Dune: Awakening will spice things up on May 20<p>A day after it was <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:1;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="
https://deadline.com/2025/02/dune-3-timothee-chalamet-zendaya-begin-filming-summer-2025-1236293617/" data-original-link="
https://deadline.com/2025/02/dune-3-timothee-chalamet-zendaya-begin-filming-summer-2025-1236293617/">reported[/url] that Denis Villeneuve's third <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="
https://www.engadget.com/dune-2-review-dolby-cinema-194415814.html">Dune movie[/url] starts shooting this summer, developer Funcom announced that its <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="
https://www.engadget.com/dune-awakening-announced-190551453.html">open-world MMO
Dune: Awakening[/url] arrives on May 20 for PC. You can even get a jump on your journey through Arrakis with a character creator that's available today.</p>
<p>
Dune: Awakening draws inspiration from Frank Herbert's novels and <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="
https://www.engadget.com/dune-movie-review-cinema-hbo-max-173051367.html">the 2020s films[/url]. (Sorry, no speedo-clad Sting in this one.) However, it takes some detours from the established canon. In the game's version of Dune's world, the Fremen have vanished, Paul Atreides was never born and Lady Jessica obeyed the Bene Gesserit's instructions to give birth to a girl. (In other words, she's a total square.)</p> <span id="end-legacy-contents"></span>
<p>So, in addition to being a bit of a "What If?" version of the Duniverse, it gives the developers freedom to use familiar environments and characters without having to tread too closely to the lore of the books and films. Handy!</p>
<figure>
<img src="
https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-02/ef5874a0-efb7-11ef-bf6b-2fd99b0d3d79" data-crop-orig-src="
https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-02/ef5874a0-efb7-11ef-bf6b-2fd99b0d3d79" style="height:1080px;width:1920px;" alt="Screenshot from the upcoming game Dune: Awakening. Behind-the-back shot of a character approaching a desert base." data-uuid="a171631d-5079-3232-9e1f-15466ffba6e7">
<figcaption></figcaption>
<div class="photo-credit">
Funcom
</div>
</figure>
<p>Funcom says you start as a prisoner sent to Arrakis to investigate the Fremen's disappearance. "Following in the footsteps of the mysterious desert tribe, you will learn the true meaning of desert power as you rise from a nameless survivor to becoming an agent of the Atreides or the Harkonnen," the game blurb reads.</p>
<p>The <a data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" href="
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1172710/Dune_Awakening/">character creator[/url] you can tinker with today lets you tweak your hero's looks and choose their home planet, caste and mentor (Swordmaster, Bene Gesserit, Mentat or Trooper). True to Dune form, your protagonist will have to put their hand in the box and take the dreaded Gom Jabbar test. (Fortunately, your hand will be on a keyboard or controller, not inside a sci-fi torture test.) You can use your custom character when the full game launches.</p>
<p>The tool also includes a benchmark mode, so you'll know whether you need to <a data-i13n="cpos:6;pos:1" href="
https://www.engadget.com/ai/nvidia-announces-new-rtx-5090-graphics-card-that-costs-2000-at-ces-031133468.html">invest in new PC hardware[/url] to play the survival game when it arrives.</p>
<p>
Dune: Awakening launches on May 20 on <a data-i13n="cpos:7;pos:1" href="
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1172710/Dune_Awakening/">Steam[/url]. It costs $50, and pre-orders will open soon. The game is also coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, but there's no release date for the console versions yet. You can check out the latest trailer below.</p>
<p>
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<p></p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at
https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/dune-awakening-will-spice-things-up-on-may-20-184552623.html?src=rssSource:
Dune: Awakening will spice things up on May 20
