not announced when it will arrive.
- The free Polar Cap survival map is planned for later in 2026, but its exact release date has not been confirmed.
Dune: Awakening: your questions
Is Dune: Awakening single-player?
Yes. Update 1.5 added a full single-player mode with the complete story, adjustable difficulty and customisable survival settings. You can also play online on public or private servers.
Does Dune: Awakening have cross-play?
Not at launch. Funcom has confirmed that cross-play between PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S is planned for after the console release, but there is no confirmed date yet.
Is Dune: Awakening on Xbox Game Pass?
Yes. The Xbox version is available through Xbox Game Pass, as well as Xbox Cloud Gaming and Xbox Play Anywhere.
Do you need PS Plus to play Dune: Awakening?
PS Plus is not needed for the single-player mode, but an active PS Plus subscription is required for online multiplayer on PS5.
How much does Dune: Awakening cost in the UK?
The digital Standard Edition costs £39.99 on PlayStation and Xbox. Deluxe and Ultimate cost £57.99 and £73.99 on PlayStation, or £58.49 and £74.99 on Xbox.
