Shape the Sands! Dune: Awakening Unveils Epic Player-Driven Landsraad & World-Altering Decrees

Get ready to seize control of Arrakis like never before! Funcom has pulled back the curtain on a central, game-defining endgame feature for their highly anticipated survival MMO, Dune: Awakening: the mighty Landsraad. Known in Dune lore as the council of Great Houses, Funcom is ingeniously adapting this political powerhouse to put unprecedented influence directly into players’ hands.

In a captivating new video, Funcom details how Dune: Awakening‘s Landsraad will function. Imagine this: 25 lesser Houses (acting as quest-giving entities) will, each week, pledge their allegiance to either the iconic House Atreides or the formidable House Harkonnen. These two titans are locked in a perpetual struggle for dominance over the desert planet, and the faction securing the majority of these 25 votes will seize control of the entire game world—across all servers—for the subsequent week!

So, how do you, the player, become a kingmaker?
Player guilds will be the driving force, embarking on missions and completing objectives for these 25 lesser Houses throughout the week. Your guild’s efforts will directly sway votes, tipping the scales in favor of either Atreides or Harkonnen. At the week’s dramatic conclusion, the faction with the Landsraad majority will be declared, and the leaders of the player guilds who championed the winning side will gain the incredible power to vote on a decree – a new law that will reshape the game world for everyone for an entire week!

And these decrees? They’re nothing short of game-changing!
Beta players are already buzzing about the sheer impact of these player-enacted laws. Picture this:

• Massive Production Boosts: One decree could slash repair costs and refining times by a staggering 75% for the winning faction’s guilds! Another might cut crafting costs by 25%. These are colossal advantages for any guild focused on large-scale operations.

• Exclusive Power: Certain decrees grant one faction access to exclusive tools, weapons, or armor via a special vendor, giving them a unique edge.

• Combat Supremacy: Fancy a 33% increase in ranged and melee weapon damage? Or perhaps a 50% buff to XP gain? These are just some of the potent advantages on the table.

While only one decree can be active at a time, their potential to offer a significant, week-long advantage to the victorious faction is undeniable. Imagine facing foes who inherently deal more damage or are kitted out in faction-exclusive gear!

But what about balance?
Fear not, aspiring leaders! Joel Bylos, Dune: Awakening‘s creative director, assures players that “pretty good systems in place” will help prevent one faction from endlessly dominating. Excitingly, there are also plans for a third major faction (could it be the enigmatic Fremen?) to “also have a role in that balance.”

One particularly thrilling (and chilling!) decree is “The Right of Salvage.” If enacted, players who fall in PvP in the deep desert won’t just lose collected resources – all their gear can be looted! That week is bound to be incredibly tense and rewarding for the bold.

Your Path to Power:
Influencing the great Houses offers diverse gameplay opportunities:

• PvP Dominance: Claim and hold vital control points in the perilous deep desert, battling rival players to secure those precious votes. Win the territory, win the vote!

• Strategic PvE: Not a PvP fanatic? You can still be instrumental! Undertake critical missions like invading NPC bases (e.g., wiping out “sandflies” for House Torvold) or fulfilling large-scale resource requests by gathering, crafting, and delivering essential supplies like groundcars.

This dynamic Landsraad system promises a truly player-driven endgame where your actions and allegiances directly shape the political landscape and the very rules of Arrakis week by week.

Eager to see it in action? Check out Funcom’s Landsraad explainer video! Dune: Awakening is set to launch on June 10, with a head start on June 5 for those who preorder the Deluxe or Ultimate edition. Prepare to make your mark on the sands!