Publisher / developer Funcom, Legendary Entertainment, and Herbert Properties have announced a licensing agreement to adapt Frank Herbert’s legendary Dune franchise into video games.

The six-year, multi-game license will span “at least three” different game releases, one of which they’re describing as an “open world multiplayer” title. The games (which are coming to PC and consoles) are set to release alongside the upcoming Dune theatrical film reboot, which Denis Villeneuve is directing.

“Funcom has a strong history of working with beloved sci-fi/fantasy intellectual properties including our bestsellers Age of Conan and Conan Exiles,” said Funcom CEO, Rui Casais. “So many of us at Funcom, myself included, are huge fans of Frank Herbert’s work and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to collaborate with Legendary to bring the iconic DUNE universe to life for gamers all over the globe.”

While production on the film reboot is already underway, Funcom won’t begin development on the first game until sometime later this year, in their Oslo studio. Hopefully they’ll buck the style Villeneuve is going for with the film and make the H.R. Giger-styled Dune adaptation that never happened (pictured), but I digress.

Funcom also reported 2018 was a very good year for the company, financially. Their latest release under a new investment from Swedbank Robur, the tactical RPG Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden, sold very well and their revenue were up to 166% quarter over quarter. In total, 2018 was the “most profitable year in Funcom history.”

Funcom’s latest title is the highly-promising Conan Unconquered, an RTS / city-builder mash up set for a Q2 release this year on Windows PC.