Dune: Awakening to Launch With Private Servers

Private servers for Dune: Awakening have been confirmed for the game's launch. Continue reading to learn about the developers' rationale for including them and how they will function.

Dune: Awakening Private Servers Available on Day One

Rentable Private Servers at Launch

Developer Funcom has confirmed that Dune: Awakening will feature rentable private servers from day one. In a Steam blog post on June 2nd, the team detailed how these servers will operate and where players can rent them.

In recent months, speculation and rumors circulated about the potential for private servers, which developers initially suggested might be a post-launch addition. During Funcom's Q&A Roundtable in February 2025, Director Joel Bylos mentioned plans to include them but was uncertain if they would be ready for launch.

However, Funcom's latest Steam update states that development progressed faster than anticipated, confirming their availability at launch. These private servers will function uniquely. Even on a private server, players will retain access to the broader Dune: Awakening server network, allowing interaction with others outside their private instance through social hubs and the Deep Desert region.

Renting a private server grants players their own Hagga Basin area, playable just like an official server. These private servers are linked to a larger "World" containing other private servers, and players select which World to join when renting.

Funcom elaborated, "This means you can still fully experience Dune: Awakening's large-scale multiplayer content and mechanics, including visiting social hubs and the Deep Desert to meet and play with people from any private server within the same World."

Additionally, the developers outlined the configurable settings for each private server. These include Security Zones for designating PvP-enabled areas, optional Taxation systems, and the ability to disable Sandstorms. At launch, an admin control panel and character transfers will not be available; these features will be discussed by the developers post-launch.

Funcom noted that configuration of other settings will be managed by the third-party server providers. Players must rent servers through GPORTAL, Nitrado, or xREALM. The studio emphasized that it does not set the rental prices for these private servers.

The Unique Design of Dune: Awakening

Funcom explained, "In short, each server is part of a World comprising several other servers, all sharing the same social hubs and Deep Desert. This preserves a neighborhood-like atmosphere in the Hagga Basin while enabling persistent, freeform building and other resource-intensive mechanics common in survival games."

They added, "We combine this with the large-scale multiplayer mechanics expected in MMOs, where hundreds of players gather in social hubs and the Deep Desert for social activities, trading, conflict, and more."

The goal is to maintain the game's large-scale multiplayer aspects, which are integral to the experience and connected to numerous features. "Releasing a limited 'half a game' for private servers was never an option for us," Funcom stated.

This philosophy led to a model that, while offering fewer settings than typical MMO private servers, prioritizes and enhances the core multiplayer experience.

The availability of private servers at launch provides players with more ways to experience the game, offering greater freedom to explore Arrakis. Dune: Awakening is scheduled for release on June 10, 2025, for PC, with PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions to follow at a later, unannounced date. For the latest updates on the game, check out our article below!