At the Game Awards 2021, publisher Funcom and Northgard developer Shiro Games announced Dune: Spice Wars, an all-new RTS with 4X elements.
At the Game Awards 2021, publisher Funcom and developer Shiro Games unveiled Dune: the war of spices, a real-time strategy title based on the iconic universe of Frank Herbert. Dune has seen a resurgence in recent times, thanks in large part to the film directed by Denis Villeneuve which hit theaters in October. So it’s no surprise that games based on the brand also appear on the left and right.
In November, The Retro Room Games launched a Kickstarter campaign to rebuild an unprecedented Dune game formerly known as Frank Herbert’s Dune: Ornithoptera Assault. The studio managed to secure the rights to the game, but it does not have access to the Dune intellectual property rights; as a result, the project, fully funded on Kickstarter, will now take the form of Elland: War of the Crystals. Unsurprisingly, new interactive adventures based on the decades-old property have also been given the green light. And it’s clear that Tencent-owned publisher Funcom has the keys to the kingdom.
At this year’s Game Awards, Funcom and Northgard developer Shiro Games presented for the first time Dune: the war of spices, which enters early access on PC in 2022. An RTS title with 4X qualities, Spice wars tasks players with creating their own story while controlling one of the many factions, including longtime rivals House Atreides and House Harkonnen. The player’s objective is to guide the chosen faction to victory, which allows the victor to take control of the most powerful resource in the universe – spices. In the pursuit of such ends, factions forge avenues by relying on political influence, subterfuge, open warfare, or economic supremacy. Instant gameplay also plays a role in potential success. Ornithopter-based exploration allows you to discover resources and POIs. The formation of troops virtually guarantees the expansion of a faction into more regions. The domination of the economy must come from the exploitation of resources. And carefully balancing a powerful military presence could make or break a group’s dominance over their enemies. Check out the trailer and screenshots for Dune: the war of spices below:
Interestingly, this isn’t the only Funcom Dune project. Inspired by Exiled conan, Funcom has partnered with developer Nukklear to bring Dune survival game on the market at an unspecified time. Details on the untitled survival adventure are currently scarce, but it’s clear that Funcom’s 2019 acquisition of the rights to Frank Herbert’s universe won’t be lost any time soon.
Founded in Norway in 1993, Funcom is best known for developing and publishing interactive experiences based on the Conan the barbarian Brand. The most recent of these titles, Conan undefeated, hit PC as a real-time strategy game from developer Petroglyph in 2019. Hopes are high for Funcom Dune: the war of spices, which is likely to be a hit with fans of the popular franchise. Players can expect more news on the Dune game in the weeks and months to come.
Dune: the war of spices Early Access on PC will begin on an unspecified date in 2022.
About the Author
