In Dune: Awakening, you won’t have the power to summon sandworms whenever you want. The game’s developer, Funcom, made it clear that these massive creatures will act on their own, and players won’t get to control them like trained animals. So, if you were hoping to call a sandworm like a horse in some other games, forget it.

Joel Bylos, the creative director, explained that sandworms in Dune: Awakening are completely independent. They move through the world, reacting to what’s happening around them. If you make too much noise or create vibrations, you’ll attract their attention, but that doesn’t mean you can boss them around. They will follow their own instincts, and if you get in their way, you’ll regret it.

That doesn’t mean sandworms are just random obstacles. The game uses them to shape how players explore and survive. Traveling the desert means figuring out how to avoid these giant creatures or use their behavior to your advantage. If you understand how they move and what triggers them, you might just survive a little longer. But if you think you can master them, you’re in for a nasty surprise.

Bylos compared Dune: Awakening to Dune 2, the old-school strategy game where sandworms could swallow entire vehicles. He said they wanted to bring that same level of danger to the game, making sandworms a force you have to respect. You’ll need to be careful about when and where you travel, or you might end up as worm food.

One thing that stands out is that sandworms aren’t just a background threat. They’re part of the world’s ecosystem, and their presence changes how the game works. You won’t be the only one dealing with them—other players will have to adapt too. That means strategies will evolve based on how sandworms behave, making the world feel alive.

Funcom has been working hard to make Dune: Awakening feel like a true Dune experience. They’ve taken inspiration from Frank Herbert’s books, which describe sandworms as powerful and untamable. Instead of watering that down, the game leans into it. You’re not the master of the desert—the sandworms are.