"Dune: Awakening Dev Confirms Full Launch Date, No Subscription but Optional DLCs"

Dune: Awakening, the highly anticipated multiplayer survival game inspired by Frank Herbert's legendary sci-fi novel and its movie adaptations, is set for a full launch on May 20. Developer Funcom has confirmed that this release will not be in Early Access, but a complete launch of the game. Importantly, despite being categorized as an MMO, Dune: Awakening will not require a subscription, embracing a business model that focuses on growth through free updates and optional DLCs.

Funcom's approach mirrors the successful strategy it has employed with other long-running MMOs like Anarchy Online and Conan Exiles. These games have continued to thrive years after their initial release, thanks to ongoing free updates, DLCs, and expansions. "Dune: Awakening will be no exception, and it will continue to expand with free updates bringing new content, features, and enhancements," Funcom stated, promising a vibrant and evolving gaming experience.

The game will be available in three editions: the Standard Edition at $49.99, the Deluxe Edition at $69.99, and the Ultimate Edition at $89.99. The Deluxe and Ultimate Editions offer players a five-day head start and various exclusive items. Both of these editions include the Season Pass, which grants access to four DLCs, with the first one available at launch. The Deluxe Edition also includes the Sardaukar armor, representing the elite military force that hunts players in the game. The Ultimate Edition encompasses all the above, plus Paul Atreides' iconic stillsuit from the 2021 film, a digital artbook, a digital soundtrack, unique color patterns, and the Caladan Palace Set, complete with building pieces, placeables, and decorations.

Pre-ordering any edition of Dune: Awakening comes with additional perks, including a universal color pattern applicable to vehicles, weapons, and armor, and the Terrarium of Muad'Dib, an in-base decoration featuring the iconic desert mouse.

For PC gamers, Funcom has detailed the system requirements and confirmed that Dune: Awakening supports advanced technologies like Nvidia's DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation, AMD's FSR, and Intel's XeSS 2. The minimum system requirements include Windows 10 64-bit or newer, an Intel Core i5-7400 or AMD Ryzen 3 1200 processor, 16 GB of RAM, a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB) or AMD Radeon 5600XT (6GB) graphics card, and 60 GB of available storage space. For a more optimal experience, the recommended specifications are Windows 10 64-bit or newer, an Intel Core i7-10700K or AMD Ryzen 5 2600X processor, 16 GB of RAM, a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 (8GB) or AMD Radeon 6700XT (12GB) graphics card, and 75 GB of available storage space.

To dive deeper into what Dune: Awakening has to offer, check out IGN's final preview of the game.