“Dune: Awakening” Sets New Record for Funcom with 1M Sales

Dune: Awakening has officially sold over one million copies just 18 days after its early access launch, making it the fastest-selling title in developer Funcom’s three-decade history. The milestone, announced on June 23 via Funcom’s website and social media, marks a major commercial success for the Norwegian developer and far outpaces the trajectory of its previous hit Conan Exiles, which took a whole year to reach the same sales figure.

Launched on June 10, the large-scale survival MMO set on the desert world of Arrakis quickly gained momentum, clocking over 142,000 concurrent players within hours of release and peaking at 189,333 players last weekend—more than triple the all-time high of Conan Exiles. According to Steam data, the game currently holds a “Very Positive” rating, with 83.62% favourable reviews, and ranks among the top 10 global bestsellers on the platform.

“Greetings Sleepers… 1,000,000 players have awakened!” Funcom wrote in its announcement. “It’s now our fastest-selling game ever. To put it into perspective, it took Conan Exiles one year to reach this number. We’re truly humbled and thankful for this reception.”

To commemorate the milestone, Funcom released a celebratory infographic detailing player activity and in-game carnage since the game’s launch. Among the staggering statistics, over 816,720 players have met their end at the jaws of the mighty sandworms; 628,807 have died in the game’s high-risk PvP Deep Desert zone; and more than 6.1 billion grams of spice have already been consumed. The infographic also notes that players have crafted over 517,000 Ornithopters, founded 121,941 guilds, and placed nearly 122 million building pieces across the game’s sprawling landscape.

Despite its early success, Dune: Awakening has faced criticism for its endgame PvP mechanics, particularly in the Deep Desert area, which some players describe as overly punishing or prone to griefing. In response, Funcom has announced plans to expand the region’s PvE content and is considering further balance adjustments. The studio has already patched out the ability for players to crush others with their Ornithopters, and senior game director Viljar Sommerbakk confirmed that additional changes—such as limiting speed and manoeuvrability—are currently under discussion.

Inspired by the world of Frank Herbert and Legendary Entertainment’s modern cinematic adaptations, Dune: Awakening blends survival gameplay with RPG systems and intense open-world PvP. With a strong launch, an active community, and regular content updates on the horizon, the game is well-positioned to become a dominant force in the survival MMO genre.

Dune: Awakening is available now on PC and is scheduled to release on Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 in 2026.

Words by Khushboo Malhotra

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