Dune Awakening Shifts to PvE Focus, Announces Self-Hosted Servers and Console Release in 2026

Dune Awakening Developer Funcom Announces Major Updates

Funcom, the creative force behind Dune Awakening, has revealed significant updates aimed at enhancing the gaming experience. A key shift is the game’s new focus on a Player-versus-Environment (PvE) model, responding to player feedback indicating that over 80% of users primarily engage with PvE content. This shift necessitates a reevaluation of the current integration of PvE and PvP elements, leading to a decision to make PvP optional.

Upcoming Changes in Patch 1.3.20.0

The forthcoming Patch 1.3.20.0 will introduce crucial modifications to Dune Awakening:

PvP zones in Hagga Basin will be disabled across all official worlds.
Players will have access to separate Deep Desert instances:
- A dedicated PvE instance focusing solely on survival and exploration, completely devoid of player combat. PvP will not be present in any regions, including Shipwrecks.
- A PvP instance offering intense, high-stakes conflicts in the open world, specifically from rows B through I. To balance the risks, rewards for resource gathering, including mining and spice harvesting, will see a 2.5x increase in PvP areas.

Introducing Self-Hosted Servers

Another exciting development is the introduction of self-hosted servers, a feature that has been highly requested by the community. The initial version will soon enter a testing phase, although it will require users to navigate some additional setup steps and will offer a limited array of customization options initially. These configurations will allow players to adjust:

Resource harvesting rates
Limits on base-building components
Item durability settings
Base decay options

Comprehensive instructions for establishing and personalizing self-hosted servers will be provided in the patch notes accompanying this update. However, players should be aware that this initial version demands a certain level of technical know-how, requiring a computer with Microsoft Windows Pro and Hyper-V to run servers in a Linux virtual machine (VM).

Console Release Timeline

Lastly, Funcom has confirmed that the anticipated console versions of Dune Awakening remain in development, with a release now projected for late 2026. This delay pushes the launch beyond the initial expectation of a June release, following the game’s PC debut.

For the latest developments and detailed visuals, visit the source.