Funcom News, Tips, Tricks & Ideas

As a massive fan of survival games and Dune, I’ll admit to being a bit skeptical about an open-world survival game that takes place on the famously barren planet of Arrakis, but after an hour-long presentation of the upcoming Dune: Awakening, those concerns have disappeared entirely. Based on the hands-off showcasing of what’s to come when this MMO survival game hits early access later this year, it certainly appears that developer Funcom has taken their hard-won learnings from the underrated Conan Exiles and applied it to this ambitious multiplayer world set in one of sci-fi’s most beloved galaxies. Whether it was the impressively detailed character creation options, the intricate RPG systems filled with skill trees and craftables, or the absolute insanity of trying to outrun a Shai-Hulud or escape a massive sandstorm, Dune: Awakening appears to be on track to become the sci-fi survival game I’ve always dreamt of, and I cannot wait to get my hands on it.

Dune: Awakening from developer Funcom has a lot of hype to live up to in the wake of two inescapable films from Dennis Villeneuve based on Frank Herbet's legendary sci-fi novels. Thankfully, it seems to be on track, judging first from the scorching gameplay released at the start of the month and now glowing preview coverage from outlet IGN, which has us more hyped than ever. We still don't have a release date on this one, but it has been foretold that it will come to PS5, someday.

Rhythm shooter Metal: Hellsinger has you circle-strafing Quake-style level layouts at high-speed while you shoot demons to the beat. I meet the news that it's getting a VR version this year with some trepidation, therefore. Do I really want to vomit on the beat?

Developer The Outsiders and publisher Funcom have announced that rhythm-based heavy metal shooter Metal: Hellsinger is getting a VR release. Appropriately titled Metal: Hellsinger VR, the game is coming to Meta Quest 2 and 3, Meta Quest Pro, PlayStation VR2, and SteamVR later this year. Check out the trailer below.

Publisher Funcom and developer The Outsiders, in collaboration with Lab42, have announced Metal: Hellsinger VR for PlayStation VR2, SteamVR, and Quest 2, 3, and Pro. It will launch in 2024.

A decade or so ago there was a period when all videogames and especially all Unreal Engine videogames had to be brown and grey and dingy. "The Gears of Warrification of graphics," we used to call it, huddled up in the chest-high trenches with our Xbox 360 controllers. Survival MMO Dune: Awakening threatens to bring that back in a big way: the novel and films on which it’s based unfold, after all, on an entire planet made of sand.

At GDC 2024, Wccftech attended a presentation and subsequent roundtable Q&A about open world survival MMO Dune Awakening with Creative Director Joel Bylos. The full interview will be available soon, but in the meantime, here's what Bylos told us when we asked whether the game would launch this year:

At GDC 2024, Epic held its State of Unreal event, unveiling the latest news and developments coming to Unreal Engine — specifically Unreal Engine 5 and Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN).

Conan Exiles’ Age of War is set to conclude with the launch of its 4th and final chapter on April 2.

Dune: Spice Wars, the 4x strategy game has its first DLC, including a new faction, as well as a major free update reworking combat and adding 14 legendary playable characters.

Dune: Awakening won't let players ride sandworms from launch. Like other parts of Fremen culture, it will be relegated to a post-launch update, as the devs say they were told to leave certain aspects of the Dune universe out of the game at launch.

The second part of Dune is out at the moment, and it has resulted in that most filthy of perversions, discourse - a pastime in which only the most unsavoury characters indulge. Is Dune appropriative? Is the appropriation the point? Whatever the case, Funcom want you to know that their upcoming survival game Dune: Awakening has nothing to do with any of that, posting a short Xeet from the official Awakening account that's the written equivalent of sticking your arms straight out, waving your hands, and going "Woahwoahwoah, hang on a minute."

Dune: Awakening's developer says religion will have a reduced role in the upcoming open-world survival MMO compared to its source material.

Funcom, developer of the upcoming Dune: Awakening, has issued a statement regarding the role of religion in the game after fan concerns erupted on the internet this week.

Hot on the heels of yesterday's gameplay reveal, we've learned more about Funcom's upcoming MMO, Dune: Awakening, which remains shrouded in mystery. Crucially, we knew the story would take place in an alternate universe set a few years before the events of the Frank Herbert books or Dennis Villeneuve films and would ignore one of the most critical aspects of its universe, religion, for undisclosed spoiler reasons. Now you've got our attention!

