Summary
- Rebel Wolves, founded by former CD Projekt Red developers, unveiled their debut game, The Blood of Dawnwalker, with a cinematic reveal trailer.
- The Blood of Dawnwalker echoes The Witcher with its open-world RPG format, dark fantasy setting, morally gray choices, and an outcast protagonist.
- The game introduces a unique twist with Persona-like time management mechanics.
The Blood of Dawnwalker has finally debuted its eagerly awaited reveal trailer, showcasing a mix of pre-rendered footage and brief glimpses of gameplay. The promotional video highlights the game's similarities to The Witcher, while also incorporating some intriguing elements reminiscent of Persona.
Developed by Rebel Wolves, a Polish studio established by former CD Projekt Red developers who contributed to The Witcher series and Cyberpunk 2077, The Blood of Dawnwalker was first announced as Dawnwalker in January 2024. It was described then as a narrative-driven open-world RPG set in a dark fantasy world with impactful choices.
On January 13, exactly a year after its initial announcement, Rebel Wolves and publisher Bandai Namco hosted a reveal stream. The event concluded with an extended cinematic trailer running over four and a half minutes. This trailer not only introduced the game's setting but also provided a first look at the Dawnwalkers—essentially supercharged vampires within the game's lore. It also introduced the protagonist, Coen, who is transformed into a Dawnwalker at the game's outset.
The Blood of Dawnwalker Reveal Trailer Is Reminiscent of The Witcher
With its dark fantasy backdrop, monstrous creatures, and the premise of an open-world RPG with morally ambiguous choices—accentuated by the tagline "the world needs what it fears"—The Blood of Dawnwalker naturally draws comparisons to The Witcher. Fans of the vampire-centric and decision-heavy Blood and Wine expansion from The Witcher 3 will find the premise of Rebel Wolves' debut game particularly appealing. The game's emphasis on player choice is evident in its morality system, where Coen must decide whether to embrace his Dawnwalker nature to save his family or hold onto his humanity.
The Blood of Dawnwalker Also Takes a Page From Persona's Book
While The Blood of Dawnwalker shares surface-level similarities with The Witcher, it also introduces innovative elements to the open-world RPG genre. Notably, it incorporates Persona-like time management mechanics, where every quest consumes time. "There are multiple approaches to saving Coen’s family with no clear division between main and side quests; you decide on how you spend the time," explained Rebel Wolves co-founder and game director Konrad Tomaszkiewicz. This design choice means players cannot complete every quest and story arc in a single playthrough, fostering replayability and ensuring unique experiences each time. Rebel Wolves terms this approach a "narrative sandbox."
The Blood of Dawnwalker is currently in development for PC and the latest PlayStation and Xbox consoles. It is planned as the first installment in a trilogy, with Bandai Namco as the publisher. Although no specific release date or window has been announced, given the project's start in 2022 and its triple-A budget, a market launch before 2027 seems unlikely. Rebel Wolves has promised a gameplay reveal for summer 2025.
