Departing from the books, Dune MMO confirms religions, but "Leading people on a holy war is not why you arrive on Arrakis"

Dune: Awakening's developer says religion will have a reduced role in the upcoming open-world survival MMO compared to its source material.

The recent Dune: Awakening livestream featured many of the aspects you'd expect from a game based on the acclaimed science fiction series, including the struggle for survival in the unforgiving desert and encounters with giant sandworms, but didn't delve into the finer points, such religion and the significance it will have in the MMO.

Following subsequent queries from fans on the subject, Funcom has, in a post on Twitter, described religion as "an integral part" of Dune but says that it will not be utilized in the same way as it is in Frank Herbert's books. 

"We agree that religion is an integral part of the Dune universe," Funcom says. "This is why in Dune: Awakening you will meet and interact with people of different religions along your journey. However, as opposed to the story presented in the books, the player is not a messiah and will not play a major role in any of them. Leading people on a holy war is not why you arrive on Arrakis."

In the comments, the developer further clarifies what the team is attempting to achieve with Dune: Awakening and what fans can expect. "We're not adapting the story of Paul Atreides in videogame form," the dev explains. "We're adapting the Dune universe and letting players be a part of it, to carve their own path in it. Be it similar to Paul's, or entirely different, it will be up to each player to decide."

Dune: Awakening is set to launch on PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC. There's still no word on exactly when it will launch, though the majority of the work is seemingly complete, as a closed beta is currently underway.

Dune Awakening aims to be a true survival MMO - first by making you survive Arrakis, then by making you survive politics.