Dune Awakening launches free trial and reveals major update plans

Survival MMO Dune Awakening has been going through it as of late, but developer Funcom is doing its best to fight fires while building on its big Arrakean adventure. After recently unveiling an expansive new content roadmap that takes us well into next year, the studio has delved deeper into what we can expect from its upcoming second narrative chapter and Lost Harvest DLC when they arrive next month. To entice prospective players who have yet to experience the joys of being chomped by a sandworm, a ten-hour free trial has also been revealed.

Earlier this week, Funcom dropped a hefty new roadmap for Dune Awakening. It arrives at a tough time for one of the year's best survival games, which has consistently seen players up sticks from their sietches and set off for greener pastures (not that that's difficult to find, coming from Arrakis). Funcom's response has been incredibly positive, with the studio pushing harder for better communication with its players, continuing to wrestle with endgame issues, and directly addressing its content drought with two new additions: the free Chapter 2 update and the paid Lost Harvest DLC.

Kicking off proceedings, Dune Awakening Chapter 2 will have you "delve deeper into the nature of your origin, and unravel a web that stretches into the darkest corners of the Imperium." Intense. Elsewhere in the gameplay department, you can expect to find new contract missions to undertake in Harko Village in Arrakeen, and the desert's getting a shake up with "more dynamic encounters." Presumably, this means we're going to be dealing with more Sardaukar interference.

If you've grown tired of your created character's features, forget plastic surgery, as Dune Awakening is bringing flesh reshaping to the fore. You'll be able to find Suk Doctors and members of the Bene Tleilax to sort you out in Harko Village and Arrakeen, but don't expect to get your Solaris back if that BBL goes south. At the very least, you'll be able to switch up your hairdo and get some sick tattoos with the new styles being added. You can also cover those botched buns with one of five new armor sets, each one representing one of the Dune Awakening skill trees.

Turning to Lost Harvest, Awakening's first full-fledged DLC introduces a new journey called 'The Lost Harvest.' "An airlifted harvester has been shot down," its description reads. "Its secret cargo could change everything." By the sounds of things, there's some especially juicy loot up for grabs, especially when considering the three Imperial Testing Stations that are being expanded for the DLC.

Lost Harvest is also bringing both new threads and new treads. Two slick-looking armor skins, four weapon skins, and a particularly thumpy thumper emote will give you a cosmetic lift. Meanwhile, the Treadwheel will look instantly familiar if you're a Star Wars Revenge of the Sith enjoyer. It looks considerably more stable than Grievous' wheel bike, and equally fun to roam around in.

If you're after new ways to pimp out your sietch, Funcom has you covered. Lost Harvest brings a fresh suite of building pieces, as well as five new base decorations - just remember to build your dream mojo dojo casa house away from open desert.

Both Dune Awakening Chapter 2 and The Lost Harvest DLC arrive on September 10, 2025. You can check them out on Steam here. The Lost Harvest is priced at $12.99.

Funcom's looking to hook in new players, striking while the iron's hot with a ten-hour free trial. From now until August 24, you'll be able to dive into an almost-full version of the game, so go wild in Hagga Basin. The only real caveat here is you won't be able to play with pals who already have the game, as you'll be plonked into a trial server. The good news is that your progress will carry over to the full game, should you opt to upgrade at the end of your personal playtest.

Despite its issues, I've thoroughly enjoyed my time with Dune Awakening, so I'd highly recommend giving it a go. Funcom has done a fabulous job of maintaining as much continuity with Frank Herbert's universe as possible, within the constraints of both gamecraft and what movie producer Legendary Pictures has allowed.

If you're not quite ready to give yourself over to the Spice, then check out more of the best MMOs you can dive into instead. If you're struggling to keep up with all of the news coming thick and fast from Gamescom, our Gamescom announcements guide is a godsend.

While you're crafting your legend on Arrakis, hop into our community Discord server and let us know how you're finding Dune Awakening so far.