HomeWorkExpertiseEcosystemContact
Gaming · 2022
Dune: Spice Wars

The first Dune game in two decades — a Steam launch machine. We led Media and Creators, side by side.

GTMLead Media AgencyLead Creator MarketingProgrammatic · Social · YTTwitch & YouTube Creators
ClientPeriodMarketsFuncom / Shiro GamesApr – May 2022EN · DE · FR · PL · ES · PT
Scroll for the story

The first Dune game in nearly 20 years — the spice must flow.

For the Early Access launch of the long-awaited first game set in the Dune universe in almost two decades, Funcom hired us as dual lead — Media on one side, Creator Marketing on the other — running in lockstep around a single Steam page.

On media, we forecast the launch traffic mix, then ran omni-channel awareness at scale across six European markets paired with programmatic placements aimed purely at Steam desktop users — with continuous reads back into the sparse UTM data Steam allows.

On creators, we used the radiance of the Dune brand to pull as many creators as possible into the earned wall — then anchored it with a curated paid Twitch & YouTube layer. From 350 channels in the initial fit, 70 made the final cut (35 paid, 35 earned), featuring names like Lirik, Angry Joe Show, Pietsmiet, Zerator and Bazar du Grenier.

One launch. Two beats. One Steam page.

Approach
Phase 01

Forecast every channel.

An intricate media forecasting pass mapped the traffic mix we needed across mobile and desktop, social, programmatic and creator placements — sized to the Steam page’s expected conversion behaviour rather than vanity reach.

Phase 02

Media: drive Steam, mine the data.

Large-scale awareness on Grand Strategy, RTS and 4X audiences across Facebook, Instagram, reddit and Twitter — plus programmatic via Google DV360 aimed purely at Steam desktop users, with YouTube Discovery carrying the trailers.

Phase 03

Creators: earned-first, paid-anchored.

From 350 fit channels we built a wall of 70 — 35 paid Twitch & YouTube features anchoring 35 earned voices pulled in by the Dune IP itself. Maximum reach inside a fixed budget.

By the numbers

Six weeks. Six markets. #1 on Steam.

128M
Impressions
social & programmatic
1.24M
Clicks to Steam
store page
465K
Trailer views
YouTube Discovery
$0.02
Cost per view
blended CPV
70
Creators activated
35 paid · 35 earned
350
Channels evaluated
in the initial fit
1.69M
VOD views
Twitch & YouTube
104K
Twitch CCV peak
paid feature streams
#1
Steam bestseller
3 days post-launch
6
European markets
EN · DE · FR · PL · ES · PT
2×
Lead agency mandates
Media + Creators in lockstep
20YRS
Since the last
Dune game shipped

Talent we activated.

  1. 01LirikTwitch · EN
  2. 02Angry Joe ShowYouTube · EN
  3. 03Potato McWhiskeyYouTube · EN
  4. 04Lowko TVYouTube · EN
  5. 05PietsmietYouTube · DE
  6. 06DoktorFroidTwitch · DE
  7. 07Bazar du GrenierYouTube · FR
  8. 08ZeratorTwitch · FR
  9. 09Fantabob ShowYouTube · FR
  10. +61Other channels across EN · DE · FRPaid & earned
Arrakis · Sunrise
Number-one bestseller on Steamfor three days following Early Access release.
— Campaign summary
Next caseEnshrouded →