"Dune: Awakening Set to Launch for Thousands, Developer Confirms"

Developer Funcom is confident that Dune: Awakening will be ready to welcome thousands of players at launch, even if server congestion becomes an issue. With a large-scale beta weekend fast approaching, fans are getting closer to experiencing the full multiplayer scope of this ambitious survival title. Here's everything we know so far about Funcom’s server strategy and what to expect from the upcoming beta.

Dune: Awakening Pre-Launch Updates

Funcom Confirms Servers Are Launch-Ready

As the June 10, 2025 release date nears, Funcom has reassured players that their server infrastructure is prepared for a potentially crowded launch. In a Steam post published on May 7, the studio addressed concerns following the first closed beta, offering clarity on how server capacity and large-scale multiplayer systems will function.

Upon starting the game, players will select a home server within a World—each World containing at least 20 servers. This structure allows for cross-server interaction, enabling players to engage with others across the same World.

Despite excitement building, some fans have expressed concerns over server load and login queues. Funcom acknowledges that high demand during launch may cause certain servers to reach capacity but assures there will be "thousands of servers grouped into hundreds of Worlds available at launch."

The developer elaborated: “While a single Hagga Basin server supports up to 40 concurrent players, population fluctuations throughout the day mean that several hundred users can still select that server as their home.” This system was extensively tested during the closed beta, and mechanisms are in place to limit character creation on overcrowded servers—reducing the risk of full server locks.

Though the game emphasizes large-scale multiplayer gameplay, solo experiences are still viable. Players can explore Arrakis independently, even while connected to a shared world. However, dedicated single-player or private server modes will not be available at launch and are planned for inclusion in future post-launch updates.

What to Expect From the Large-Scale Beta Weekend

Before the official launch, players can test the game during the highly anticipated large-scale beta weekend. Details about the event were revealed in a recent blog post on the Dune: Awakening official site on May 8.

Access to the beta can be secured by wishlisting the game on Steam, signing up via the official website, or receiving an access code during the Global LAN party on May 10.

The beta period will run from May 9 to May 12, with streaming events scheduled accordingly. A timetable showing start times by region is provided below:

The beta experience includes approximately 20–25 hours of gameplay, covering early to mid-game content. Features available include the CHOAM building set, the Hagga Basin South area, Eastern and Western Vermillius Gap regions, access to the Sandbike, early-to-mid combat mechanics, and portions of Act I of the main storyline. It’s important to note that progress made during the beta will not carry over to the full game.

Dune: Awakening is scheduled for release on June 10, 2025, exclusively on PC initially. PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions are planned but do not yet have confirmed release dates. For more updates and exclusive insights, keep checking back with our ongoing coverage.