Dune: Awakening’s free Blood and Ice expansion launches December 1

Funcom has announced Blood and Ice, a free expansion for Dune: Awakening, launching on 1 December 2026 for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox. The update takes the survival game into the Polar Sink, a frozen region of Arrakis where players will have to manage cold rather than the familiar desert heat. ¹

The expansion adds two connected biomes: the tundra and the ice cap. Players begin in the tundra, where wealthy water-shipper families have built fortified strongholds, before pushing towards the more heavily guarded ice cap. Ice becomes a central resource, while equipment designed for the desert must be upgraded for the colder environment. That means new survival gear, resources, vehicle modules, augments and specialisation traits.

Funcom says the new map offers around 35 hours of progression, with reasons to return for materials after the first run. Harvested ice can cool base equipment and speed up production, while the new region adds another route through the game's crafting, exploration and combat systems. The expansion is free for every player on every platform rather than being tied to a premium edition. ¹

What else is coming

The developer also outlined a short-term roadmap. An offline single-player mode is due in November, ahead of the expansion. Character copying between multiplayer servers, single-player and selected private servers is planned for January 2027, alongside full cross-play. Those features are roadmap promises, not part of the 1 December launch package, so players should not treat them as available today.

A cosmetics store is also planned, with outfits, vehicle variants and base customisation items. Funcom says purchases will be optional and will help support continued free updates. The store is expected to launch with rotating items, including looks recognisable from the Dune films, while a later update will make its full catalogue permanently available.

The expansion will arrive alongside a new Events tab and further live events. Funcom says the Water Crisis event will follow The Scourge, asking players to investigate a shortage and fight over scarce water supplies. The company says these events will bring new stories and free rewards as well as new locations and gameplay systems. ¹

Dune: Awakening is currently available on Steam, PlayStation 5 and Xbox, as well as through Game Pass. The Steam listing confirms that the game is already available rather than an unreleased product, while the Blood and Ice expansion remains scheduled for 1 December. ²

Our opinion

Blood and Ice sounds like a meaningful expansion because it changes the survival problem instead of simply adding another slice of desert. Cold-weather equipment, ice harvesting and the Polar Sink's two-stage geography give the update a clear identity, while the claimed 35 hours of progression suggests more than a brief event zone. The important caveat is timing: offline play, character transfers and full cross-play are separate roadmap commitments. Until those features arrive, the 1 December story is primarily about a new free region and its supporting systems, not a wholesale redesign of how Dune: Awakening is played.