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The Blood of Dawnwalker

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The Blood of Dawnwalker
DeveloperRebel Wolves
PublisherBandai Namco Entertainment
DirectorKonrad Tomaszkiewicz
DesignerDaniel Sadowski
ArtistBartłomiej Gaweł
WriterJakub Szamałek
ComposersNikola Kołodziejczyk
Piotr Musiał
Mikolai Stroinski
EngineUnreal Engine 5
Platforms
ReleaseSeptember 3, 2026
GenreAction role-playing
ModeSingle-player

The Blood of Dawnwalker is an upcoming action role-playing game developed by Rebel Wolves and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. It is set in 14th-century medieval Southeast Europe. The Dark Fantasy Game was announced in January 2025. It is scheduled to release for the PlayStation 5, Windows and Xbox Series X/S on September 3, 2026. Konrad Tomaszkiewicz directed the game, after working on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

Rebel Wolves plans to develop further games set in the same universe but outside the medieval era. Like The Blood of Dawnwalker, each game is intended to feature a self-contained story without cliffhangers, unresolved plot threads, or time travel. The Blood of Dawnwalker is according to the developer nonetheless intended to be the beginning of a Saga.

Gameplay

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The Blood of Dawnwalker is a vampire-themed dark fantasy action role-playing game played from third-person perspective. In the game, the player assumes control of Coen, a Dawnwalker with both human and vampiric qualities.

The player has 30 days and nights to achieve the overarching goal. Only actions that affect the plot, such as pursuing and completing quests, advance the time. Exploring the open world does not progress time. An hourglass indicates to the player how much time a quest or other activity important to the plot will take.[1][2][3][4] Each day and night is divided into eight time segments. Certain quests or story progression consume one or more of these segments. Across the game as a whole, there are more time-consuming quests than available time segments. Leveling up also takes time. However, alongside exploration, there are optional side quests that generally do not consume time.[5][6] There are often multiple ways to complete a quest. Decisions that influence the course of the plot include, for example, which quests the player accepts and the manner in which quests are completed. The time of day - and night - often has a significant influence on how a quest is resolved. As a human during daytime, Coen has more opportunities to interact with other non-playable characters and identify non-violent ways to resolve a conflict.[7] For instance, during the day, Coen can use witch magic to make contact with the afterlife. He can question those who have recently died and thereby gather clues. However, since this magic requires runes to be carved into the skin—and the vampiric nature of Coen’s being causes the scars to heal—this ability cannot be used at night.[8]

The game takes about 50 to 70 hours to beat.[9] It can be played at four difficulty levels.[6]

During day time, combat focuses on swordplay. The game features directional blocking, in which players must select one of four directions to attack or parry. As they deal damage, they will earn activation charges, which can be used to deploy Hex magic, or perform an execution move, both of which deal devastating damage to enemies.[10] At night, Coen is able to make use of vampiric abilities in both combat and traversal. He can walk vertically on walls, and uses Shadowstep, which allows him to teleport a limited distance to reach otherwise unreachable areas. As a vampire, he fights using his claws, and he can bite his enemies for health regeneration. As players progress, they will gain skill points which can be used to unlock additional active abilities and passive bonuses across three distinct skill trees.[11][8]

As a vampire during night time, Coen must avoid being detected by both guards and civilians using stealth tactics while approaching his target.[1] Furthermore, in order to satisfy his bloodlust, he must feed on animals or humans at night. If the player does not ensure that Coen's bloodlust is satisfied, Coen will be overwhelmed by it and will independently look for the nearest human or animal victim to execute, which will lead to their death. Victims of Bloodthirst can also be quest givers and traders.[8][12]

Wayside shrines serve both as fast-travel points and as locations for improving skills/leveling up. Additionally, they allow you to transfer items from your inventory to a central storage chest.[13]

Setting and opening plot

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The game is set in a gothic, fictional 14th-century kingdom called "Vale Sangora", located in the Carpathian Mountains.[14]

The plague is ravaging the kingdom. In an attempt to eradicate the disease, the king issues a decree ordering the execution of everyone afflicted by the infection. However, Brencis—an ancient, sinister vampire—seizes control of the Vale Sangora alongside his vampiric followers. He absolves the human citizens of all existing taxes and obligations, promising them a taste of the undead's healing blood. In return, however, he levies a "blood tax," demanding "a few drops of blood" from every adult during the monthly gathering. Yet, during this ritual, the weak and infirm are typically put to death.[15][6] This oppressive regime has led to widespread discontent among the inhabitants, who are forced into servitude under the vampire lords.[16]

