Dune: Awakening has finally arrived, and the developers are celebrating the game’s launch with over 90,000 concurrent players on Steam while also revealing what to expect at launch and beyond.

The game welcomes players to Arrakis in a world both familiar and new. Rather than stepping into Paul Atreides’s shoes, this journey unfolds in an alternate timeline where Lady Jessica heeded the Bene Gesserit’s command and bore a daughter. As a result, Duke Leto Atreides survived the plot against him and now struggles against the Harkonnens for control of spice. Although Paul never appears, players will still find themselves walking the sands of desert cities and meeting familiar characters.

Dune: Awakening offers a few editions. Every copy grants access to the base experience, and anyone who preorder will receive a small decoration called the Terrarium of Muad’Dib along with a Sunset Dye Swatch. The Deluxe Edition adds a five-day head start, letting eager players enter Arrakis before the full launch, and it also includes a Season Pass and special armor for those who like to stand out. For those who want even more, the Ultimate Edition adds extra cosmetic swatches for vehicles, a Caladan Palace building set, stillsuits inspired by the recent film, and a digital artbook and soundtrack.

For those who pick up Deluxe Edition, the head start begins today, on June 5th. Any servers opened during that early window will still be there when everyone gains access. Progress made during these first days carries over, so you won’t lose anything once the wider player base arrives. That’s a relief for people who want to build a foothold early or simply explore Arrakis ahead of schedule.

Speaking of servers, the game groups them into what it calls Worlds. Within a given World, players share social hubs and the vast Deep Desert. However, when it comes to special zones like the Hagga Basin, each server stands alone. If you want to visit a friend who is on a different server, you just pick a server in the same World. You can even drop in on someone’s base and play together, though only your home server allows you to establish your own stronghold. It’s also possible to join private servers if you prefer to adventure with a select group. Servers are spread across regions in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia, so you can usually find one close enough for a smooth connection.

The business model is simple. There is no monthly subscription and no in-game shop. Instead, the game will receive free updates after launch, along with optional expansions and paid DLC. Major content drops will expand the story and add new features, and each will come with its own purchasable add-on. If you want a bundle of future DLCs, a Season Pass will make sense, but none of the extra content is mandatory.

Dune: Awakening is now available as a head start on Steam and will be fully available to everyone who purchased the base edition on June 10th. The console release is expected to launch in 2026.