Dune : Awakening hits consoles with full single-player mode and transforms the Arrakis experience

Dune: Awakening has entered a new phase. Funcom's open-world survival game arrived on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on September 22, while one of its biggest updates yet also brings a full single-player mode and sweeping gameplay changes to Arrakis.

Version 1.5 is available across all platforms and represents a major transformation for a game that originally placed significant emphasis on multiplayer systems and a shared world.

The headline addition is one of the community's most-requested features since launch: the entire Dune: Awakening experience can now be played alone.

An entire Arrakis for one player

When beginning a new journey, players can choose between single-player and multiplayer. In solo mode, all of the game's content remains available, including NPCs, exploration, building, progression, story content and the Deep Desert, but there are no other players in the world.

Systems originally designed around a multiplayer community have also been adapted. In the Deep Desert, for example, the map does not periodically reset in single-player and player buildings are not wiped. Coriolis Storms remain as weather events but are less destructive.

The Landsraad remains functional as well. With no other players participating in the political faction conflict, the game simulates rival activity to keep the system active.

The change is particularly significant because Funcom says its internal telemetry consistently showed that 80 to 90 percent of players engaged exclusively with PvE content. Alongside single-player, PvP can now be completely avoided throughout the experience.

Difficulty and survival can now be deeply customized

Dune: Awakening now gives players considerably more control over how Arrakis works. Single-player includes three preset survival difficulty levels as well as an option for manual customization of individual settings.

Players can modify resource harvesting and experience multipliers, item durability, building limits, base decay, death penalties and the maximum number of land claims.

Even some of Arrakis' defining dangers can be controlled. Players can enable or disable sandstorms, change security zones and adjust the automatic spawning of sandworms and Coriolis Storms.

These settings are also available on self-hosted PC servers. On rented private servers, availability depends on the provider.

Book One can finally be played from beginning to end

The update also completes Dune: Awakening's first major story arc. The game originally launched with Acts 1 and 2, while subsequent updates introduced later chapters and continued the campaign.

With the final act now available, the entire Book One storyline can be experienced from beginning to end in both single-player and multiplayer. Funcom says the conclusion adds several more hours of cinematic story content.

That makes the new single-player mode more than simply an isolated version of the existing survival systems: players primarily interested in the narrative can now experience the complete campaign without relying on interaction with other players.

Optional PvP and a rebuilt endgame

Changes introduced since the original launch have also significantly reshaped the endgame. The Deep Desert now offers separate PvE and PvP instances. Players who choose the competitive environment receive greater resource yields in exchange for the additional risk, while PvE-focused players can continue progressing without fighting other users.

The Landsraad has been rebuilt around missions involving combat, crafting, gathering, exploration and sabotage. Completing them awards Solari, experience and contribution points that allow players to rise through the ranks of either the Atreides or Harkonnen factions.

Other changes introduced since launch include new map locations, six additional Imperial Testing Stations, new weapon classes such as the Pyrocket and Dual Blades, vehicle recovery, base reconstruction and numerous quality-of-life improvements.

Console versions launch with a 60 fps Performance Mode

On PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, Dune: Awakening features console-optimized controls and UI alongside two graphics modes. Performance is the default mode and targets 60 fps, while Quality prioritizes visual fidelity.

Within the Xbox ecosystem, the game also supports Xbox Play Anywhere, shared progression and cross-play between Xbox and the Microsoft Store version on Windows. Funcom notes, however, that full cross-play between PC, PlayStation and Xbox is not available at launch. Broader cross-play is planned, but no release date has been announced.

Dune: Awakening enters a new era

Rather than simply bringing Dune: Awakening to two new consoles, the update substantially broadens the experience. Players who previously avoided Arrakis because of its multiplayer elements can now explore the entire world alone, while those who prefer servers and competition retain those options.

With full single-player support, optional PvP, customizable difficulty, the conclusion of Book One and the improvements accumulated since its original PC debut, the current version represents Funcom's most extensive effort yet to make Arrakis work for different types of players.

Dune: Awakening is available on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.