Dune: Awakening expansion takes players to frozen north

A new face for Arrakis: Ice instead of desert

After fine-tuning the gameplay mechanics of Dune: Awakening for both solo and PvE (Player vs Environment) modes, Norwegian studio Funcom has turned its attention to adding new content. Releasing in December, the free expansion titled Blood and Ice radically transforms the game world, inviting players to an entirely new map called the Polar Sink.

While the game's main challenge until now was overcoming scorching heat and water scarcity, priorities shift in the new region. The polar north of Arrakis forces players not to hide from heat, but to actively search for warmth to survive. The new environment is split into two biomes: tundra and icecap, where survival technologies require completely different approaches.

Water monopoly and new challenges

The main storyline of Blood and Ice revolves around 'water shippers'. These are wealthy merchants who distribute Arrakis's second most valuable resource from the polar regions to the deserts. The main objective for players will be to break this monopoly and gain control over the resources. The harvested water will allow players to cool down their base equipment in the desert, which in turn accelerates resource production.

Funcom states that this free addition offers roughly 35 hours of new progression. The developers emphasise that Blood and Ice aims to bring survival elements back to experienced players, where movement, temperature management, and combat play a decisive role.

What lies ahead?

Blood and Ice officially releases on 1 December. However, the news does not end there. Funcom plans to add a full offline solo mode in November, while January will bring full cross-play support and an in-game cosmetic store.

This move is part of a strategic shift at the studio. Funcom recently announced that it is fully concentrating on its existing projects, such as Conan Exiles and Dune: Awakening, which unfortunately resulted in staff layoffs at the company. Despite this, the studio promises to actively continue developing Dune: Awakening throughout 2027. For players who favour survival games, this update offers a compelling reason to experience the harsh world of Arrakis from a fresh perspective.