Dune Awakening’s Monetization Approach Offers a Refreshing Alternative for Those Who Recall Subscription Fees

New details about Dune Awakening have emerged, thanks to Funcom’s recent update on their post-launch strategy for the game. They’ve also shared the PC specifications needed, which you can now find on the game’s Steam store page.

In a brief video, Joel Byros, Funcom’s Chief Creative Officer, outlines the post-launch roadmap for Dune Awakening, slated to launch on May 20. He confirms that, unlike other MMOs, this game won’t require a subscription. Instead, it will be supported by optional paid DLC packs, released in tandem with free updates.

Those free updates will include improvements, new features, and immersive story content—everything you’d expect to keep a live service game fresh and exciting. While details on the optional DLCs are scant, they will either be available as individual purchases or bundled together in a season pass featuring multiple pieces of content.

Byros also mentioned that for certain editions of the game, players could potentially get early access, jokingly calling it a head start for the “poors.” Early access kicks off on May 15, offering eager players a chance to dive in ahead of everyone else. Plus, this staggered start ensures the team can manage server loads effectively to ensure a smoother launch for everyone, as nothing is harder on an MMO than a rocky release.

The accompanying Steam announcement reveals the minimum and recommended PC specs:

Minimum:

• OS: Windows 10 64-bit (or newer)
• Processor: Intel Core i5-7400, AMD Ryzen 3 1200
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB), AMD Radeon 5600XT (6GB)
• Storage: 60 GB available space

Recommended:

• OS: Windows 10 64-bit (or newer)
• Processor: Intel Core i7-10700K, AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 (8GB), AMD Radeon 6700XT (12GB)
• Storage: 75 GB available space

Beyond that, they’ve teased some exciting PC features, such as NVIDIA’s DLSS 4—making Dune Awakening one of the first games to feature it—along with AMD’s FSR, Intel’s XeSS 2, and Razer’s Chroma RGB and Sensa HD Haptics. So, if you’re gaming on a PC, you’ll have some fancy tech to elevate your experience.

Personally, I think this no-subscription model is a breath of fresh air. With so many subscriptions these days, a game I can buy and revisit at my leisure is perfect, which is why Guild Wars 2 keeps pulling me back in. Plus, there’s talk of an upcoming gameplay stream on March 24, so more news is on the horizon.

What’s your take? Are you planning to adventure into the sands on May 20, or perhaps five days earlier? Share your plans with us below!