A major and deadly faction prepares to enter the world of Dune: Spice Wars for players to join or face in combat.
Funcom and Shiro Games announced the addition of the Imperial House Corrino to the game, bringing the total of potential factions to five. It marks the second of four major updates planned between its Early Access release in April 2022 and its full launch. Shaddam IV, the Padishah Emperor, leads the Imperial House Corrino, gaining a steady spice tax but with the added necessity to pay the Spacing Guild's fees to maintain affordable interstellar travel. Members of the faction include Princess Irulan and Wensicia Corrino, Shaddam IV's daughters, Captain Aramsham, a Sardaukar officer, and Hasimir Fenring, the Emperor's closest friend and an assassin.
This follows Funcom's promised multiplayer function for the game, which came out in June. It marked the first significant update to the game, allowing players to battle against one another in 2 v 2 fights, in massive brawls with up to four players or against an AI. Factions announced at that time included the Atreides, Harkonnen, Fremen and Smugglers.
Why a Dune Strategy Game?
Developer Shiro Games announced Dune: Spice Wars in December 2021. Its CEO, Sebastien Vidal, described the team behind it as "massive" fans of the book series and the recent Denis Villeneuve film. "I think I speak for every single person at Shiro Games, when I say that we are all massive fans of Dune," he said. "To be able to bring this universe to life as a strategy game again is incredible."
Vidal also detailed the reasons behind creating a Dune strategy game, including the universe's complexities. "The Dune universe is the perfect setting for a strategy game," he explained. "You have major factions, such as House Atreides and House Harkonnen, with a rivalry that spans back centuries. You have political intrigue, deception, and warfare, all centered around what is by far the most valuable substance in the universe: Spice."
Dune: Spice Wars isn't the only game based on the book series from Funcom. It announced Dune: Awakening during its presentation at Gamescom in August 2022, touting it as an open-world survival MMO. Funcom previously released concept art for Dune: Awakening, showcasing the distinctive desert of the iconic books. It reportedly acts as the first part of a planned trilogy from Funcom.
Dune: Spice Wars is available now on PC.
Sources: Funcom, YouTube