In a thrilling announcement, Funcom has revealed the upcoming Chapter 3 update for their survival crafting game, Dune Awakening. Set in the evocative world inspired by Frank Herbert’s novels and Denis Villeneuve’s films, this update promises to enhance the game’s depth and engagement for players worldwide.
Revamping the Endgame Experience
Dune Awakening, which launched in June 2025 on PC and quickly sold one million copies, established itself as Funcom’s fastest-selling release. Despite initial content shortages leading to player drop-offs, Funcom is committed to expanding the game, starting with a major overhaul in Chapter 3. This update aims to deliver a ‘bigger, better’ endgame through a comprehensive redesign of the Tier 6 experience. Players can look forward to enriched progression options and specialty paths in Crafting, Gathering, Exploring, Combat, and Sabotage. These options will enable non-combat players to enjoy endgame content without mandatory PvP or dungeon raiding.
The game’s server-wide political system, Landraad, has been reimagined to include new missions, expanded rewards, and stronger incentives for player participation. Players can also engage in new faction-specific contracts and extended Faction ranks. Moreover, a new Augmentation Station is set to offer late-game gear customization, allowing players to attach powerful augments to Unique Tier 6 gear.
New Challenges and Story Progression
On the PvE front, five brand-new overland challenge sites, including ‘The Broodworks’, will be introduced. Completing these challenges will offer faction progress, increase Landsraad contributions, and grant Specialization XP. Additionally, five new Testing Stations will be unveiled, presenting repeatable, dungeon-like content with escalating difficulty and valuable rewards.
The narrative journey of the players will progress with new allies and thrilling storylines, including the Neo Carthag dueling ring and the mystery of the player character’s origins. Combat enhancements will feature a complete rework of the Rapier weapon and introduce the new ‘Pyrocket’ dual-wielded melee knives.
Additional Content and Upcoming Releases
Along with Chapter 3, Funcom will release the Raiders of the Broken Lands DLC for $9.99, or as part of the $24.99 Season Pass, focusing on cosmetic enhancements. This DLC will include 73 new building pieces, 17 decorations, armor sets, weapon variants, swatches, and emotes inspired by the Imperium’s Smugglers.
In exciting news for gamers, Dune Awakening is now available at its largest discount of 35% in the Steam Winter Sale starting today. While Funcom has not provided a specific release date for Chapter 3 and the upcoming DLC, more information is expected in early 2026, with a console launch anticipated later that year.