Dune: Awakening is set to release its seasonally themed free expansion, Blood and Ice, in December. According to a Steam blog post, the update introduces the Polar Sink, a new survival map designed to challenge players with extreme cold rather than desert heat. The expansion features two distinct biomes: the tundra, where players will begin their journey, and the ice cap, which serves as the primary destination for gathering valuable ice resources. This ice can be utilized to cool base equipment and accelerate production processes.
The Polar Sink requires players to adapt their survival strategies, as technology developed for desert conditions will be insufficient in this new environment. Players must upgrade their gear and gather new resources to stay warm. The expansion is expected to provide approximately 35 hours of new progression content, including new vehicle modules, augments, and specialization traits. Future updates are also planned to encourage players to return to the Polar Sink later on.
Beyond gameplay additions, the update includes a new cosmetic store offering optional items such as outfits, vehicle variants, and base customization options. In a significant move for game preservation and accessibility, an offline mode is scheduled to arrive this November. This feature will allow users to play without an internet connection, ensuring the game remains playable even if servers go down. Character copying functionality, which enables transferring characters from multiplayer servers to single-player mode, along with full cross-play support, is planned for release in January.
Sources: Rock Paper Shotgun.