Dune: Awakening team faces layoffs as Funcom boss says it can't sustain its "size and structure"
Dune: Awakening developer Funcom is pivoting to focus on its two ongoing online projects, Conan Exiles and the more recent survival MMO based on Frank Herbert's universe – a pivot that means reshuffling the team and, unfortunately, layoffs. The news comes from https://www.gamesindustry.biz/funcom-to-lay-off-staff-as-it-pivots-to-focusing-solely-on-conan-exiles-and-dune-awakening alongside a direct statement from Funcom CEO Rui Casais, who says he's stepping down at the end of 2026 after 11 years as studio lead. Chief product officer Scott Junior will step into his role – but that's not the only change in the books for the team. "Dune: Awakening has been the biggest project we have ever undertaken, requiring many years of significant development resources across our studios," Casais says. "Moving from full production into long-term post-launch development and operations requires a different organization." In other words, layoffs. "While we would have wanted everyone who helped build Dune: Awakening to continue with us, we cannot sustain the size and structure required during peak development as we move into this next phase." As for how much of the team these layoffs will affect… Well, that remains uncertain. Casais concludes, "My focus now is ensuring the process is as supportive as possible for everyone affected, and to treat our colleagues with the respect and transparency they deserve." It's undeniably difficult news to take in, especially when considering how Dune: Awakening just saw the arrival of its single-player mode and console release – it's not a "dead" or dying game by any means, but I suppose that's not enough. It's not the first round of layoffs Funcom developers have faced, either. Last October, the team lost "cherished colleagues" following a similar statement to GamesIndustry.biz. Those previous redundancies also accompanied words on how Dune: Awakening "has already shown incredible potential" and was "the biggest release we've had in our 32-year long history of making great games." Dune: Awakening boss reveals movie director Denis Villeneuve once feared the survival game's name "could be a little too close to Star Wars" [/url]
Dune: Awakening developer Funcom is pivoting to focus on its two ongoing online projects, Conan Exiles and the more recent survival MMO based on Frank Herbert's universe – a pivot that means reshuffling the team and, unfortunately, layoffs.The news comes from https://www.gamesindustry.biz/funcom-to-lay-off-staff-as-it-pivots-to-focusing-solely-on-conan-exiles-and-dune-awakening alongside a direct statement from Funcom CEO Rui Casais, who says he's stepping down at the end of 2026 after 11 years as studio lead. Chief product officer Scott Junior will step into his role – but that's not the only change in the books for the team.
"Dune: Awakening has been the biggest project we have ever undertaken, requiring many years of significant development resources across our studios," Casais says. "Moving from full production into long-term post-launch development and operations requires a different organization."
In other words, layoffs.
"While we would have wanted everyone who helped build Dune: Awakening to continue with us, we cannot sustain the size and structure required during peak development as we move into this next phase."
As for how much of the team these layoffs will affect… Well, that remains uncertain.
Casais concludes, "My focus now is ensuring the process is as supportive as possible for everyone affected, and to treat our colleagues with the respect and transparency they deserve."
It's undeniably difficult news to take in, especially when considering how Dune: Awakening just saw the arrival of its single-player mode and console release – it's not a "dead" or dying game by any means, but I suppose that's not enough.
It's not the first round of layoffs Funcom developers have faced, either. Last October, the team lost "cherished colleagues" following a similar statement to GamesIndustry.biz.
Those previous redundancies also accompanied words on how Dune: Awakening "has already shown incredible potential" and was "the biggest release we've had in our 32-year long history of making great games."
Dune: Awakening boss reveals movie director Denis Villeneuve once feared the survival game's name "could be a little too close to Star Wars"
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