Surviving Arrakis is not just about fighting enemies and avoiding sandworms. Dune: Awakening is also built around the same fundamentals that can determine survival in a real desert: managing water, finding shelter, avoiding exposure, and working with others.
Ahead of the game’s console launch on September 22, British military survival advisor John Hudson explores those parallels in a new featurette, examining what it would actually take to survive on the harsh planet of Arrakis.
Drawing from his experience designing and conducting survival training in extreme environments, Hudson also examines the game’s desert landscapes and weather systems.
Arrakis reflects the realities of desert survival
The deserts of Arrakis may be fictional, but many of the challenges players face are rooted in real survival principles.
Hudson points to the game’s rock formations as one example, noting how their weathered appearance reflects the effects of wind and sand over time.
“The rocky outcrops that the team of Dune: Awakening have built are incredibly realistic.”
For Hudson, the formations also demonstrate an important survival consideration: finding protection from the elements.
In real desert environments, exposure to extreme heat and sunlight can quickly become dangerous. On Arrakis, players similarly need to plan around the environment rather than simply moving from one objective to another.
Water and shelter become survival priorities
Resource management is central to Dune: Awakening’s gameplay, particularly when players venture away from established shelter.
Players need to conserve water, prepare for exposure, and seek protection when sandstorms sweep across the desert. These mechanics mirror the basic priorities of real-world desert survival, where managing limited resources can determine how long someone can remain in the field.
The game also encourages players to establish shelters and prepare before setting out, turning exploration into a logistical challenge rather than simply a journey across an open-world map.
Surviving Arrakis takes more than going solo
The featurette also highlights the importance of group coordination.
Carrying enough resources, establishing safe locations, and planning journeys become more manageable when players work together. Alliances can therefore be just as important to survival as combat skills.
That becomes particularly relevant in a world where players must also contend with Arrakis’ enormous sandworms, adding another layer of danger to an already hostile environment.
Rather than treating the desert as background scenery, Dune: Awakening makes the environment itself one of the game’s central challenges.
Dune: Awakening heads to consoles
Developed by Funcom, Dune: Awakening is an open-world survival game inspired by Frank Herbert’s Dune novels and Legendary Entertainment’s film adaptations.
The game launches on consoles on September 22, 2026. Players who own the Deluxe or Ultimate editions can get early access beginning September 17.
Console players and new or returning PC players will also receive the additions and improvements introduced since the game’s PC launch, alongside new content and updates arriving in September.
With its console debut approaching, the survival expert featurette offers a closer look at what makes Arrakis dangerous—and why surviving the planet requires players to treat water, shelter, resources, and preparation as seriously as combat.
