Dune: Awakening launches in May for PC – create your character & benchmark now

Funcom has announced that the highly anticipated Dune: Awakening will be released on May 20, 2025, for PC, priced at $49.99. The console release date is still to be confirmed.

In the meantime, PC gamers can get a sneak peek with the available Character Creator and Benchmark Mode to test their hardware.

The character creator and benchmarking tool can now be accessed via Steam. Players who download and open it will receive a free Frameblade knife skin.

The character creator is based on the Reverend Mother’s test of the Gom Jabbar, allowing players to customize their appearance, choose their home planet, caste, and mentor. These creations can then be imported into the full game upon launch.

The benchmark sequence features a fly-through of a player-built base in the desert, leading to Harko Village – the Harkonnen player hub – and culminating in an encounter with a massive sandworm, a defining element of the Dune universe. This will help players determine their PC performance and adjust graphics settings accordingly.

Following the success of recent Dune films, Dune video games have been gaining popularity. Dune: Awakening, developed by Funcom Oslo, is an open-world survival MMO which promises an exciting and challenging gameplay experience.

Survival in this desert environment will be difficult, with unkillable sandworms, sandstorms, extreme heat, and scarcity of water posing constant threats. Players can collaborate with others, build bases, embark on raids and quests, and choose which faction to align with as they vie for control over the planet.

Source: YouTube