Funcom has been developing Dune: Awakening as a survival MMORPG but has recently clarified its genre classification, highlighting the game’s unique features. In a recent statement, the studio emphasized that while the game offers a vast multiplayer experience, it deviates from traditional MMORPG design, which may have resulted in confusing expectations.
“Dune: Awakening is an open-world, multiplayer, survival game on a massive scale, with content and mechanics you haven’t seen in combination before,” Funcom noted. They have decided to eliminate ‘MMO’ from their description as the game’s essence and complexity veered away from conventional MMORPGs.
The game features traditional survival gameplay, including base building, resource management, and crafting. Yet, it also incorporates elements commonly found in MMORPGs, such as multi-server trading markets, social hubs for trading and interaction, guilds, and a structured endgame loop. The distinctive server mechanics allow for both Player vs. Environment (PvE) and Player vs. Player (PvP) areas, with the Hagga Basin serving as the primary PvE zone, allowing for up to 40 concurrent players, while the Deep Desert is a free-for-all PvP area.
To manage server capacity, Funcom explained features like queuing systems for server connections and the establishment of thousands of servers across various locations. Additionally, they conducted an Ask Me Anything (AMA) session with players, providing insights into a projected console launch in 2026, private server functionalities being developed, and strategies to mitigate excessive player groupings, or ‘zerging,’ in PvP zones.
The design and mechanics found in Dune: Awakening showcase an innovative blend of genres, creating anticipation among players for a fresh take on multiplayer survival experiences. Fans of both survival games and MMORPGs may find something unique in this hybrid approach as the game’s launch approaches.