Funcom is preparing a full-fledged single-player mode for Dune: Awakening, which will launch alongside the console version of the game on September 22. However, if you’re expecting a well-planned and developed story, the company’s creative director Joel Bellows will quickly disappoint you. Oh warns players to expect to survive alone in an open world, rather than adventure in the spirit of The Last of Us.
“If people are playing this game this month and want a really good solo survival experience, that’s fine. If they’re expecting a game like The Last of Us, they’re probably in the wrong place. If their expectations match the type and type of game they’re preparing for, they’ll be very satisfied,” Bellows said in a statement gaming radar at Gamescom 2026.
Since the release of Dune Awakening, the single-player mode has become one of the most popular features. Funcom had to seriously redesign the game, which was originally built around a persistent multiplayer world with server-side processing. For the single-player game, the developers moved some systems to the player’s computer, changed the way the library works, and redesigned the loading of large game areas. Combat calculations and vehicle simulations are now performed directly on the player’s device.
Changes also affect game mechanics. For example, in single-player mode, the Landsraad system continues to work, but instead of real players, the competition between houses is simulated by the computer. The Market in the Arrakeen Social Hub has been removed as players do not need to trade items between themselves when playing solo.
Players can also customize their own survival conditions. You can change the speed of resource extraction, the cost of item creation and construction, the frequency of loot generation, damage, enemy health and spawn rate, item durability, experience gain, and survival parameters. There are also settings for dehydration, overheating, sandstorms and worms.
