Summary

• Former CDPR devs at Rebel Wolves 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 Persona-like time management features.

The Blood of Dawnwalker debuted its much-anticipated reveal trailer, blending mostly pre-rendered footage with brief gameplay glimpses. The promotional video highlights the game's similarities to The Witcher, while also showcasing unique Persona-inspired elements.

Developed by Rebel Wolves, a Polish studio founded by former CD Projekt Red developers who contributed to The Witcher series and Cyberpunk 2077, The Blood of Dawnwalker was initially announced as Dawnwalker in January 2024. It was described as a narrative-driven open-world RPG set in a dark fantasy world with significant player choices.

Exactly a year later, on January 13, Rebel Wolves and publisher Bandai Namco hosted a reveal stream, culminating in a cinematic trailer over four and a half minutes long. This trailer sets the stage for the game's universe and introduces the Dawnwalkers, described as enhanced vampires within the game's lore. It also unveils Coen, the protagonist who transforms 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 open-world RPG elements featuring morally gray choices, The Blood of Dawnwalker strongly evokes The Witcher. The game's tagline, "the world needs what it fears," further cements this connection. Fans of The Witcher 3's Blood and Wine expansion, with its vampires and tough decisions, will likely find The Blood of Dawnwalker intriguing. The game includes a morality system where Coen must choose between embracing his Dawnwalker nature to save his family or holding onto his humanity.

The Blood of Dawnwalker Also Takes a Page From Persona's Book

While The Blood of Dawnwalker shares surface similarities with The Witcher, it introduces innovative twists to the open-world RPG genre. A standout feature is the Persona-like time management system, 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," explains Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, co-founder and game director at Rebel Wolves. This design ensures that not all quests and story arcs can be completed in a single playthrough, promoting replayability and unique experiences. Rebel Wolves calls this a "narrative sandbox."

The Blood of Dawnwalker is currently in development for PC and current-gen PlayStation and Xbox consoles. Envisioned as the first installment in a trilogy, it will be published by Bandai Namco. Although a specific release date or window has not been announced, given its 2022 start date and triple-A budget, a 2027 launch seems the earliest possibility. Rebel Wolves plans to unveil more gameplay in summer 2025.