While fans can now watch Dune: Part 2, they will have an opportunity to explore Arrakis in the upcoming. However, players shouldn’t expect to emulate Paul Atreides too closely, as Funcom says no one gets to play as a messiah.  

Visually, looks like it's set in the world of Denis Villeneuve's movie adaptations, with the studio behind these films, Legendary, having shared assets with the development team at Funcom, as well as inviting them on set. Despite this, the game's story has made at least one massive change from the book and the movies that could have major consequences going forward.

Joel Bylos, chief creative officer at Funcom and creative director of Dune: Awakening,has stated that the game will focus on a «topical» war «between humans and artificial intelligence.» 

Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two film wormed its way through theaters over the weekend, and if you’ve still got sand in the brain, there’s plenty more where that came from. Namely, Funcom shared a closer look at the upcoming Dune: Awakening survival game, which is in the works for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

The Spice is undoubtedly in the air, with Part Two of Dennis Villeneuve's Dune film adaptation of Frank Herbert's epic sci-fi series now in theatres. Striking while the iron is hot, we also got a stunning gameplay trailer from Funcom for the upcoming survival MMO Dune: Awakening, which was revealed in August 2022 and prophesied to come to PS5 someday.

Developer Funcom has confirmed that Dune Awakening will let you join guilds under two factions, along with a third that is yet to be revealed. 

Developers at Funcom, the studio behind upcoming massively multiplayer online game Dune: Awakening, "sort of sidestep religion" in their take on the beloved science fiction universe.

A Dune Awakening Direct has been hosted by Funcom today, going into details about its upcoming survival MMO that will be released for PC and consoles. Arrakis is the core setting of Dune Awakening, and it will be a test for all players. The survival of the game starts from the very basic of where to find water and food, to moving upward in the political sphere and trying to survive that. You can watch the full broadcast below.

Dune Awakening had to make some changes to its source material, and the developers needed express permission to make that happen.

While looks to provide players with an authentic Arrakis experience, two iconic parts of creator Frank Herbert's world haven't made it into the game. Given the gigantic scale of and the various aspects that must be included to authentically adapt the sci-fi universe, it stands to reason that certain aspects would need to be changed or added through future updates. Fortunately for players, developer Funcom has good reason for leaving out some iconic parts of the franchise.

Funcom has released a new trailer for upcoming survival-based MMORPG Dune: Awakening. Dubbed the Survive Arrakis trailer, the latest video showcases some of the gameplay players can expect in Dune: Awakening, including having to gather materials to build bases, and explore the deadly deserts of the world.

Funcom and Nukklear GmbH have released a new, previewing the upcoming open-world action survival MMO game currently in development.

A presentation for Dune: Awakening has explained why developer Funcom chose Unreal Engine 5 to craft its open-world survival MMO. The Dune: Awakening Direct comes shortly following the release of Dune: Part Two, the highly anticipated sequel to Denis Villeneuve's film adaptation of Frank Herbert's titular novel.

As part of Dune: Awakening's recent showcase, developer Funcom has revealed that hydration plays a major role in the forthcoming open-world survival MMO, in which players can drink the blood of slain enemies to stay alive, in addition to other methods. Funcom has yet to confirm a release date for Dune: Awakening.

Dune: Awakening will pair survival and crafting mechanics with the social interaction of a massively multiplayer online game, letting players fulfill the hellish fantasy of surviving life on Arrakis. Yes, you can fly an ornithopter. Yes, you can use the Voice to bend the will of your enemies. And yes, you can drink the blood of your enemies in an effort to stay hydrated on Dune’s deadly desert planet.

Sandworms play a major part in Dune: Awakening, the big survival MMO coming some time soon from Funcom, the developers behind Conan: Exiles — but the game won't feature the novel's famous sandworm-riding come launch. And, presumably much more importantly for Conan fans, there'll be no penis sliders either.

Dune: Awakening, a survival MMO set in the world of Dune, isn't toning down the threat of sandworms to work in the game. In fact, developer Funcom says that they're completely unkillable and will have to be avoided or diverted rather than defeated. If one of them goes after you, the developers say you have "seconds" to react before it kills you.

Sandworms in Dune: Awakening will be unkillable, Funcom has revealed. The confirmation of their immortality arrived as part of a new developer diary featuring an extensive behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming game, and offering some other details about how Dune: Awakening will handle the most iconic creature from the seminal sci-fi saga.

