The closed beta for Funcom’s much-anticipated Dune Awakening has opened its doors to everyone who pre-ordered the game, expanding access beyond those who initially received a beta key.
In a recent social media announcement, Funcom acknowledged the feedback from players who were surprised that a pre-order alone didn’t guarantee beta access. Now, all pre-order customers of the MMO “can join the beta,” which is currently live and set to conclude tomorrow, Monday, May 12th.
“We listened to your concerns,” the studio stated. “If you’ve purchased or decide to pre-order any edition this weekend, you should now see a Beta Weekend product in your Steam library. A quick restart of your Steam client might be needed to access the Dune: Awakening Beta Weekend app.”
Dune: Awakening has been in closed beta for over a year, and with its official release on the horizon—albeit delayed briefly—this massive beta event runs from May 9th to 12th. Funcom describes this as the “largest beta yet,” welcoming an impressive influx of new players compared to previous closed testing phases.
The shift in access likely came after numerous voices on the game’s subreddit and Discord expressed frustration over not getting to participate despite early commitments to the MMO.
Everyone who has pre-ordered Dune: Awakening can now also access the Beta Weekend!
We heard your feedback on this. If you already own or decide to pre-order any of the editions this weekend, you should now also see a Beta Weekend product in your Steam library.
— Dune: Awakening (@duneawakening.com) May 9, 2025 at 8:41 PM
This adjustment came on the heels of Funcom’s recognition of community concerns regarding servers and potential delays. The studio reassured players that “there will be thousands of servers grouped in hundreds of Worlds available at launch,” ensuring smooth gameplay across North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, as depicted in the accompanying image.
“Should we approach capacity limitations, we’ll respond promptly by launching additional servers. We have substantial experience in launching MMOs and survival titles over the past 25 years, equipped with reliable tools and processes, overseen by a skilled live operations team.”
Dune: Awakening was revealed by Funcom in 2022 as part of a commitment to develop “at least” three games set within the Dune universe. This expansive title transports players to the desert world of Arrakis, where they will embark on an open-world multiplayer survival adventure inspired by Frank Herbert’s legendary novels and Denis Villeneuve’s cinematic interpretations.
