"The issue with the game at launch was that we were trying to do too much for too many people"
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Joel Bylos, CCO at Funcom has revealed that while Dune: Awakening's community is mostly interested in PvE, the devs are looking into ways to make the PvP more engaging.
Speaking to GamesRadar+ at Gamescom 2026, Bylos was asked about PvP in Dune: Awakening being somewhat optional, and whether that works too much in favor of PvE-focused players at the expense of those who are interested in the PvP. Bylos admits, " I think that probably was the issue with the game at launch was that we were trying to do too much for too many people,"
Bylos explains, "we were mixing two types of players together who didn't want to be mixed together." he adds, "PvP players and PvE players don't really want to play together, and when they do, the PvP players are sharks in a fish tank, you know, really enjoying themselves." However, those PvP-focused people are a minority in the community, as Bylos explains "we also saw metrics-wise, 80% of our players were PvE, and not PvPers. So we've decided to focus more on that audience."
However, even with a higher PvE focus and the single-player mode coming alongside the console launch of the game next month, that doesn't mean Funcom is abandoning PvP players either. Bylos notes, "We will look into doing more structured PvP things in the future," and that when the console launch is in the past, "we'll have more time to look and actually think about carefully about the kind of features we're doing" with Bylos specifically noting "faction vs faction" PvP as "something on my mind."
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Scott has been freelancing for over four years across a number of different gaming publications, first appearing on GamesRadar+ in 2024. He has also written for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, VG247, Play, TechRadar, and others. He's typically rambling about Metal Gear Solid, God Hand, or any other PS2-era titles that rarely (if ever) get sequels.
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