Among the inhabitants is a young man named Coen who, along with his father and siblings, fears for his mother's life, as she suffers from an unknown neurological disorder. An attempt by Brencis and his followers to turn Coen into one of their own—thereby making him a willing henchman—failed. Instead, he became a "Dawnwalker" (or *Dämmerblut* in German): half-human, half-vampire. However, Brencis and his subordinate vampires do not realize this; instead, they believe Coen died during the transformation process.[15][6] Meanwhile, Brencis abducts Coen’s family and takes them to his castle. There, they are to serve as sacrifices at the ceremony marking Brencis’s upcoming investiture as Prince, scheduled for a month from now. Coen thus has 30 days and nights to save his family.[17]

Development

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Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, a director of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015) and head of production for Cyberpunk 2077 (2020), left his position at CD Projekt in May 2021 following an internal investigation into workplace bullying allegations that found him not guilty.[18] Afterward, he took an extended break to consider his next steps. Having spent 17 years at the company, Tomaszkiewicz wanted to shift to smaller projects with a smaller team, hoping to avoid the challenges he faced while working on large-scale games at CD Projekt with over 500 employees.[19][20]

In February 2022, it was announced that Tomaszkiewicz had founded a new studio, Rebel Wolves, which was working on its first game.[21] The development team includes Tomaszkiewicz's brother and creative director, Mateusz,[19][22] as well as design director Daniel Sadowski, narrative director Jakub Szamalek, and art director Bartłomiej Gaweł, all of whom previously worked on The Witcher series and Cyberpunk 2077.[21] By May 2024, Rebel Wolves had expanded from around 20 to 90 team members.[19] As of April 2026, Rebel Wolves had 160 employees (including administration).[23]

The studio envisions the game as the first installment in an eponymous series, describing it as a dark fantasy "narrative sandbox" featuring non-linear quests set in medieval Europe.[19][24] The game is being developed using Unreal Engine 5.[21]

In the summer of 2026, a trailer was released featuring the protagonist of The Blood of Dawnwalker in a modern-day setting. Rebel Wolves commented that they are planning further games set in the same universe but in eras other than the Middle Ages. However, each game is intended to feature a self-contained story, free of cliffhangers, unresolved plot threads, and without time travel. The Blood of Dawnwalker is according to the developer nonetheless intended to be the beginning of a Saga.[25]

Release and Versions

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The first trailer for the game was released on January 14, 2025.[26] The Blood of Dawnwalker is scheduled to release for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on September 3, 2026.[27] Various retail versions of the game are offered; In addition to the standard edition (which only contains the game), there is a so-called Eclipse Edition (which also contains the game's soundtrack and a digital comic book) and a limited collector's edition (which contains all of the additional content of the Eclipse Edition in physical form as well as a world map of the game and a decorative figure).[28][29] In addition, there will be two different PC versions/builds—due to varying age ratings in different regions.[30]

