Multiplayer, Single Player and Starter Content – Details Dune: Awakening with TGS 2024

Multiplayer survival simulator Dune: Awakening, developed by Funcom and NUKKLEAR, was presented at Tokyo Game Show 2024, where exhibition visitors were able to check out the game at the Level Infinite booth. The project is based on Frank Herbert’s world-famous novel Dune and is inspired by the films released in 2021 and 2024, which have been praised for both their visual effects and their adaptation of the original’s complex plot. At the exhibition, Dune: Awakening was presented not only as a game demo, but also through special video presentations that gave viewers the opportunity to dive deeper into the world of the game.

Japanese gaming portal 4gamer.net took interview with Dune: Awakening producer Nils Reiborg, in which he shared details of the game’s development and talked about how the team is coping with fan expectations. Ryborg noted that he himself is a big fan of the films and understands that fans expect the same level of quality from the game. At the same time, according to him, the approach to creating a game and a film is very different: “A film is a visual and narrative art that attracts viewers through images and story, while a game allows players to spend much longer in the world, actively interacting with it.” .

One of the key aspects of the game, according to Ryborg, is the ability to immerse yourself in the desert of Arrakis. Players will not just observe harsh conditions, as was the case in the film, but will be able to personally experience all the difficulties of surviving in this environment, interact with various desert creatures and create their own relationships with other characters. “It will be a unique experience for both fans of the novel and fans of the film,” he added.

When asked about the multiplayer component, Ryborg explained that Dune: Awakening will be suitable for different types of players. Those who want to conquer and rule the world will be able to unite in guilds, build bases and control armies. There are also plenty of options for solo players, allowing them to focus on survival, build their own shelters, and further customize their characters.

Particular attention is paid to separating zones for PvE and PvP. Safer areas will allow you to complete quests and explore the world, while dangerous locations such as the Deep Desert will provide players with harsh survival and combat conditions. These zones will offer valuable resources, but for them you will have to fight not only with the local flora and fauna, but also with other players. As noted by Ryborg, players will be given freedom of choice: they can cooperate with other players or act alone, using a variety of vehicles and tactics to achieve their goals.

When asked what content will be available at launch, Ryborg noted that players will be able to enjoy both the main storyline and side quests in the form of contracts. Contracts will vary from those related to the main storyline to simpler side quests. Also an important element of the game will be a system of mentors who will help in developing skills. One type of mentor is mentats, people with special intellectual abilities who teach the player skills important to his character. This system will allow players to delve deeper into their character’s development, offering players the opportunity to choose between different mentors, such as swordmasters or representatives of the Bene Gesserit order.

Each mentor will have his own set of skills that players will be able to upgrade. For example, Mentats will offer players access to special skills that help develop the character’s tactical thinking and intelligence. This will add more variety and strategic depth to the hero leveling process.

When it came to the game’s state of completion, Ryborg noted that the main story is almost complete, but the team is still conducting global tests, collecting player and making final adjustments. According to him, although the final percentage of completion of the game is difficult to say, development is going according to plan, and the release is scheduled for early 2025. The team is now actively working to take into as much tester as possible and ensure a high level of quality before launch.

Although the game’s Steam page had not been updated at the time of the interview, Ryborg stated that localization work was already underway. He confirmed the presence of a text translation into Japanese, but there is no information about the Russian language yet.