Dune Awakening: Funcom Layoffs & CEO Exit [Confirmed]

Dune: Awakening developer Funcom has officially confirmed studio-wide layoffs and the upcoming departure of longtime CEO Rui Casais as the company transitions its development structure from peak production into long-term live-service operations for its core survival portfolio. According to verified reports from PC Gamer, Funcom's restructuring scales back headcount across international satellite studios following years of intense pre-launch resource allocation. Outgoing CEO Rui Casais explained that Dune: Awakening represents the most resource-intensive production cycle in the studio's history, requiring an organizational pivot once peak asset development concluded. Funcom will now focus its streamlined staff exclusively on sustaining live-service operations for Dune: Awakening alongside ongoing content drops for Conan Exiles. Casais, who led the studio through its acquisition by Tencent, will step down once the internal restructuring concludes at the end of the year. While studios trimming production teams ahead of open-world launches is increasingly common across survival titles—much like trends explored in our [Enshrouded Fishing Guide: Rod Crafting & Bait [Full Guide]](/news/enshrouded-fishing-guide-rod-bait-locations)—the unexpected executive departure highlights the severe financial pressure facing premium multiplayer survival games striving to secure stable post-launch retention.