Gcore Enhances LATAM Gaming Experience for Funcom's Dune: Awakening Launch

Gcore Empowers Funcom's Dune: Awaking Launch in Latin America

In an exciting development for gaming enthusiasts, Gcore has partnered with Funcom to facilitate the launch of the highly anticipated game, Dune: Awakening. With a strong focus on enhancing the gaming experience for audiences in Latin America (LATAM), Gcore leverages its advanced infrastructure, comprising Bare Metal Servers, Managed Kubernetes, and DDoS protection, to deliver seamless gameplay and real-time interactions to gamers

During its inaugural weekend, Dune: Awakening soared to unprecedented heights, amassing a peak of 189,000 concurrent players, subsequently becoming the number one top-selling game on Steam. This spectacular achievement reflects the high demand within the LATAM gaming community, a demographic Gcore acknowledges as passionate yet historically underserved when it comes to quality gaming infrastructure.

To meet this challenge, Gcore implemented a dynamic setup that enables Funcom to deploy compute-intensive workloads necessary for real-time gameplay and matchmaking while ensuring resilience against potential Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. This strategic collaboration aimed to provide LATAM players with an exceptional gaming experience comparable to their counterparts in North America and Europe.

Key Services Transforming Gaming in LATAM

Gcore's provision of three crucial services has been instrumental in the game's successful launch:
1. High-Performance Bare Metal Servers: Configured with AMD Ryzen 9 9950x CPUs, these servers offer high single-threaded performance, which is essential for immersive gaming.
2. Managed Kubernetes Clusters: This setup allows for the effective orchestration of scalable multiplayer services utilizing bare metal servers, enhancing the game's functionality.
3. Advanced DDoS Protection: Gcore's integrated DDoS protection noticeably secures vital launch infrastructure, ensuring that only legitimate traffic is allowed to and from the servers, significantly improving performance.

Stian Drageset, CFO and COO at Funcom, expressed excitement regarding the launch, stating, "Thanks to Gcore managed services, our team can focus on game logic and player experience, not orchestration or hardware. The ability to deploy high-frequency bare metal nodes directly in the region has been a game-changer for our South American launch strategy." This feedback underlines the critical role of Gcore in enhancing the gaming landscape in LATAM.

Gcore’s US Territory Manager, Ilya Matveev, stated, “LATAM possesses a huge number of passionate gamers, but the infrastructure hasn't been able to support gaming experiences available elsewhere. However, Gcore is able to deliver high-frequency compute in markets like South America, ensuring that game publishers can tap into this immense potential.” This sentiment reinforces Gcore's commitment to bridging the performance gap for gamers in underrepresented regions.

Infrastructure Designed for Gamers

Gcore's sophisticated LATAM infrastructure is strategically anchored in the region. It utilizes the company’s global backbone and edge Points of Presence to ensure smooth operations for Dune: Awakening. Built to accommodate latency-sensitive workloads, particularly in the realm of online multiplayer gaming, the infrastructure boasts multi-terabit capacity in São Paulo. Additionally, Gcore engages with IX.br, the largest internet exchange in the region, and has secured private peering agreements with major ISPs such as Claro and TIM.

Moreover, Gcore’s Managed Kubernetes framework facilitated dynamic container management across a cluster of powerful bare metal nodes. This capability was crucial in maintaining the game's state, matchmaking, and interactions among players in real-time. It enabled Funcom to adequately handle surges in players during launch day while remaining adaptable as more players joined subsequently.

Long-term Commitment to LATAM and Gaming

To further bolster the gaming experience, Gcore’s DDoS protection precisely filters legitimate traffic, deterring attacks before they can hinder performance. The local handling of this service also eliminates extended traffic rerouting, thereby speeding up and enhancing protective measures at scale.

Gcore also supported Funcom throughout essential pre-launch activities, including a beta testing weekend held in May 2025, where 40,000 concurrent players tested the game's capabilities, further cementing the robust collaboration.

As a glimpse into the future, Gcore plans to showcase its innovative solutions tailored for the gaming sector at the esteemed Gamescom event, scheduled for August 20 to 24, 2025. Attendees can find the Gcore team at booth B033 in Hall 2.2, where they can explore the extraordinary offerings in gaming infrastructure.

For further insights and to explore the complete case study, please visit Gcore's website.

About Gcore

Established in Luxembourg, Gcore is a prestigious global edge AI, cloud, network, and security solutions provider. With over 500 dedicated professionals spread across eight global offices, Gcore prides itself on delivering high-performance IT solutions to industry leaders worldwide. Operating with a robust IT infrastructure across six continents, it boasts exceptional network performance, highlighting its commitment to innovation in cloud computing technologies.

About Funcom

Founded in 1993, Funcom has established itself as a key player in the online gaming arena, developing and publishing a plethora of acclaimed games for PC and consoles. With a legacy that includes iconic titles such as 'Conan Exiles' and 'Dune Spice Wars,' Funcom continues to enrich the gaming community with exciting experiences and is continually seeking to push the envelope in game development.