Welcome to 2025, the year of release for PC! It’s coming closer and closer and the entire Funcom team is beyond excited to show everyone what we’ve been working on. It’s been an amazing journey working on Dune: Awakening and we've poured our hearts and souls (and a whole lot of sand) into it. Hope you’re ready to take Arrakis head-on! We have our “death by sandworms” counter on standby.

Seeing reactions to what we’ve shown so far, as well as what our beta players are telling us, has been extremely encouraging. Keep your eyes open, as we have some very interesting things you won’t want to miss.

In this first Signal of the new year we’re showing off new screenshots, a look into the hands-on experience with press and content creators, concept art of the one-man groundcar, answers to some of your burning questions, and more.

We are seeing more and more Sleepers popping up from the sand with each passing month. If this is your first visit to our Communinet Signal, welcome! If you missed the previous Communinet Signals you can find them here:

• Signal #1

• Signal #2

• Signal #3

• Signal #4

The year has only just begun and we have a lot of exciting events, announcements, and spotlights to share already.

Starting 2025 with a bang, we revealed that Dune: Awakening will be one of the first games to feature NVIDIA’s DLSS 4 technology with Multi Frame Generation. This will enhance Arrakis' most majestic views and exciting moments!

You can read more about it in our article here. Check out the video to see it in action!

We also unveiled fancy new screenshots! These feature some of the scenarios you’ll find yourself in once on Arrakis (did we mention it's going to release this year?).

The slow blade penetrates the shield. Keep that in mind when engaging in hand to hand combat against shielded enemies. With a well timed slow blade attack, you can inflict a devastating blow against your opponent. But don't forget this applies to your defense as well!

Building a base is essential to your survival on Arrakis. Protect yourself from the brutal sandstorms, store your resources, craft weapons and vehicles, purify the blood of your enemies into water, and plan your next move. And do it all in your own style by decorating it to your liking.

Once you hear a loud boom, scout the horizon for a column of purple smoke rising to the sky. This is how you will spot a spice blow, which will be crucial to your spice production and control over Arrakis. Gather your allies, ornithopters, and harvesters to be the first to the blow and seize its control before your enemies arrive. The race is on.

Meet up with your friends, check out the latest on the Exchange, or dance your worries away at a bar before returning to the fray when visiting Harko Village or Arrakeen, the social hubs the game will offer at launch. Access them via the overland map with your ornithopter.

Sandworms, sandstorms, and sunstroke are as determined to stand in your way as you are of conquering them. Crossing the desert needs to be calculated: stay on rock islands as much as you can, stick to the shades and take shelter when needed. Master these basics of survival, or become wormbait.

Witness the beauty of Arrakis! Venture into the sands with us to see the harsh beauty and spellbinding majesty of Arrakis in our latest video. You’ll want to turn the volume on your speakers all the way up too!

It was a cold and snowy January here in Oslo, Norway. But that didn’t stop the gaming press and a select group of content creators we invited to try Dune: Awakening out for themselves! They quickly warmed themselves up with Arrakis’s blistering heat and dove into the game.

Check out their reactions in our new and extended behind-the-scenes video, which also features interviews with some of our developers.

A few articles from the excited press for your reading pleasure:

• PC Gamer: After 7 hours, Dune: Awakening might be the mix of survival and RPG that finally wins me over to the genre
• IGN: Dune: Awakening – The Final Preview
• GamesRadar: Dune: Awakening is so much more than a survival game or an MMO - it's a unique sci-fi experience shaped by Frank Herbert's 60-year-old lore and all that came after it
• GameRant: How Dune: Awakening Tackles the Challenge of Arrakis as a Singular Setting
• EuroGamer: Dune: Awakening proves MMOs can still be interesting and try new things
• TheGamer: There's "Nothing Really Stopping" Funcom Adding More Planets To Dune: Awakening

And a handful of videos from the lovely content creators:

Crossing the desert on foot probably isn’t the best idea unless you’re looking to be wormbait. One of the first vehicles you’ll craft will be a trusty one-man groundcar Using this, you can cross larger gaps of desert between the safety of rocks to get to areas with resources of a higher grade.

Modules can also be crafted and attached to the groundcar to give you storage, scanners, and even a second seat for another passenger. They can act as a quick getaway when surrounded by enemies, but remember that it will never be faster than the worm.

These art pieces were created by our Senior Concept Artist, Daniele Solimene.

Note that this is concept art and is subject to change.

Here’s this issue’s collection of gorgeous fanart we’ve received. Remember, if you want yours featured, post it in the #fanart section of the official Discord, or use #CommuninetSignal on social media.

Like in the last Signal, those featured here will be invited to join the Dune: Awakening Closed Beta!

Sandwalking: A Community Podcast

Hosted by your fellow Sleepers, DeadWoman Walking and FlamingMojo, this podcast touches on everything Dune: Awakening related released so far! There’s a lot to talk about, and it’s a great chance to get to know more about the game and get involved in the community.

A Spice Blow exploding in the distance. Digital art created by L_Wizzle

Beautiful art of an OC named Hamania Corrino by Shamanbrush.

Desert Burial by MewsikOn

An exciting fanmade trailer using various previously released clips by Scotty

 

This is a feature we want to add post-launch. At launch, you won’t be able to alter the physical choices for your character. You can, however, customize your character’s outfits and vehicles with various color swatches.

Yes, as you progress through the game, you will have to learn where to find some of the rarer materials, both in Hagga Basin and in the Deep Desert. Some of the high-end mats will require you to even prepare thoroughly against heavy environmental dangers, or scout specific regions. In addition to that, the Coriolis storm will sweep across the Deep Desert and alter it every week; this changes the location and availability of certain materials and loot.

PvE will be a big focus, especially at the beginning of the game. Hagga Basin is largely a PvE zone with a wide variety of content that you can spend many hours with without having to engage in PvP, though there are specific regions that you can enter for PvP. Direct PvP will always be optional, and the story can be completed without engaging in PvP.

As you progress through the game, we will be directing you more towards PvP activities, but an important key element of PvP in Dune: Awakening is that it is not designed solely for direct confrontation. You can choose to focus only on PvE activities, such as crafting and harvesting materials, and still be part of the conflict by supporting your faction and guild in the Landsraad, providing materials critical to a new vote, or selling rare items on the Exchange for others to use in direct conflict. So if you prefer to focus on PvE activities, you can still be a part of the intrigue of the Deep Desert and late game.

You will be able to express yourself with the wide selection of emotes at launch, and we will keep adding more as post-launch content as well!

Keep in mind that sandworms are their own entities in the game, with their own behaviors, patrolling routes, and routines. Sandworms will target any presence that attracts their attention, such as rhythmic vibrations caused by displacement, Holtzman tech, thumpers, etc.

They will control the sands, and as such are a valuable tactical resource for those who know the ways of the desert and how to use them to their advantage. You can use thumpers to distract or lure them, but you won't be able to summon them at will.

January has flown by, bringing us one month closer to the release of Dune: Awakening. We hope you’re enjoying reading these updates as much as we like making them. Don’t forget that it comes out THIS YEAR on PC! It’s incredibly exciting for us as we ramp up to launch and can reveal more and more with time. And maybe, just maybe, there might be something extra spicy we might share next month…

May Shai-Hulud bless your path to launch!