Publisher Funcom and developer Shiro Games unveiled Dune: Spice Wars at The Game Awards 2021, a real-time strategy game based on Frank Herbert’s legendary universe. Dune has enjoyed a renaissance in recent years, owing in large part to the Denis Villeneuve-directed film that opened in theatres in October. It’s unsurprising, therefore, that games based on the brand are surfacing at an alarming rate.
The Retro Room Games began a Kickstarter effort in November to resurrect an unreleased Dune game dubbed Frank Herbert’s Dune: Ornithopter Assault. The company secured the game rights but not the Dune IP rights; as a result, the project, which is currently completely funded on Kickstarter, will be renamed Elland: The Crystal Wars. Unsurprisingly, new interactive adventures based on the property’s decades-old history have also been approved. And it’s evident that Funcom, which is controlled by Tencent, holds the keys to the kingdom.
Shiro Games, a joint venture between Funcom and Northgard, revealed the first look at Dune: Spice Wars at this year’s Game Awards. Dune: Spice Wars will release early access on PC in 2022. Spice Wars is a real-time strategy game with 4X elements. Players create their own storey while controlling one of several factions, including long-standing rivals House Atreides and House Harkonnen. The player’s objective is to lead their chosen side to victory, which will grant them control of the universe’s most valuable resource – spice. To accomplish these goals, factions construct avenues through political influence, deception, outright warfare, or economic superiority. Moment-to-moment gameplay also contributes to potential success. Ornithopter-based exploration aids in the discovery of resources and points of interest. Investing in troops virtually ensures a faction’s expansion into new regions. Dominating the economy should result from resource extraction. And balancing a strong military force delicately can make or break a group’s influence over its adversaries.
Contrary to popular belief, this is not Funcom’s lone Dune project. Funcom has teamed with developer Nukklear to bring a Dune survival game to market at an indeterminate date, drawing inspiration from Conan Exiles. While details on the untitled survival adventure are limited at the moment, it’s apparent that Funcom’s 2019 acquisition of the rights to Frank Herbert’s world will not be squandered.
Funcom was founded in 1993 in Norway and is best known for creating and releasing interactive experiences centred on the Conan the Barbarian brand. Conan Unconquered, the most current of these titles, launched on PC in 2019 as a real-time strategy game from developer Petroglyph. Funcom’s Dune: Spice Wars is expected to be a smash hit with fans of the popular property. Players can anticipate additional information on the Dune game in the following weeks and months.
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