Dune: Awakening team laid off over Funcom structural crisis
Funcom Pivots Strategy, Trimming the Team to Focus on the Future of Gaming
In a significant strategic shift, developer Funcom is streamlining its focus, pivoting its energy toward two core online projects: the established world of Conan Exiles and the ambitious survival MMO, Dune: Awakening. This change necessitates a reorganization of the studio, bringing with it team adjustments and unfortunately, staff reductions.
The news followed a statement from Funcom CEO Rui Casais, who announced his planned departure from the studio leadership role at the end of 2026, marking the end of an impressive 11-year tenure. In his reflection, Casais framed the decision as necessary for the studio to manage its evolving ambitions effectively.
“Dune: Awakening has been the biggest project we have ever undertaken, requiring many years of significant development resources across our studios,” Casais explained. “Moving from full production into long-term post-launch development and operations requires a different organization.”
This evolution in strategy means Funcom is transitioning from intense, full-scale production into a phase focused on long-term development and operations for its live services. As Casais noted, this new phase demands a different organizational structure, which unfortunately involves making difficult choices regarding staffing.
“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,” he added. Casais emphasized his commitment to ensuring a supportive and transparent process for all affected colleagues.
The move comes amidst an exciting position for Dune: Awakening. Despite the restructuring, the game has already proven its staying power. It has been lauded for its compelling narrative, which many suggest makes it one of the best stories in the survival game genre, and for its slick console release. While acknowledged as a versatile experience, it clearly holds significant creative weight.
This isn’t the first time Funcom has navigated organizational changes. The studio previously announced redundancies in October of last year, where they lost “cherished colleagues” following a similar announcement. Those previous layoffs were accompanied by recognition of the massive potential of projects like Dune: Awakening, which was celebrated as one of the greatest releases in the company’s 32-year history.
Funcom is now setting its sights on sustaining its creative momentum, transitioning its considerable talent toward long-term, engaging content for its players across their evolving universe.
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