Dune: Awakening swaps deserts for a frozen expansion this December

The survival game Dune: Awakening is getting a free expansion called Blood and Ice on December 1, per Eurogamer. The update adds a new frozen map called the Polar Sink.

According to developer Funcom, the Polar Sink flips the game's survival mechanics, forcing players to manage cold instead of heat. The area is split into two biomes: a starting tundra region and a more dangerous ice cap. Players will need to harvest ice there to boost their base production.

The expansion offers about 35 hours of new progression with fresh vehicle modules and traits, Funcom said. A new menu for in-game events is also being added, with a 'Water Crisis' event planned to follow the current 'Scourge' event shortly after launch.

Rock Paper Shotgun reports a cosmetics store is launching to fund future updates, featuring looks inspired by the cinematic Dune universe. The store's initial items will rotate, with plans to eventually offer the full catalog permanently.

Key community-requested features are also arriving. An offline single-player mode is due this November. Starting in January 2027, players can copy characters between multiplayer and single-player modes, and full cross-play will be enabled.