Dune 2's Licensing Maze Blocks GOG Re-Release of the RTS Classic

GOG has explained that Dune 2: The Building of a Dynasty, a foundational real-time strategy game from 1992, is unlikely to receive an official re-release due to complex licensing issues involving at least four different rights holders. Electronic Arts owns the game code and assets, but not the Dune IP itself. The game was based on the 1984 movie, not the books, meaning rights are split between Universal Pictures and the estate of producer Dino De Laurentiis, who died in 2006. Additionally, Legendary Pictures holds IP rights for the new Dune films and has an exclusivity deal with Funcom for the upcoming game Dune Awakening, whose impact on re-releasing classics like Dune 2000 remains unclear. GOG's Marcin Paczynski calls Dune 2 a personal "holy grail" for preservation, noting that fan projects often remain the only viable way to play such classics.