Funcom has announced the free expansion Blood and Ice to Dune: Awakening. The expansion arrives December 1 on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox, and is free for all players on all platforms.
Via Blood and Ice, you’ll explore the frozen north of Arrakis through a new map called the Polar Sink. Here, heat becomes your ally, and you’ll need new gear, resources, and strategies to survive the extreme cold.
Since its console launch, Dune: Awakening has welcomed more than one million new players. The open-world survival game is inspired by the novel Dune by Frank Herbert and the films from Legendary Entertainment and Denis Villeneuve.
Polar Sink, a New Map with Two Biomes
The Polar Sink has two biomes: the tundra and the ice cap. Your journey begins in the tundra, where wealthy water shipper families defend their lavish strongholds.
Further on lies the heavily guarded ice cap, where securing access to ice is one of your main goals.
Equipment built for the desert heat will need upgrading to protect you from the cold. With the action returning to the ground, traversal, temperature management, and combat are key to progressing.
The map offers around 35 hours of progression. The ice you harvest can be used to cool equipment in your base and speed up production. The expansion also adds new vehicle modules, augments, and specialization traits.
Cosmetics Store and New Events
The developer is also introducing a cosmetics store with outfits, vehicle variants, and base customization options. Purchases are optional and will help fund future free updates.
At launch, the store will offer rotating items, including iconic looks from the film adaptations of Dune. In the future, the full catalog will be available at all times.
After The Scourge event, you’ll face the Water Crisis event, which arrives shortly after Blood and Ice launches. In this event, players fight over scarce water supplies while working to end the crisis.
A new Events tab also arrives with the expansion, making it easier to track event progress and rewards.
Offline Mode, Character Transfers, and Cross-Play
The studio also shared the timing for three features the community has been asking for:
- Offline single-player mode: arriving in November.
- Character copying from multiplayer servers to single-player, and from single-player to select private servers: arriving in January 2027.
- Full cross-play support: arriving in January 2027.
“We’re far from done. We have ambitious plans for Dune: Awakening in 2027, with several major free updates that will expand the game with new locations, mechanics, and content to discover,” said Scott Junior, the studio’s CEO.
Game information
- Title: Dune: Awakening
- Expansion: Blood and Ice (free)
- Expansion release date: December 1, 2026
- Developer/Publisher: Funcom
- Platform: PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, Xbox, and Xbox Game Pass
- Genre: Open-world survival
Dune: Awakening is available now on PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, Xbox, and Xbox Game Pass.
About Funcom
Funcom is a developer and publisher of online games for PC and consoles, founded in 1993. The studio has released more than 20 games, including Conan Exiles, Metal: Hellsinger, Aloft, Dune: Spice Wars, and The Longest Journey.
If you’re ready to venture into the frozen reaches of Arrakis, mark December 1 on your calendar.
Blood and Ice Announcement Video