Developer Funcom provided a new look at Dune: Awakening, an upcoming open-world survival MMO game. The new trailer and deep dive into Dune: Awakening comes just days after the opening of the Dune: Part Two film in theaters. The roughly 25-minute presentation gives fans a look at some of the core features coming to the game based on Frank Herbert's epic sci-fi novel, including base-building, combat, and traversal.

Dune: Awakening, the massively-multiplayer take on Frank Herbert’s sandy sci-fi universe from dong-loving devs Funcom, has shown off some more of its online, open-world Arrakis in a lengthy developer direct. We’ve also learnt more about what we will - and won’t - be able to do during our time exploring the planet.

Upcoming survival MMO will let players attempt to make it on their own on Arrakis, the most dangerous planet in the galaxy. The title comes from Funcom, a developer that's no stranger to the online multiplayer genre, with previous releases like and. recently attended a special event for the game hosted by Funcom's creative director Joel Bylos, which featured a premiere of a new trailer and a showcase segment delving into the game's development.

A new trailer for has been revealed by Funcom, alongside a featurette on how the studio has adapted Arrakis for its Open World Survival MMO title. was revealed back in 2022 as part of Gamescom Opening Night Live, but since then, there hasn't been much information surrounding the title.

We already knew that Norwegian game developer Funcom is working on an open-world survival MMO game set in the Dune universe. And today, the developer has provided a new look at Dune: Awakening, including a glimpse into Arrakis along with some gameplay footage.

Dune: Part Two, the long-awaited sequel to the 2021 Oscar-winning hit Dune, has finally been released and is having a smash opening weekend at the box office. For those who are experiencing Dune for the first time in theaters, the film ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, and longtime fans of the story will be left eagerly awaiting the adventure’s end. Whichever camp you fall into, you’ll surely be left wanting more — and thankfully, everyone is getting more today with a new look at the upcoming survival MMO Dune: Awakening.

A Dune Awakening Direct has been hosted by Funcom today, going into details about its upcoming survival MMO that will be released for PC and consoles. Arrakis is the core setting of Dune Awakening, and it will be a test for all players. The survival of the game starts from the very basic of where to find water and food, to moving upward in the political sphere and trying to survive that. You can watch the full broadcast below.

This afternoon, Funcom announced the first in a series of Dune Awakening Direct showcases. Slated to go live on Monday, March 4 at 6 PM CET (noon Eastern Time, 9 AM Pacific Time) on Twitch and YouTube, it'll be hosted by Soe Gschwind and include new footage of the open world survival MMO. Fans will be treated to the Gameplay Reveal Trailer and a featurette titled Creating Worlds, from Book to Film to Game.

After several recent brief preview videos, breaking down some of the mechanics, gameplay elements, and the characteristics of the environment of Arrakis and why a survival MMO works there, the latest Dune: Awakening video takes a different direction.

Dune: Awakening is holding a new closed beta test soon. Funcom has already begun sendiing the first invites to the next test phase of its multiplayer survival game.

The 2024 list of our most anticipated multiplayer games is hugely dominated by the survival genre, which is bleeding into all kinds of franchises and settings nowadays. It's worth noting that we focused on brand new titles here; for the upcoming expansions and DLCs to existing multiplayer games, head to this list.

The Dune: Awakening team has opened up its TikTok account and given a few nuggets of info about the upcoming survival MMO. The video, which was also shared via Funcom on other social platforms, gives a few details against some clips.

Players eager to see if they can survive the harsh landscape of Arrakis in Dune: Awakening might not have long to wait, as Funcom has revealed it's gearing up for a test in «early next year.» In fact, a test has already concluded in early December with a small number of players checking out the upcoming survival MMO.

Conan Exiles ’ Age of War season has arrived at its conclusion with Chapter 3 now available across all platforms. This chapter offers several PvE challenges, including the ability to siege a Stygian fortress, and the ability to build and open up your own tavern.

Metal: Hellsinger is a neat rhythm shooter, in which you blast demons in time to the beat of heavy metal. This week brought the release of new Purgatory DLC, which adds new tracks and a bow weapon, but also the launch of a free Horde mode update. The latter lets you fight escalating waves of enemies in different arenas, with between-wave powerups and permanent upgrades to unlock.

