Dune: Awakening promises to take players to the inhospitable deserts of Arrakis, but a change in its release schedule has now delayed the survival game. The release date delay has, however, resutled in an opportunity for prospective players to give Dune: Awakening a try during a beta weekend next month.
In an update posted to Steam, Dune: Awakening has been delayed to a new release date of June 10, 2025, with early access for Deluxe and Ultimate Edition purchasers beginning June 5. The silver lining is that developer Funcom has promised a "large-scale beta weekend" for sometime in May. There will be "more information about this soon," and it's currently unclear if this is an open beta, or by invite only.
Dune: Awakening Delay Results From Closed Beta
Expect More Dune: Awakening Coverage April 25
Delays aren't uncommon, but Funcom has provided some insight into the reasoning behind it. According to Funcom in the post on Steam, "Our ongoing Persistent Closed Beta is also continuing in full force, with regular updates, and the we’ve been collecting from beta testers has been invaluable in making sure we can launch a quality game." Because of this , the developer has "concluded that with a bit more time to cook, we can act on a lot more of the we know is important to our beta testers."
In addition to that closed beta, there is also "a major preview beta where hundreds of journalists and content creators are playing the early parts of the game." This coverage will be published April 25, and should provide even more info on significant plot changes from the novels and films, taking place in an alternate timeline where Duke Leto Atreides and Lady Jessica never have a son.
Our Take: A Short Delay Can Only Be Good For Dune: Awakening
And Its Developers
Having to wait a while longer to fully explore Arrakis is likely disappointing to some, but a three-week delay is relatively short. Funcom is making some bold claims about Dune: Awakening, saying, "we're making gameplay and technical strides not seen in the genre before," so if a few weeks will help ship a better product, then by all means, delay the release.
Whether such statements have merit remains to be seen, of course, but an MMO survival game like Dune: Awakening likely has a lot of moving parts, so any final polish to ensure a smooth experience at launch is welcome. More importantly, though, the delay may help avoid crunch at Funcom. The industry has made strides to improve working conditions in recent years, and I'd rather see a release date moved if it means a healthier schedule for those actually making the game.
Source: Steam
