Dune: Awakening Blends Starfield-Inspired Customization with Arrakis Survival, But Faces Questions on Lore Faithfulness

The harsh, unforgiving sands of Arrakis await a new wave of settlers in 2026. Dune: Awakening, the upcoming survival MMO from Funcom, drops players onto the iconic desert planet, tasking them with navigating a treacherous landscape filled with colossal sandworms, hostile deserters, and rival players. To survive, adventurers will need more than just a stillsuit; they will need ingenuity, resources, and the ability to forge their own destiny. Drawing notable inspiration from other major titles in the genre, the game promises a blend of deep customization and base-building, but does it risk sacrificing the unique spirit of Frank Herbert's seminal universe in the process?

Custom Ornithopter Construction: A Starfield Legacy on Arrakis

One of the most anticipated features revealed is the ability for players to construct and customize their own Ornithopters. These dragonfly-like aircraft, the safest method of traversing the vast deserts, become a central pillar of player progression and exploration. The gameplay reveal suggests a system reminiscent of Starfield's shipbuilding, where players assemble their vehicles piece by piece. While the demonstration was brief, it hinted at significant personalization:

• Modular Assembly: Players will likely select from various components to build a unique vessel.

• Variant Specialization: Glimpses in the trailer point to different Ornithopter types. One shot showed a double-wide model with apparent bombing capabilities, suggesting roles beyond mere transport.

• Cooperative Travel: The sight of two characters sharing a cockpit confirms these vehicles will support multiplayer exploration, allowing groups to scour the dunes together.

The process appears tied directly to another core mechanic: base building. The video showed an Ornithopter being assembled on a landing pad within a player-built outpost, indicating these safe havens are crucial for vehicle construction and storage—a wise precaution to avoid attracting the ever-present threat of sandworms.

Forging a Home in the Dunes: Base-Building Mechanics

Survival on Arrakis demands more than a nomadic existence. Dune: Awakening will allow players to establish permanent footholds by constructing bases. The preview showcased a collaborative effort where players transformed a rocky outcrop into a functional headquarters. This base serves multiple critical functions:

1. Safe Haven: A refuge from the planet's environmental hazards and hostile entities.

2. Manufacturing Hub: The site for crafting essential gear and, as seen, building Ornithopters.

3. Strategic Asset: A claim on the precious and contested landscape of Arrakis.

However, this very mechanic raises a significant lore-based question. The gameplay material showed players colonizing the desert with apparent impunity. Where are the Fremen, the planet's native inhabitants who are famously protective of their homeland? The developers have stated that finding the Fremen is part of the game's narrative, but their conspicuous absence from these colonization scenes creates a dissonance. Can a game truly capture the essence of Dune if players can freely build on sacred Fremen territory without immediate, severe consequence? This is one of several points where Dune: Awakening seems to diverge from its source material for the sake of gameplay convention.

A Controversial Departure: The Standardization of Combat

Perhaps the most debated aspect of the revealed gameplay is its approach to combat. In a notable parallel to Starfield, Dune: Awakening appears to employ a largely conventional third-person shooter system. This represents a stark departure from the distinctive combat lore of the Dune universe. In the novels and films:

• Personal Shields render most projectile weapons (like bullets) ineffective, causing a deadly stalemate.

• Lasgun-Shield Interaction creates a catastrophic nuclear-scale explosion, making energy weapons extremely risky.

• Melee Dominance: This technology forces combat into a deliberate, blade-focused art, where fighters use specialized techniques to slowly penetrate shields.

The preview for Dune: Awakening, however, shows characters engaging in standard firearms combat. This shift away from the unique shield-and-blade dynamic has left some fans questioning the game's commitment to the franchise's identity. Is this a necessary simplification for an MMO format, or does it strip away a fundamental element that makes Dune's world so distinct? While the game excels in offering customization for vehicles and bases, this choice risks making the moment-to moment action feel generic, much like criticisms leveled at Starfield's combat.

The 2026 Verdict: A Promising Survival Sim with Lore Compromises

As 2026 approaches, Dune: Awakening presents a compelling, if somewhat conflicted, vision. It successfully adapts popular survival and crafting formulas to the iconic setting of Arrakis. The promise of building custom Ornithopters and establishing desert bases offers a strong gameplay loop focused on player agency and creativity.

Yet, the game walks a fine line. Its inspirations from titles like Starfield are clear in its vehicle customization and base-building, which will likely be major draws. However, its concessions in other areas—particularly the sidelining of the Fremen in early colonization and the move towards standard shooter combat—suggest a prioritization of accessible MMO mechanics over strict lore adherence. The ultimate question for players will be: does the thrill of crafting your own destiny on Arrakis outweigh the dilution of some of the universe's most defining characteristics? In 2026, settlers will finally get to decide if the spice, and the game, flows.