Leaked concept art from an unannounced game set in the Dune universe has surfaced on the internet. It is set to be an open world multiplayer survival game, and is developed by Funcom in collaboration with Abstraction Games.
The leaked concept art from the unannounced Dune game belongs to Captain Iakin Nefud Harkonnen. Conceptual 3D model and face renders of the character can be seen on ArtStation.
According to the 3D character artist, Rui Pereira, the project is inspired mainly by the first movie directed by David Lynch. They introduced some newer elements to give the character a more modern vibe. They mentioned that they referenced all kinds of photos from the original film, including concepts from artists who worked on it. They were ultimately trying to get a feel for Harkonnens and ended up with this 3D concept. Pereira’s portrayed Iakin Nefud as someone who encapsulates Harkonnens soul, making him decadent and hardened by battles against Arrakis natives. Another artist, André Pires, was invited by Pereira to work on the early hair R&D for the project, including the curly decayed hair, brows, and lashes seen on the character model.
Frank Herbert’s work of fiction and the 2021 Oscar-winning movie adaptation have inspired many to contribute to the Dune universe, and Funcom is no exception. According to the studio, it is the perfect setting for a multiplayer open world survival game. Since the 1990s, Funcom has refined its craft by producing games like Conan Exiles that have brought it success. Sine then, the studio has been hiring fresh talent to add to what it terms as its most ambitious project to date i.e. the unannounced Dune game set on planet Arrakis. In order to take on the task, Funcom now boasts a team of skilled developers from over 30 different countries.
As of writing, there’s no word on when this unannounced project set in the Dune universe will officially be revealed.
