Dune: Awakening is now available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox consoles. Funcom’s open-world survival game is now available on new platforms and has also received a major update. The console launch adds a full single-player mode, customisable gameplay settings, and new story content, while also including several changes made to the PC version over the past 15 months.
The update makes PvP optional, adds new progression systems and expands the endgame. A new Filmic Archive DLC, inspired by the Dune films, is also available across platforms.
Dune: Awakening gets single-player mode
The console release introduces a full single-player mode covering the game’s content and features. Players can choose between three difficulty presets or customise individual gameplay settings.
These include harvesting rates, experience gain, death penalties, sandstorms, building piece limits and item durability. The aim is to let players adjust the experience to suit how they want to play.
The update also concludes Book One of the game’s story. The Great Convention Part III introduces the final chapter, allowing players to play the complete story from beginning to end in one run.
Existing story missions also receive new rewards, including swatches, weapon and armour variants and placeable decorations.
PvP becomes optional
Dune: Awakening can now be played entirely through PvE, allowing players to avoid PvP without missing the game’s content, mechanics or rewards.
The Deep Desert endgame has separate PvE and PvP instances, with the PvP version offering higher risks and rewards. The Landsraad faction endgame has also been rebuilt around missions and can be played in both multiplayer PvE and single-player.
Players can progress through 20 ranks linked to the Atreides and Harkonnen factions while unlocking rewards.
The update also introduces Specializations, allowing players to invest points across areas such as crafting, gathering, exploration, combat and sabotage. Players can add augmentations to unique Tier 6 weapons and armour.
Combat and progression updated
Funcom has made several combat changes, including an increased parry window, revised NPC animations, rebalanced enemy stamina, and improved enemy AI. Dashing can now pass through enemies, while heavy attacks now deal the same damage as slow blade attacks.
Two weapons, Dual Blades and Pyrocket, have also been added, while the Rapier has been reworked as a parrying weapon.
The update also reduces several ways players could previously lose progression. Bases and vehicles can now be backed up, while the death penalty has been reduced and taxes have been removed.
Filmic Archive DLC adds Dune film-inspired items
The Filmic Archive DLC is available for $9.99 across platforms.
It adds items inspired by Dune: Part One and Dune: Part Two, including the Caladan Stormcoat, Aegis of an Unwalked Path armour, Harkonnen Cataphract and Atreides Hoplite armour sets, the Longhaul Stillsuit and three Sardaukar armour sets.
The DLC also includes weapons, emotes, 73 Sardaukar building pieces and 17 decorations.
Dune: Awakening gets new locations and features
The update expands Arrakis with seven new mission locations, six Imperial Testing Stations, additional contracts and dynamic encounters.
Players can also fully customise their characters in Arrakeen and Harko Village, with new hairstyles and tattoos available.
On Xbox Series X|S, the game offers Performance mode targeting 60fps with Dynamic 4K resolution and Quality mode targeting 30fps with Dynamic 4K. Xbox Series X also gets higher native resolution in both modes and enhanced visuals.
The game is available through Xbox Game Pass and supports Xbox Play Anywhere, allowing progression to carry across Xbox consoles, Windows Store, ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Cloud Gaming.
Cross-play coming after launch
Funcom says full cross-play between platforms will arrive after the console launch. The company also plans to release the Polar Cap later this year as a free update, adding a new survival map, an icy biome, new resources, loot, craftables, survival mechanics and a standalone storyline.
Players who access the game between September 17 and October 22 will also receive the Matron’s Decor launch reward package.