A major expansion is coming to Funcom’s game, which will be necessary before the survival MMO makes its way to consoles.
Dune Awakening was released for PC in June and sold a million copies in a few weeks, becoming Funcom‘s fastest-selling game to date. However, it quickly became apparent that the game lacked sufficient content, causing many players to leave after a short time. At Gamescom, Joel Bylos, the game’s director, said the team is not worried because the game’s foundation is one of the best in the genre; it just needs more content and improvements. Despite recent layoffs, Funcom plans to do exactly that with Dune Awakening, starting with Chapter 3.
The developers’ goal is to create a larger, better endgame based on a comprehensive overhaul of the Tier 6 experience. Players will find deeper progression options and more meaningful advancement paths across professions specializing in crafting, gathering, exploration, combat, and sabotage. This will allow non-combat-focused players to access endgame content without forced PvP or dungeon raids. The Landraad system, Dune Awakening‘s server-wide political structure—where guilds align with the great houses (Atreides, Harkonnen), complete weekly assignments, and vote on important decrees—has reportedly been completely revamped. It now features new repeatable missions, expanded reward tiers, and stronger incentives. The faction ladder has also expanded. New contracts aligned with the goals of each faction (Atreides, Harkonnen, independent groups) will also be available.
Later in the game, a brand-new Augmentation Station will be added as a gear upgrade option. Players will be able to attach powerful augmentations to unique Tier 6 equipment to further customize their playstyle. On the PvE side, Funcom is adding five new land-based challenge locations, including The Broodworks. Clearing these areas grants faction progress, increased Landsraad contribution, and specialization XP. Chapter 3 also introduces five new test stations—repeatable, dungeon-like content featuring boss encounters, escalating difficulty, and appropriate rewards. The story continues, introducing unexpected allies, combat in the Neo Carthag dueling ring, and a deeper dive into the mystery of the player’s origins. In terms of combat, the rapier has been entirely overhauled, and a new pyrocket melee weapon (double-bladed knives) will be available.
Alongside Chapter 3, Funcom will release the paid Raiders of the Broken Lands DLC, priced at $10 (included in the $25 Season Pass). The additions are purely cosmetic: 73 new building components and 17 decorations inspired by Imperium smugglers, a special stillsuit set, light and heavy armor sets, weapon variants, color schemes, and emotes. The game is also 35% off—its biggest discount since launch—during Steam’s winter sale.
Funcom has not announced a release date for Chapter 3 or the Raiders of the Broken Lands DLC, but more details are expected early this year. The game will launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series next year.
Source: WCCFTech
