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GamesRadar
GamesRadar
Technology
Anna Koselke

Dune: Awakening's new single-player mode fits perfectly in the MMO because of its strong story, lead says: "I think we have the best story in a survival game that exists"

The sandworm in Dune: Awakening.

Dune: Awakening is finally coming to consoles next month, but that's not all – Funcom is also preparing to integrate the long-requested single-player mode.

So, how does that work in what's essentially an MMO and survival game mashup? Well, as chief creative officer Joel Bylos tells GamesRadar+ at Gamescom 2026, it just does – and that's all thanks to the strong story acting as Dune: Awakening's foundation… the very same that acts as an alternate timeline to its source material's own in Frank Herbert's beloved sci-fi book series.

In fact, integrating single-player hasn't been too difficult. The only challenge that has come is balancing Dune: Awakening's obvious multiplayer aspects (think combat, difficulty, etc.).

"We did a major balance pass across the game for the solo experience to make sure that people didn't get bogged down in the parts where later on in the group experience you would need a group of people. So, it's a lot smoother to play through from a progression perspective." And, again, the story helps… a lot.

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