Dune: Awakening launched to "Mostly Negative" reviews thanks to server frustrations, but it seems fans of the survival MMO are content now: "I don't hate it"

Months of beta tests and limited access have passed, and Dune: Awakening is finally here – but so far, feedback on Steam has been anything but consistent.

It seems like things might be stabilizing now, however. Just hours into advanced access for Dune: Awakening, the survival MMO set in a creative re-imagining of author Frank Herbert's own timeline and universe, players reported its "Mostly Negative" reception on Steam. There were various reviews indicating server issues, with fans advising they couldn't reach friends and stating that things were "so crowded even on low population servers."

One Steam review describes the server-related debacle in detail, saying "the server structure is a big mistake" because each Sietch (as Dune: Awakening server instances are called) is "populated with more than the playable capacity, which is a mere 60 players." Meanwhile, the overall server population could hit over 200 people – so "you end up waiting for one of the other 60-200 players in your Sietch to log out before you are able to play."

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From Mostly Negative to Mostly Positive from r/duneawakening

This means queues and long waiting times – something I know a solid majority of MMO players are no good at, as a Final Fantasy 14 frequenter myself. Not all with advanced access to Dune: Awakening are unhappy, though – reviews are looking a lot more consistent and stable today, swinging from "Mostly Negative" to "Very Positive" overnight. It seems love of the gameplay itself is proving more powerful than hatred of its server system after all.

"It good," as one fan so eloquently writes on Steam. Another leaves a positive review, simply explaining, "I don't hate it," despite any technical issues. "I'm here for the story, crafting, exploring, and base building" – and although I personally haven't had the chance to hop into the game myself yet, I'll also be doing so for those very same features. If my time during my Dune: Awakening preview was any indicator of the final product, I can't wait.

Need something else to look forward to? Here are the other biggest new games this year and beyond.

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After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms' clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, including Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she's not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she's probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she's spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3. If you spot her away from her PC, you'll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.

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