Summary
Funcom has revealed a new in-depth look at the endgame systems forDune: Awakening, its upcoming open-world survival MMO set in theDuneuniverse. ThisDune: Awakeningpreview, which aired during a developer livestream, offered the first real look at the mid-to-end-game Landsraad, and gave more information about the combat system and the unique abilities from the Schools of the Imperium.
Dune: Awakeningis an open-world survival MMO developed by Funcom, set on the desert planet of Arrakis. The game takes place in an alternate timeline in which Paul Atreides was never born, and a civil war between House Atreides and House Harkonnen is tearing Arrakis apart. Players can align with one of these Great Houses and fight against their opponents to take control of the spice, a key resource in theDuneuniverse.Dune: Awakeningfeatures traditional survival mechanicslike crafting and base building, as well as a variety of combat options for those wanting to engage in large-scale faction warfare against other players.
Funcom gave players a better look atDune: Awakening’s endgame content during a dedicated showcase. One of themain features introduced inDune: Awakeningis the Landsraad, the council of Great Houses that governs decisions affecting all servers within a single World. Unlike typical MMO faction mechanics focused just on PvP or territory control, the Landsraad introduces a political layer where representatives from different Houses come together to debate and decide on policies that impact the entire player community.
Dune Awakening’s Endgame Combat System
The development team also shared more information aboutDune: Awakening’s combat system, blending melee, ranged, vehicular, and ability-based combat. A key component of this system is the Schools of the Imperium, four distinct disciplines that shape a character’s combat style and progression. At character creation, players choose a School, unlocking a unique skill tree and starting ability. Throughout their adventures on Arrakis, players can learn abilities from other Schools than the one they picked, giving them more ways to customize their combat builds.
This showcase marks the first time players get a real look atDune Awakeningendgame content, as these features were not available during the public beta held earlier in May. While the testing phase allowed players to explore early-game mechanics like crafting and survival, the late-game content was kept under wraps. Even so, the finalDune: Awakeningbeta event gathered almost 40,000 concurrent playerscurious to begin their adventures on Arrakis.
