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Dune: Awakening Creative Director Says Funcom Won’t Add In-Game Ads Despite Pioneering Them in 2001
Dune: Awakening will not feature in-game advertising despite Funcom having experimented with the business model more than two decades ago. Funcom Chief Creative Officer Joel Bylos discussed the possibility of advertising and the studio’s broader approach to monetization as the survival RPG expands beyond PC. Speaking with GamesIndustry.biz, Bylos explained that Funcom had already explored in-game advertising in Anarchy Online, its 2001 sci-fi MMO. The system allowed real-world companies to purchase advertising space that appeared as futuristic banners within the…
Dune: Awakening Creative Director Reveals Denis Villeneuve Once Thought the Game’s Title Was Too Close to Star Wars
Dune: Awakening nearly faced an unusual naming concern during development, as director Denis Villeneuve reportedly felt the title could be too close to Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Funcom Chief Creative Officer Joel Bylos revealed the detail while discussing the studio’s relationship with Legendary, which oversees the film side of the Dune franchise. Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz in an interview published September 30, Bylos explained that Legendary handled various approvals throughout development. Some decisions could be escalated to higher-level stakeholders, including…
STAR WARS Zero Company Nominated for PC Game of the Year at the Golden Joystick Awards 2026
STAR WARS Zero Company has earned a nomination for PC Game of the Year at the Golden Joystick Awards 2026, putting Bit Reactor’s tactical take on the Star Wars universe among this year’s most recognized PC releases. The game is competing against Big Walk, Crimson Desert, Escape from Tarkov, Esoteric Ebb, MECCHA CHAMELEON, Mewgenics, Order of the Sinking Star, The Blood of Dawnwalker, and Valheim. The nomination comes shortly after the game launched on August 27, 2026. Developed by Bit…
Star Wars Zero Company Sells 1 Million Copies and Generates $50 Million, Despite Its Niche Turn-Based Strategy Genre
Star Wars Zero Company has reached an estimated 1 million copies sold, generating around $50 million in revenue since its August 27 launch. The figures come from Alinea Analytics and highlight the commercial performance of a game built around a relatively niche genre, turn-based tactical strategy, rather than one of Star Wars’ more established action-oriented formats. According to Alinea Analytics’ estimates, Steam accounts for 69.9% of the game’s sales, while PlayStation represents 19.9% and Xbox accounts for 10.2%, including Xbox…
Dune: Awakening Announces ‘Battle for Control of Arrakis’ Twitch Event Where Viewers Can Support Atreides or Harkonnen to Raise Up to $20,000 for Charity: Water
Dune: Awakening is turning its Twitch community into a battle between two of the most recognizable factions in the Dune universe. From September 22 through September 29, participating Twitch streamers will represent either House Atreides or House Harkonnen in the Battle for Control of Arrakis, a week-long community event that combines gameplay challenges, free in-game rewards, and charitable fundraising. The event comes as Dune: Awakening expands to console platforms, with the game officially launching on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series…
Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave Dev Says One Save File Was Chosen to Preserve Players’ Progress Across Four Story Paths
Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave will launch with only one save file, but the developers say the unusual decision is closely tied to the game’s four-protagonist structure. The Switch 2 exclusive allows players to move between four separate story paths, with progress from different playthroughs eventually being brought together rather than treated as isolated campaigns. Why Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave Uses One Save File Speaking in Nintendo’s official Ask the Developer interview, Intelligent Systems director Toshiyuki Kusakihara explained that the game…