Funcom has released several trailers and images for the second Dune: Awakening Direct (yes, that’s how the studio hypes its MMO).

The showcase featured 30 minutes of in-depth interviews and gameplay footage showcasing character creation, the MMO-like server structure, the narrative implications of a world where Paul Atreides was never born, and the spiritual journey players will take in the game as they follow in the footsteps of the Fremen. Dune: Awakening, which recently surpassed one million wishlists on Steam, draws on the visual and aural identity created by Denis Villeneuve and Legendary’s recent blockbuster films, and is deeply rooted in Frank Herbert’s original masterpiece.

The game unleashes you on a vast and open Arrakis torn by war, where you must survive and compete with hundreds of other players for control of the spice. The story cinematic that debuted at Summer Game Fest – The Vision of Paul Atreides – revealed the alternate timeline that Jessica Atreides creates by choosing to give birth to a daughter instead of Paul, setting off a cascading chain of events (previously discussed in the News). Paul’s absence creates a huge power vacuum that players will step into and create their own story.

Expression and customization is one of the core pillars of Dune: Awakening. To showcase a part of that, the Direct showcases the game’s robust character creation tool. Choose every detail of your appearance, then your home planet, and even your mentor’s specialization, such as Mentat, Swordmaster, or Bene Gesserit, which determines your starting abilities. Creative Director Joel Bylos also touched on the server structure and the Overland Map, which connects several massive sandbox maps to allow for a larger number of players in each, both of which Dune is known for: Awakening from many other survival games.

Bylos said, “Making the world feel seamless and connected has always been one of our goals at Dune: Awakening. We built this structure with the idea of making the game expandable, which is difficult to do with a single map. The idea with the overland map is that it allows us to just keep building the world and giving players new areas to explore. Who knows what it will look like in five years?”

Dune: Awakening recently entered its persistent closed beta, offering access to the full breadth of the game, from the Hagga Basin starting area to the Deep Desert endgame. Sign up on the official website for a chance to participate. The game will be released on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series and PC at an unknown date.

Source: Gematsu