Dune: Awakening to Offer Private Servers on Launch Day

Dune: Awakening will feature private servers from day one. Discover how the developers plan to implement this feature and its functionality.

Private Servers Ready for Dune: Awakening Launch

Rentable Private Servers Available from Day One

Funcom, the developer, has confirmed that Dune: Awakening will include rentable private servers at launch. In a June 2 Steam blog post, they outlined the mechanics of these servers and where players can access them.

Speculation about private servers swirled for months, initially pegged as a post-launch addition. During a February 2025 Q&A Roundtable, Director Joel Bylos shared plans to include them but noted uncertainty about launch readiness.

Funcom’s latest Steam update revealed faster-than-expected progress, confirming private server availability at launch. These servers operate uniquely, allowing players to connect with others across Dune: Awakening’s network, including social hubs and the Deep Desert, even from private servers.

Renting a private server grants access to one Hagga Basin, functioning like an official server. These servers link to a World of other private servers, with players choosing their World upon rental.

Funcom explained, "This ensures players can fully engage with Dune: Awakening’s large-scale multiplayer features, such as visiting social hubs and the Deep Desert to interact with others from any private server in the same World."

Private servers will offer customizable settings, including Security Zones for designating PvP areas, enabling Taxation, and disabling Sandstorms. Admin control panels and character transfers won’t be available at launch, with further details to come post-release.

Funcom clarified that server settings depend on third-party providers—GPORTAL, Nitrado, and xREALM—where players can rent servers. The studio does not control rental pricing.

What Makes Dune: Awakening Stand Out

Funcom noted, "Each server belongs to a World of multiple servers, sharing social hubs and the Deep Desert. This preserves a community feel in the Hagga Basin while supporting persistent building and survival mechanics typical of the genre."

They added, "We blend this with large-scale multiplayer elements common in MMOs, where hundreds gather in social hubs and the Deep Desert for trading, socializing, and conflicts."

The developers aim to maintain the game’s multiplayer core, integral to its features and mechanics. "Releasing a limited version for private servers was never an option," Funcom stated.

This approach, while offering fewer settings than typical MMO private servers, emphasizes the game’s multiplayer experience.

Private servers at launch provide players with flexible ways to explore Arrakis. Dune: Awakening launches on June 10, 2025, for PC, with PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S releases to follow later. Stay updated with our article below!