Safeguarding Survival on Arrakis in Dune: Awakening
The Challenge: A Sandstorm of Security and Performance Needs
In the epic world of Dune: Awakening, players are dropped into the vast, unforgiving deserts of Arrakis. This Open World Survival RPG is all about player choice – building a home, crafting gear, and surviving the constant threat of sandworms. For Funcom and Tencent, creating such a massive, persistent multiplayer world presented a unique set of challenges ahead of launch.
The sheer scale of Arrakis meant that the game’s online and gameplay services had to be flawless. A single vulnerability could compromise a player’s progress or the entire server’s integrity. Just as critical, the infrastructure needed to handle the immense player count of a live service game without breaking a sweat. They needed a partner who could ensure that every aspect of the game, from navigating the world to crafting an ornithopter, was not only secure but also stable under any amount of player load.
The Cyrex Solution: A Six-Month Journey of Rigorous Testing
We partnered with Funcom and Tencent for an almost six-month collaboration, dedicating ourselves to making Dune: Awakening a secure and scalable experience. Our team worked across both penetration testing and load testing, applying our expertise to every layer of the game’s infrastructure, including its core Online Services and Multiplayer Gameplay built on Unreal Engine.
Our in depth penetration testing simulated real world attacks to find and fix any vulnerabilities before they could be exploited. At the same time, our load testing pushed the game’s systems to their breaking point, simulating immense player traffic to identify any performance bottlenecks. This comprehensive approach ensured that the game was ready for everything from the most sophisticated hacking attempts to the sheer force of a global player base at launch.
The Outcome: The Foundation for a Successful Awakening
Our close partnership and rigorous testing played a key role in the successful launch of Dune: Awakening. Our work helped Funcom achieve a level of security and performance that laid a strong foundation for the game’s future. The results were so positive that our team was even featured in the credits of the game, a testament to the trust and value we built together.
Upon completion, we received this wonderful feedback from Funcom:
“Cyrex supported us with load testing and penetration testing as we prepared to launch Dune: Awakening. Their expertise was crucial in identifying and resolving security vulnerabilities and performance issues. They were highly responsive and easy to work with throughout the process. We’re looking forward to working with them again on future games.”
This partnership gave Funcom the crucial insight and confidence needed to ensure their game was secure and stable from day one. By proactively identifying and resolving issues, we helped ensure that every player’s journey through Arrakis would be a truly immersive and uninterrupted experience.