Funcom has announced that its survival MMO, Dune: Awakening, will release a free expansion titled Blood and Ice on December 1st. Available for PC, PS5, and Xbox, this update moves the action away from the deserts of Arrakis to a new frozen map known as the Polar Sink. The studio states that the expansion includes approximately 35 hours of new progression content, alongside new vehicle modules, augments, and specialisation traits.
The Polar Sink map fundamentally alters the game's survival mechanics by replacing extreme heat with freezing temperatures. Players must now focus on staying warm and upgrading gear using resources exclusive to this region. The area is divided into two biomes: a tundra where wealthy water shipper families have established lavish strongholds, and a heavily guarded ice cap. Once players access the ice cap, they can harvest ice to cool base equipment and accelerate production speeds.
Funcom emphasizes that Blood and Ice refocuses the game on ground-level survival, making traversal, temperature management, and combat critical for progression. The expansion also introduces a new Events tab in the main menu. Following the current event, The Scourge, a new Water Crisis event will launch shortly after the expansion's release. These events are designed to be completed in both single-player and multiplayer modes, with plans to run them more frequently to offer new stories and free rewards.
To support continued development and free updates, Funcom has launched a cosmetics store featuring a rotating selection of items. The initial lineup includes looks inspired by the Dune films to coincide with the cinema release of Dune: Part Three this December, with plans to eventually make the full catalogue permanently available. Additionally, several community-requested features are arriving soon, including offline single-player mode later this month.
Starting in January 2027, players will be able to copy characters between multiplayer servers and single-player modes, as well as transfer them to select private or self-hosted servers on PC. Full cross-play functionality is also scheduled for January 2027. Funcom notes that over a million new players have joined since the game's console launch, citing a rebuilt endgame, three DLCs, and the conclusion of Book One as key milestones. The studio confirmed it has ambitious plans for 2027, including major free updates, despite recently entering a period of restructuring and layoffs.
Sources: Eurogamer.