Arrakis, the iconic planet from the sci-fi franchise Dune, just got a whole lot more complex.
Dune: Spice Wars launched its first downloadable content (DLC) on March 18. Titled House of Vernius of Ix, it brought with it a new faction into the game - the Ixians. It is currently priced at $12.99.
On top of this, creators from Shiro Games and Funcom also released a free content update called Heroes of Dune. These new, two major updates, in turn, significantly expanded the Dune: Spice Wars lore.
The House of Vernius of Ix and Heroes of Dune allowed players to restrategize and rethink their play style. The new updates not only enabled them to control a new faction and additional playable characters. But these also provided them with more options for strategizing.
The House of Vernius of Ix DLC will introduce players to Earl Rhombur Vernius, the leader of the Ixians. They are known for their mastery of science and technology.
Unlike the previous factions, the Ixians specialize in research and diplomacy, according to a press release from Funcom.
Heroes of Dune, on the other hand, will roll out 14 new playable characters for Dune: Spice Wars. These include familiar names such as Paul Atreides, Duke Leto Atreides, Lady Jessica, and Gurney Halleck.
These Dune heroes can be recruited and deployed as units on the battlefield, Funcom said.
"These new additions promise to elevate the real-time 4X gaming experience to unprecedented levels of excitement and strategy," the studio added.
Dune: Spice Wars is a singleplayer 4X real-time strategy game. The player's goal is to dominate Arrakis - either through militarization or diplomacy.
Developed by Shiro Games, it first came out via Early Access in 2022. The full version launched a year later in September 2023 on PC and Xbox Series X.
This is already the second Dune-related announcement this year since Dune Awakening's new trailer. /###