Dune: Awakening will host a massive beta weekend in just a couple of weeks: 'Tens of thousands of beta keys will be unleashed'
A few days of fun in the sun.
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Want to add more newsletters?
Every Friday
GamesRadar+
Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.
Every Thursday
GTA 6 O'clock
Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.
Every Friday
Knowledge
From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.
Every Thursday
The Setup
Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.
Every Wednesday
Switch 2 Spotlight
Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.
Every Saturday
The Watchlist
Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.
Once a month
SFX
Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!
The survival MMO Dune: Awakening is set to release June 10, but just before that, some players will get the chance to bask in the harsh sun in what sounds like an absolutely massive beta weekend.
"From May 9 until May 12, the largest beta yet will take place, with a huge number of new players joining compared to previous closed Betas," a press release says. "Tune in May 10 for the Global Dune: Awakening LAN Party Broadcast—live from London and PAX East—where tens of thousands of beta keys will be unleashed!"
2025 games: This year's upcoming releases
Best PC games: Our all-time favorites
Free PC games: Freebie fest
Best FPS games: Finest gunplay
Best RPGs: Grand adventures
Best co-op games: Better together
In order to have a chance at joining, you'll need to go to Dune: Awakening's Steam page, where you can wishlist the game and request access to the Beta. Alternatively, you can also try to get one of the tens of thousands of codes that'll be given out during the Global LAN party broadcast on May 10. All you need to do is watch it, so it's not particularly difficult.
The LAN broadcast will be streamed simultaneously from London and PAX East. Throughout the event, you can expect to see a couple of "special guests", some discussions between the lead developers, and a few content creators competing against each other in an in-game competition.
During the beta, players will be able to not only experience the unforgiving sandy deserts of Arrakis but also check out almost all of the first act of the story, which makes up the initial 20 hours of the game. You also don't need to keep everything you come across a secret, as this beta, unlike previous ones, won't have an NDA attached, so you can share and stream everything you like, or you can remain aloof and mysterious and not tell anyone, the choice is yours.
But don't feel too down if you don't get the chance to see Dune: Awakening early (although it does seem like there's plenty of space). The survival MMO will release properly on June 10, which is slightly later than Funcom initially promised, but it's still only a few weeks after the beta, and time moves notoriously quickly when you're sitting there twiddling your thumbs waiting for a game to release.
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.

Elie is a news writer with an unhealthy love of horror games—even though their greatest fear is being chased. When they're not screaming or hiding, there's a good chance you'll find them testing their metal in metroidvanias or just admiring their Pokemon TCG collection. Elie has previously worked at TechRadar Gaming as a staff writer and studied at JOMEC in International Journalism and Documentaries – spending their free time filming short docs about Smash Bros. or any indie game that crossed their path.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.


