Dune: Awakening Is About To Get A Lot Weirder
Dune: Awakening is Funcom's upcoming survival MMO set in the universe of Dune, and so far it has closely followed the look and feel of Denis Villeneuve's modern Dune movies. The armor, the environments, the vehicles and the overall style are clearly inspired by the 2021 and 2024 films rather than the classic 1984 David Lynch adaptation.
For many fans that is a good thing. The new movies are visually stunning and grounded, and that realistic approach fits well with a survival MMO where players fight for resources, survive brutal sandstorms, and dodge gigantic sandworms on Arrakis.
But there is one thing long time Dune fans have really missed: the absolute bizarre, unsettling weirdness of Lynch's original movie. In particular, one creature stands above all others as the peak of Dune strangeness: the third stage Guild Navigator.
In Lynch's 1984 film, the Navigator appears extremely early. Around eight minutes into the movie, viewers are introduced to a huge mutated being floating in a tank full of spice gas, surrounded by attendants. It is grotesque, alien and unforgettable. For many viewers it became one of the most iconic images in all of Dune.
By contrast, Villeneuve has made two full length Dune movies with a combined runtime of more than five hours, and we still have not seen his take on a third stage Guild Navigator on screen. That absence has carried over to Dune: Awakening as well, since the game mirrors the newer films and has so far not shown these mutated space folding pilots of the Spacing Guild.
That is about to change.
A Developer Tease For Dune: Awakening Players
During an interview about Dune: Awakening and its Chapter 3 update, game director Joel Bylos shared an exciting hint for fans who want the game to lean a little more into the weird side of Dune. The original discussion focused on new MMO systems like a revamped Landsraad system, a specialization progression revamp, and additional overland maps being added to the game.
Once the planned questions ran out, the conversation turned to the future of the Dune films and how they might connect to the MMO. Bylos confirmed that Funcom is actively working with Legendary Pictures, the studio behind the modern Dune series. He has been able to read the script for the upcoming third movie and see concept art and other materials for what is coming next in the film universe.
According to Bylos, the team already has strong ideas for how to integrate elements from the upcoming Dune Part Three into Dune: Awakening. This collaboration suggests that the MMO will not just be a static snapshot of the first two movies. Instead, it is likely to evolve alongside the films, pulling in new factions, visuals, story ideas and of course new types of characters and creatures.
That is where the third stage Guild Navigator tease comes in. After the interviewer went on a passionate tangent about how much they loved the Navigator from Lynch's film and how disappointed they were not to see anything similar in Dune: Awakening, Bylos responded with a simple but powerful hint: players will be very happy over the next year.
He would not share specifics or show any concept art, but the implication was clear enough. At some point within the next year, Dune: Awakening players should expect to see a version of a third stage Guild Navigator appear in the game.
It is worth noting that this tease was specifically about Dune: Awakening, not a direct confirmation about the next movie. Still, many Dune fans assume Villeneuve will finally reveal his take on the Navigator in the third film. If the MMO is working from the same art direction and broad creative vision, it makes sense that the creature would arrive in both places around the same general timeframe.
What This Means For Players And Dune Fans
For PC gamers interested in Dune: Awakening, this is more than just a lore detail. It hints at how the MMO will keep evolving and expanding.
- Closer integration with the films Working directly with Legendary Pictures means the game can introduce movie accurate designs, story hooks, and potentially time limited events that tie into cinematic releases.
- Richer sci fi atmosphere The presence of something as strange as a third stage Guild Navigator suggests the developers are willing to embrace the more unsettling and alien side of Dune, not just desert battles and politics.
- Potential new systems or locations Guild Navigators are central to space travel in the Dune universe. Bringing one into the game might connect to new narrative content, new hubs, or even new modes of transportation or meta progression for players.
- Fan service with a purpose By nodding toward both Lynch's classic weirdness and Villeneuve's serious tone, Dune: Awakening has a chance to appeal to a wide slice of the fan base while standing out from other survival games.
We still do not know exactly how players will encounter the Navigator. It could be a main story character, a background figure in a Guild facility, part of an event, or even something shown in cutscenes that frame new expansions. Whatever the form, the confirmation that this iconic creature is on the way adds a lot of flavor to what is already shaping up to be an ambitious PC MMO.
For now, the key takeaway is simple: if you are a PC gamer eyeing Dune: Awakening and you wished the game embraced more of the franchise’s deep weirdness, the developers have heard you. Within the next year, the universe of Dune: Awakening will get a little stranger, a little more memorable, and a lot more Dune.
Original article and image: https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/all-i-want-to-see-in-dune-awakening-is-a-third-stage-guild-navigator-and-according-to-game-director-joel-bylos-youll-be-a-very-happy-man-during-the-next-year/