References

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  1. 1 2 Fillari, Alessandro (30 August 2025). "The Blood of Dawnwalker Offers 2 Very Different RPG Playstyles". IGN. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  2. ↑ "Ein Blick in die Story-Sandbox und das Gameplay von "The Blood of Dawnwalker"". Der deutschsprachige PlayStation Blog (in German). 20 August 2025. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
  3. ↑ "The Blood of Dawnwalker: "Es gibt keine Main-Quest" - sagt The Witcher 3-Director". PC GAMES (in German). 25 November 2025. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
  4. ↑ Elsner, Philipp (22 June 2025). "20 Minuten in Blood of Dawnwalker: Stimmung wie The Witcher, Kämpfe wie Kingdom Come und Elemente eines Zelda-Klassikers". GameStar (in German). Retrieved 19 December 2025.
  5. ↑ Menk, Gerrit (7 July 2026). "The Blood of Dawnwalker: Darum bietet das Action-Rollenspiel viel mehr als The Witcher-Feeling". 4P.de (in German). Retrieved 8 July 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Fritsch, von Manuel (7 July 2026). "The Blood of Dawnwalker angespielt: Unterwegs als Teilzeit-Vampir". IGN Deutschland (in German). Retrieved 8 July 2026.
  7. ↑ Fillari, Alessandro (20 August 2025). "The Blood of Dawnwalker Offers 2 Very Different RPG Playstyles". IGN. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
  8. 1 2 3 Menk, Gerrit (7 July 2026). "The Blood of Dawnwalker: Darum bietet das Action-Rollenspiel viel mehr als The Witcher-Feeling - Page 3". 4P.de (in German). Retrieved 8 July 2026.
  9. ↑ Caballero, David (28 April 2026). "Rebel Wolves enthülle The Blood of Dawnwalker s geschätzte Spielzeit". Gamereactor Deutschland (in German). Retrieved 29 April 2026.
  10. ↑ Sinha, Ravi (22 June 2025). "The Blood of Dawnwalker Features Kingdom Come: Deliverance-Style Combat, Boss Fight Revealed". GamingBolt. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  11. ↑ LeBlanc, Wesley (21 August 2025). "The Blood Of Dawnwalker Is More Than The Witcher With Vampires". Game Informer. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  12. ↑ "The Blood of Dawnwalker gespielt: Das Vampir-RPG könnte das nächste große Ding werden". PC GAMES (in German). 7 July 2026. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
  13. ↑ "The Blood of Dawnwalker gespielt: Entscheidungen und Konsequenzen gehen ins Detail". PC GAMES (in German). 7 July 2026. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
  14. ↑ Trilles, Calvin (14 January 2025). "Medieval Europe falls under vampire rule in Blood of the Dawnwalker RPG — everything we know so far". ONE Esports.
  15. 1 2 Menk, Gerrit (7 July 2026). "The Blood of Dawnwalker: Darum bietet das Action-Rollenspiel viel mehr als The Witcher-Feeling". 4P.de (in German). Retrieved 8 July 2026.
  16. ↑ Henderson, Luke (14 January 2025). "The Blood of Dawnwalker has been revealed". Maxi-Geek.
  17. ↑ "The Blood of Dawnwalker gespielt: Das Vampir-RPG könnte das nächste große Ding werden". PC GAMES (in German). 7 July 2026. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
  18. ↑ Bankhurst, Adam (4 May 2021). "Witcher 3 Director Leaves CD Projekt Following Workplace Bullying Claims". IGN. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
  19. 1 2 3 4 Schreier, Jason (3 May 2024). "Former CD Projekt Developers Take Lessons From 'Cyberpunk' Debacle". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 10 July 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  20. ↑ Hopley, Alex (19 April 2026). "The Blood of Dawnwalker Regisseur ist sehr zuversichtlich, was das kommende RPG angeht: "Ich bin überrascht, dass wir bisher keine großen Probleme hatten"". Gamereactor Deutschland (in German). Retrieved 28 April 2026.
  21. 1 2 3 Kim, Matt (17 February 2022). "Rebel Wolves, New Game Studio From The Witcher 3 Director, Is Creating a Dark Fantasy RPG In Unreal Engine 5". IGN. Archived from the original on 3 August 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  22. ↑ Dean, Ian (31 January 2024). "Dawnwalker's creative director offers a glimpse of the future: 'more AI'". Creative Bloq. Archived from the original on 31 January 2024. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  23. ↑ "Witcher 3-Director lobt Crimson Desert und sagt, das Action Adventure mache etwas, das er mit seinem neuen Spiel auch erreichen will". GamePro (in German). 17 April 2026. Retrieved 28 April 2026.
  24. ↑ Romano, Sal (21 October 2024). "Dark fantasy action RPG Dawnwalker to be published by Bandai Namco for PS5, Xbox Series, and PC". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 13 November 2024. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  25. ↑ Sauer, Tom (6 June 2026). "The Blood of Dawnwalker: Überraschender Trailer enthüllt gigantische Vampir-Saga bis in die Moderne". PLAY3.DE - PS6, PS5 News, PSVR2 - Tests, Videos (in German). Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  26. ↑ Gonzalez, Christina (14 January 2025). "Dark Fantasy 'Narrative Sandbox' The Blood of Dawnwalker Gets In-Engine Cinematic Trailer and First Details". MMORPG.
  27. ↑ Manchester, Austin (28 April 2026). "The new vampire RPG from ex-Witcher developers finally has a confirmed release date". Polygon. Retrieved 28 April 2026.
  28. ↑ ""The Blood of Dawnwalker" Collectors Edition & Standard Varianten ab September 2026" (in German). 28 April 2026. Retrieved 29 April 2026.
  29. ↑ Heick, Christoph (28 April 2026). "The Blood of Dawnwalker kann ab heute vorbestellt werden! - Cerealkillerz". Cerealkillerz - We love Cereals and Video Games. Retrieved 29 April 2026.
  30. ↑ Kundu, Kishalaya (14 July 2026). "The Blood of Dawnwalker director says delayed next-gen consoles could benefit smaller studios". TechSpot. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
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