Will Dune Awakening have private servers? If you’re after a truly anti-social experience, or only want to explore Arrakis’ gorgeous desertscape with your closest compadres, we don’t blame you. From Minecraft to Rust, to Funcom’s other survival title, Conan Exiles, private servers have become a staple of the genre. But will Dune Awakening follow suit?
Dune Awakening takes an alternate approach not only to Frank Herbert’s canon but also to the way it does its networking. While maps in survival games are typically tied to a single server, the upcoming PC game utilizes server meshing, hosting multiple dynamic map regions across servers to create one, unified experience. This makes things particularly tricky when it comes to leasing out private servers, and has given cause to doubt that Dune Awakening private servers will ever be a thing.
Dune Awakening private servers
Dune Awakening is unlikely to have private servers at launch. This has been reiterated multiple times by creative director Joel Bylos. Due to the complex nature of the game’s server structure, it’s likely that we’ll only get to access private servers on specific maps, should these servers eventually materialize.
In an August 2024 interview with TheGamer, Bylos highlighted the possibility of renting out private servers to players. However, due to the studio’s vision for game balance and the end-game experience, server-wide Dune Awakening mods, like those available in Conan Exiles, wouldn’t be available.
Later, in a February 2025 chat with WCCF Tech, Bylos expanded on this, noting that the studio has been discussing ways in which it can directly rent out private server space without coughing up code, citing how Bethesda handles Fallout 76.
Judging from his comments, it’s most likely that instances of a specific area, like the main map, would be leased out, so players won’t have to pay for servers for every map. What’s more, Bylos says this method would potentially open up server-wide mods, such as speeding up progression and tweaking map elements. Presumably, this is because Funcom wouldn’t offer private realms for late-game areas like the deep desert.
Crucially, Bylos states that he doesn’t know if a plan for private servers will be finalized and put in place in time for launch, should they become a reality. As such, expect nothing until it’s officially announced.
And that’s all we know about Dune Awakening private servers for now. We’ll be sure to update this guide as soon as we learn more, so check back as we close in on the Dune Awakening release date. In the meantime, check out whether you’ll be able to snag Dune Awakening on Game Pass for no extra cost when it arrives.