Ready to become the Dawnwalker? Rebel Wolves held its “Road to Launch ” event stream for The Blood Of The Dawnwalker, showcasing the open-world gameplay, narrative features, and more.
The Blood Of The Dawnwalker, first revealed in early 2025, is the first game from development studio Rebel Wolves, a group formed from ex-CD Projekt Red employees, including members who worked on The Witcher series and Cyberpunk 2077.
The game is set in the fictional gothic world of “Vale Sangora,” a medieval kingdom in the Carpathian Mountains of Eastern Europe, and is brimming with rich cultural history. Writer Piotr Kucharski said the team focused a lot on “creating a world that is both unique and characteristic but also feels like it could exist just beside you.”
Players take on the role of Coen, a farmer who gains the power of a Dawnwalker after his village is destroyed and his family taken by Brencis, a bloodthirsty lord trying to gain further dark power by sacrificing Coen’s family. To be a Dawnwalker is to become a vampire by night, but Coen also gains occult magic abilities to use during the day.
One of the core gameplay elements involves utilizing Coen’s three separate skill trees: Witchcraft, Swordmastery, and Vampirism. Swordmastery is used at all times to fend off all manner of foes along Coen’s journey, but his more mystical abilities unlock during the night and day.
Combat has plenty of options to keep it dynamic, with basic skills like Charge to rush down enemies and Broad Swing to fell their hordes, and special skills like Burning Blood to stagger foes and apply a burning effect, or Voracious Bite to leap from the shadows and drain the blood of an unsuspecting soldier.
The time cycle is also a neat feature, being treated more as a resource than a ticking clock. The main quest has Coen building his strength to free his family after 30 days, but the player’s approach to time progression is totally up to them. An action that takes time will always be listed in its description, with no hidden timers to worry about, allowing you to explore Vale Sangora at your own pace.
Every day also gives way to an “edict,” an announcement from Brencis’ regime that applies certain effects to the world. As you interfere with Brencis’ army and plans, Coen will gain infamy, which affects how severe these edict modifiers can be. There are many other immersive interactions with the world, such as the death of a blacksmith closing Coen’s use of that forge.
Players can also engage in interactions with other notable NPCs like the mystical healer Anca, the mysteriously powerful Lacra, and the rebellion leader Marat. There are plenty of options the player can take in Coen’s relationships with these characters, such as alliances, betrayals, and romances.
There are a few editions to pre-order for The Blood Of The Dawnwalker. Every pre-order comes with the Sangoran Wayfarer’s Armour Set as a bonus, offering an early unlock for an armour set to kickstart Coen’s journey, which can also be unlocked later for players who miss out on the bonus. Each edition includes:
- Day 1 Edition – A physical copy of the game in a SteelBook
- Standard Edition – A digital copy of the base game
- Eclipse Edition – A digital copy of the base game, along with extra digital content including a World Compendium, Game Soundtrack, and Comic Book
- Collector’s Edition – A physical copy of the game which includes the extra digital content of the Eclipse Edition, along with a Collector Box containing a standard game case, SteelBook, physical World Compendium and World Map, and a Coen Figurine
Launching on September 3, 2026, The Blood Of The Dawnwalker is available for pre-order from the Bandai Namco store for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam. For more information, check out Rebel Wolves’ website.
