Dune is an IP with a long history. Beginning as a series of novels written by Frank Herbert, it has since spun off into an extended literary universe, multiple film and television adaptations, board and video games, and more. The upcoming multiplayer survival game Dune: Awakening will tell an original story set on Arrakis, but will also incorporate elements from both the original novels and the recent Denis Villeneuve films.
Dune: Awakening‘s team worked closely with both Legendary Entertainment and Herbert’s estate to create a lore-accurate Dune experience, and during a recent trip to Oslo, Norway, Game Rant spoke with executive producer Scott Junior about the team’s work with said company and estate.
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Dune: Awakening Is Lore-Accurate To Both Books And Films
Legendary Entertainment, Junior explained, ended up having a large influence on the game’s development, as both teams worked to ensure that the game’s portrayal of Arrakis lined up with the films’. “[Villeneuve] needed to introduce Fremen in sietches before we did, and that’s something that we worked around so that our launch scope wouldn’t include the Fremen,” Junior revealed. Other aspects of the game that drew inspiration from the films include the design of the ornithopters and the game’s musical score, which pays homage to Hans Zimmer’s work on Dune and Dune Part Two.
However, Junior revealed, the Awakening team did not work with the creators of the HBO series Dune: Prophecy, which aired in December 2024. “I just saw it for the first time in December with everybody else,” the executive producer said. “We didn’t get early access.” However, Junior did indicate that he would potentially be interested in incorporating elements from Dune: Prophecy post-launch, particularly the series’ lore regarding the founding of the Bene Gesserit sisterhood.
Commitment To Lore Accuracy Sometimes Brought Complications
Staying accurate to the lore of Dune resulted in some unexpected challenges for the Dune: Awakening development team, Junior revealed. They knew from the start that they wanted shooting to be an element in the game, but large-scale firearms are uncommon in the Dune universe due to the development of the powerful Holtzman shield. Ultimately, with help from the Herbert estate, they came up with a system based around shooting darts instead of bullets. As Junior described,
“How to make a game with shooting that works with Dune, that’s lore accurate, when you can’t have guns? You need to have guns in order to make a shooter, so we worked with Legendary Entertainment and the Herbert estate to come up with the dart system that we use. These are low velocity projectiles that we shoot.”
Ultimately, the team was able to use the challenge presented by the Holtzman shield to their advantage. They were able to add another touch of lore, the sound of a “projectile spinning as it’s interacting with the shield,” which players can use as a warning to dodge out of the way in both PVP and PVE combat. This is something, said Junior, that the Dune: Awakening team would never have been able to implement if they stuck with standard bullets rather than devising the dart system. Their commitment to lore accuracy was ultimately to the game’s benefit.
Players who have been fans of the Dune series for a long time will be able to truly step inside the world of Dune thanks to the Awakening team’s commitment to accuracy. Working together with Frank Herbert’s estate and Legendary Entertainment, they have created an Arrakis that is faithful to the books and the films but also features some original elements. Players will get to experience this take on one of the world’s most iconic science fiction settings when Dune: Awakening launches later in 2025.
Rise from survival to dominance on the most dangerous planet in the universe. Dune: Awakening combines the grit and creativity of sandbox survival games with the social interactivity of a large, persistent multiplayer game to create a unique and ambitious Open World Survival MMO.
Awaken The Sleeper
Your journey begins on Arrakis, with its vast deserts and colossal sandworms. Meet characters from the movies and books as you follow your story across Dune. Discover new allies and enemies and exploit your relationships to uncover the mystery that lies just beneath the surface of the sands.
Choose Your Identity
Craft your identity and build your prowess, from deep character creation to skills and abilities taught by specialists like Mentats and Bene Gesserit. Declare your loyalties by what you wear and become known by what you do, whether you are a specialized master or multi-talented adept.
Explore Arrakis Like Never Before
Dune: Awakening brings the epic landscapes of Arrakis to vivid life. Explore boundless rolling dunes, ancient underground Ecology Labs, and deep canyons pockmarked with caves, where bandits seek easy prey. Wander the bustling villages before braving the lawless and ever-changing deep desert.
