Dune Awakening Sets May 20 Release Dive Into the New Character Creator Today

Funcom has officially confirmed the release date for Dune: Awakening, their highly anticipated open-world multiplayer survival game. Launching on May 20, 2025, the game invites players to immerse themselves in the harsh but mesmerizing world of Arrakis, home of the spice.

Create, Customize, and Benchmark Before Launch

Starting today, players can download the Character Creator & Benchmark Mode directly from Steam. This standalone tool allows players to design their characters ahead of the May launch while also testing their hardware’s performance in-game through a built-in benchmark system.

This feature not only ensures your PC is ready for Arrakis, but also offers a cinematic glimpse of key scenes, including soaring across dunes in an ornithopter and encountering a massive sandworm in all its terrifying glory.

A New Dune Saga Begins

Dune: Awakening is heavily inspired by Frank Herbert’s legendary novels and the modern adaptations by Legendary Entertainment. Players will explore the perilous sands of Arrakis in a persistent open world, mastering survival tactics, crafting, and navigating political intrigue. The game promises deep RPG systems and factional alliances rooted in the Dune mythos.

Exclusive Rewards and Faction Mentors

Those who download the Character Creator today will receive an exclusive Frameblade knife skin, available when the full game launches. Players can fine-tune every detail of their avatar’s appearance and choose their origin world and mentor—each tied to one of the iconic Dune schools like the Swordmasters, Bene Gesserit, Mentats, or Troopers. Mentors influence your early abilities and narrative direction, but progression later opens up multi-faction paths.

Pre-Orders and Collector Incentives

The base game will retail at $49.99 / €49.99, and pre-orders will soon be available. Those who pre-order will also receive the “Terrarium of Muad’Dib”, an in-game decorative terrarium that houses the desert mouse—symbolic of survival and wisdom on Arrakis.

Game Information

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re a long-time Dune fan or a newcomer, Dune: Awakening is shaping up to be a landmark release. With today’s Character Creator & Benchmark Mode, Funcom gives players a true head start—technically and creatively. Prepare to shape your destiny when the sands shift on May 20.

Want the full breakdown of Funcom’s ambitious MMO-survival hybrid?

Read our full article: Dune Awakening: MMO Survival on Arrakis .