Summary
- Former CD Projekt Red developers at Rebel Wolves unveiled their debut game, The Blood of Dawnwalker, with a cinematic reveal trailer.
- The Blood of Dawnwalker shares similarities with The Witcher, boasting an open-world RPG setting, dark fantasy elements, morally gray choices, and an outcast protagonist.
- The game innovatively incorporates Persona-like time management mechanics.
The Blood of Dawnwalker's highly anticipated reveal trailer, a blend of pre-rendered cinematic sequences and brief gameplay glimpses, premiered recently. The trailer highlights the game's previously teased resemblance to The Witcher, infused with unique Persona-style 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 (initially announced as Dawnwalker in January 2024) is a narrative-driven, open-world RPG emphasizing impactful choices within a dark fantasy backdrop.
On January 13th, 2025, Rebel Wolves and publisher Bandai Namco presented an extended cinematic trailer (over four and a half minutes) during a reveal stream. This trailer showcases the game's setting and introduces the Dawnwalkers—powerful vampire-like beings within the game's lore—alongside the protagonist, Coen, who becomes a Dawnwalker at the game's outset.
The Blood of Dawnwalker Reveal Trailer: Echoes of The Witcher
The dark fantasy setting, monstrous creatures, open-world RPG structure with morally ambiguous choices, and the tagline "the world needs what it fears" evoke a strong Witcher vibe, even independent of the developers' background. Fans who enjoyed the vampires and complex decisions in The Witcher 3's Blood and Wine expansion will likely find the premise compelling. The game's emphasis on player choice is further highlighted by its morality system, allowing Coen to either embrace his Dawnwalker nature to save his family or hold onto his humanity.
The Blood of Dawnwalker: A Persona-Inspired Twist
While superficially similar to The Witcher, The Blood of Dawnwalker introduces intriguing twists. A key feature is its Persona-like time management system, where quests consume in-game time. As Rebel Wolves co-founder and game director Konrad Tomaszkiewicz explains, "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." This design choice, creating a "narrative sandbox," prevents completion of every quest in a single playthrough, fostering replayability and unique experiences.
Currently in development for PC and current-generation PlayStation and Xbox consoles, The Blood of Dawnwalker is planned as the first installment in a trilogy, published by Bandai Namco. While a release date remains unannounced, given its 2022 development start and AAA budget, a 2027 release or later seems plausible. Rebel Wolves promises a gameplay reveal in Summer 2025.
