By Amir Fathi
Rebel Wolves Studio and Bandai Namco unveiled The Blood of Dawnwalker. This Polish studio, comprised of veteran developers from CD Projekt Red, shared extensive details about the lore and setting of the Dawnwalker universe. Here, we delve into what they revealed.
Before diving into The Blood of Dawnwalker, let’s take a look at its development team. Rebel Wolves Studio was founded in January 2022 in Poland’s capital by Konrad Tomaszkiewicz. Tomaszkiewicz began his career in the gaming industry in 2004 with The Witcher. At that time, the CD Projekt Red team had little experience in game development. Initially hired as a tester, Tomaszkiewicz soon joined the design team.
He played a key role in the development of The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, serving as a senior gameplay and quest designer. Following the success of The Witcher 2, he ascended to a leadership position, becoming the game director for The Witcher 3, its expansion packs, and Cyberpunk 2077.
After the unsuccessful launch of Cyberpunk 2077, Tomaszkiewicz, along with many other team members, left CD Projekt Red. Following several months of silence, he introduced Rebel Wolves to the world with some of his former colleagues. The primary goal of the studio was to create a supportive environment for all employees, enabling them to develop games with complete creative freedom and satisfaction.
Among other notable individuals at Rebel Wolves are Przemysław Wójcik, who served as Head of Quality Assurance for The Witcher 2 and The Witcher 3, as well as Executive Producer for Cyberpunk 2077 and Thronebreaker. He now works as the Executive Producer for the studio. Additionally, Jakub Szamałek, one of the writers for The Witcher 3, Cyberpunk 2077, and Thronebreaker, is the narrative director and lead writer for The Blood of Dawnwalker. For more details about Rebel Wolves’ 120-member team, you can visit the studio’s official website.
According to Tomaszkiewicz, he founded Rebel Wolves because he believes the open-world action RPG genre still has room for innovation and fresh ideas. To achieve these goals, developers require independence and artistic freedom.
Reveal Trailer
A Europe Ruled by Vampires
In the 14th century, Europe was in the midst of a dark period. Following the outbreak of the Black Plague in 1347, combined with numerous wars and the economic turmoil of the era, death and famine reached unprecedented levels. It is estimated that nearly half of Europe’s population perished due to the plague.
In the world of Dawnwalker, however, the situation unfolds a little differently. Vampires, who had spent centuries hidden in darkness, seized the opportunity amidst the chaos. At the command of their leader, Brencis, they emerged from the shadows, overthrew feudal lords, and claimed their castles.
Choosing between vampire rule or feudal lords is not a black-and-white decision. During the plague, European soldiers sometimes massacred entire villages to prevent the spread of disease. By contrast, as seen in the cinematic trailer, vampires aided Coen and his sister. Under vampire rule, however, people pay their taxes with their blood.
To establish his reign over the superstitious people of 14th-century Europe, Brencis manipulated religious texts, presenting himself as a divine being. He then imposed his own laws. According to these new traditions, all citizens are required to gather weekly at their town or village church to offer their blood to the vampire lords. Punishments are also paid in blood—thieves and murderers are no longer hanged but executed by vampire fangs.
From the vampires’ perspective, humans are no different from cattle. They care for them and prevent disease, all to ensure a steady supply of blood.
The final decision about whether to side with the vampires or the feudal lords rests in the hands of Coen and the players. Are you willing to trade your freedom and humanity for health and safety under vampire rule?
Coen and the Dawnwalker
According to the game’s narrative director, Coen stands apart from other action game protagonists due to his inexperience. Unlike Geralt, he doesn’t deliver sharp one-liners and instead has a more emotional perspective on the world around him.
After the vampire uprising, Coen’s family, along with many others, is taken captive. Determined to rescue them, Coen embarks on his journey. Due to working in mines and prolonged exposure to silver, Coen is immune to becoming a vampire. However, after meeting Brencis, he transforms into a Dawnwalker.
The Rebel Wolves studio describes the Dawnwalkers as complex, multilayered beings. Simply put, Dawnwalkers exist somewhere between humans and vampires. During the day, they behave like humans, but at night, they exhibit vampire-like tendencies. For Coen, this transformation is both a blessing and a curse. While he is no longer hunted by vampires, he now shares their dependence on blood.
In The Blood of Dawnwalker, a system called “Blood Hunger” governs the need to drink blood. The longer Coen delays satisfying this need, the more he loses control, potentially turning against his friends and companions. This mechanic has a significant impact on Coen’s relationships with other characters and the game’s missions.
Throughout the game, Coen infiltrates the vampires’ power structures and gets closer to Brencis’s allies in an effort to save his family. However, time is not on his side. Every action in The Blood of Dawnwalker reduces the window of opportunity for Coen to rescue his family. He only has 30 days and 30 nights to accomplish his mission.
Day and Night
The day-night cycle plays a crucial role in the story and gameplay of The Blood of Dawnwalker. At night, Quen gains his vampire abilities, which he uses in various gameplay aspects and combat. However, during the day, he is limited to his sword, and even the weakest soldiers can defeat him.
The day-night cycle impacts more than just combat. Quen’s missions and interactions with characters and the game world become far more complex at night than during the day. Exploring at night brings unique encounters, and overall, the world of Dawnwalker behaves differently from how Quen experiences it. Some vampires and monsters appear only during the night or day, meaning players must interact appropriately with the world based on the time of day to progress through the game.
Fans of Fallout 2, rise up!
According to the narrative director of The Blood of Dawnwalker, classic cRPG titles like Fallout 2 (released in 1998) were major sources of inspiration for the game. The developers highly valued the freedom these classic games offered and have made that freedom a key goal in the design of the Dawnwalker series. The Blood of Dawnwalker aims to be a narrative sandbox, giving players complete freedom in decision-making and story shaping. In this title, there are no clear main or side quests—every mission can play an important role in shaping the characters’ destinies.
Mr. Tomaszkiewicz elaborated on the narrative director’s comments, stating that The Blood of Dawnwalker will inherit the legacy of classic cRPGs and, by combining their freedom with modern industry standards, aims to deliver a truly immersive role-playing experience.
Release Information
The Blood of Dawnwalker will enter its third year of development this year, and according to Rebel Wolves Studio, last night’s reveal was just the beginning. Various gameplay mechanics will be unveiled in the summer of 2025, and in the coming months, fans can expect more reveals from the development team. The next issue of PC Gamer magazine will also feature The Blood of Dawnwalker.
As for the release date, there is no official information yet. The studio’s marketing manager mentioned that the team is not ready to announce the exact release timeline. However, it was previously stated that the game is planned for release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
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