"We know players want it. WE want it" - Dune Awakening developers respond to lack of crossplay for console release

Dune Awakening developer Funcom has responded to the news crossplay won't be included in the game's upcoming console release, telling Eurogamer, "We know players want it. WE want it."

The no-crossplay caveat followed this week's announcement Dune Awakening is coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S in September, as well as the news its incoming single-player mode will be available to all platforms on the same date.

Eurogamer contacted Funcom to learn more about the decision to omit crossplay, and the studio has now responded. "We will address it more in an upcoming livestream," it explained in a statement, "but ultimately we know players want it. WE want it. But it is technically and operationally complex to implement crossplay in Dune: Awakening and would require us to put resources on it that are currently focused on making the console port and the September update the best it can be."

Without crossplay, players will be limited to playing alongside those on the same platform, for the most part. The exception comes with Xbox versions of the game, where players can play with others who have a Windows PC Store copy of Dune Awakening.

September's update marks a major milestone for Dune Awakening, which has until now been limited to PC. The release sees its first major narrative arc (or book) conclude across all platforms, meaning this new wave of console players will get the Dune Awakening experience in its totality.

While Funcom's statement indicates more information on the crossplay situation will be revealed in an upcoming developer livestream, there's currently no airdate for the broadcast. As such, anyone curious to learn more will have to stay tuned to official Dune Awakening social media platforms to learn more.