Real-time strategy game Dune: Spice Wars is out now on Xbox Series X/S. As part of its Xbox release, the game is also available as part of Xbox Game Pass. Along with getting an Xbox Series X/S release, Dune: Spice Wars also features a new control scheme that revolves around making use of a controller.

Over five and a half years after launch, Funcom's survival game Conan Exiles is still going strong. The game quickly became Funcom's fastest-selling title, having sold 1.5 million copies by July 2018, and the continued support of the player base has translated into a steady stream of new content and features.

Shiro Games and Funcom’s 4X genre-blending strategy title Dune: Spice Wars is heading to Xbox later this month. 

Funcom has announced that survival MMO Dune: Awakening , is approaching early closed beta testing. 

Publisher Funcom and developer Shiro Games will release real-time strategy game Dune: Spice Wars for Xbox Series on November 28, the companies announced. It will also be available via Xbox Game Pass.

Shiro Games’ Dune: Spice Wars, a 4X strategy game based on Frank Herbert’s sci-fi novel, is coming to Xbox Series X/S. It launches on November 28th for consoles and Game Pass (with the PC version currently available on the service).

It looks like Dune: Spice Wars will be available on Xbox Game Pass for console and cloud later this month.

There have been a good few videogames based on Conan the Barbarian over the years, but this one is a little different from most. It's a text adventure called Tavern of Treachery, and it's all about running into the infamous Cimmerian during a night on the town and making friends with him—or not, if you want to try your luck.

After starting a new Age off with the first chapter, Conan Exiles set the stage for Age of War Chapter 2, which is going live today. Included are the rework of purges, improvements to loot throughout, adjustments to combat and dungeons, and new cosmetics.

It’s been a few years since Funcom released Conan Exiles but that doesn’t mean Crom has forgotten about it. The Age of War – Chapter 2 update brings a bounty of changes and updates to the open world title. Many of these changes are centered around a player’s horde of loot and protecting said load from the invading Stygian Empire in a revamped purge system. We can’t expect Crom’s generosity to bestow improvements to the loot without introducing some new threats to maintaining one’s wealth now can we.

Strategize in the sands of Arrakis and rise to power in Dune: Spice Wars . The new real-time 4X strategy title has left Early Access and fully launched, adding a brand new playable faction, and additional content.

Conan Exiles is preparing for Age of War Chapter 2, on September 21st, and the Funcom team has shared a deep dive into the upcoming complete overhaul of Purges.

We're thrilled to announce the return of GamesBeat Next, hosted in San Francisco this October, where we will explore the theme of «Playing the Edge.» Apply to speak here and learn more about sponsorship opportunities here. At the event, we will also announce 25 top game startups as the 2024 Game Changers. Apply or nominate today!

Funcom’s Dune: Spice Wars will exit early access for PC on September 14th. Developed by Shiro Games of Wartales and Northgard fame, the 4X real-time strategy is based on Frank Herbert’s Dune. It will launch with its sixth major update, adding House Ecaz for six playable factions.

Real-time strategy game Dune: Spice Wars will leave Early Access and launch in version 1.0 for PC via Steam on September 14, publisher Funcom and developer Shiro Games announced.

Age of War Chapter 2 for Conan Exiles will be arriving on September 21st. This will expand on everything added in  chapter 1, along with efforts to improve loot across the game, a new Stygian building set available in the Bazaar, and of course a brand new Battle Pass.

Spice is life, and it’s about to flow in full as Dune: Spice Wars prepares to leave Early Access. Developer Shiro Games and publisher Funcom announced plans to bring Version 1.0 to Steam in September 2023. There’s also a release trailer to go along with the news. The new preview shows off more of the real-time warfare and the various means of political sabotage at your disposal.

Developer Shiro Games has announced that real-time strategy game Dune: Spice Wars will be getting out of early access and into a full release in September. Sadly, despite a trailer for the announcement, the studio hasn’t announced a precise release date aside from a September 2023 release window.

A new has been released, revealing the release date window for the 1.0 version of the tactical video game.

Real-time strategy game Dune: Spice Wars will leave Early Access and launch in version 1.0 for PC via Steam in September, publisher Funcom and developer Shiro Games announced.

This year's Devcom Developer Conference saw 3,400 participants attend the event in Cologne, Germany.

At Devcom's keynote today, Funcom's lead UX designer Anna Brandberg made a case for taking the time to truly understand players.