Video game
| The Blood of Dawnwalker | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Rebel Wolves |
| Publisher(s) | Bandai Namco Entertainment |
| Director(s) | Konrad Tomaszkiewicz |
| Designer(s) | Daniel Sadowski |
| Artist(s) | Bartłomiej Gaweł |
| Writer(s) | Jakub Szamalek |
| Engine | Unreal Engine 5 |
| Platform(s) | |
| Genre(s) | Action role-playing |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
The Blood of Dawnwalker is an upcoming dark fantasy action role-playing game with a vampire theme developed by Rebel Wolves and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. It is set in 14th-century medieval Europe. The game was announced in January 2025. It is scheduled to release for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S.
Settings
The Blood of Dawnwalker is a vampire-themed dark fantasy action role-playing game (action RPG) set in a gothic, fictional 14th-century kingdom called "Vale Sangora", located in the Carpathian Mountains. Drawing from Eastern European folklore, players explore a richly detailed world filled with supernatural creatures, moral dilemmas, and political intrigue.
The protagonist, Coen, struggles with silver poisoning and a vampiric curse, attempting to save his family within 30 days. His journey is shaped by his unique bond with sickened sister, Lunka, a cryptic figure pivotal to the story’s exploration of survival, morality, and power.
Brencis is the primary antagonist in the game, an ancient and formidable vampire who has seized control of "Vale Sangora". Under his rule, the kingdom has fallen into darkness, with vampires imposing a "blood tax" on the human populace. This oppressive regime has led to widespread discontent among the inhabitants, who are forced into servitude under the vampire lords.
Development
Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, a director of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015) and head of production for Cyberpunk 2077 (2020), left his position at CD Projekt in May 2021 following an investigation into workplace bullying allegations. Afterward, he took an extended break to consider his next steps. Having spent 17 years at the company, Tomaszkiewicz wanted to shift to smaller projects with a smaller team, hoping to avoid the challenges he faced while working on large-scale games at CD Projekt.
In February 2022, it was announced that Tomaszkiewicz had founded a new studio, Rebel Wolves, which was working on its debut project. The development team includes Tomaszkiewicz's brother and creative director, Mateusz, as well as design director Daniel Sadowski, narrative director Jakub Szamalek, and art director Bartłomiej Gaweł, all of whom previously worked on The Witcher series and Cyberpunk 2077. By May 2024, Rebel Wolves had expanded from around 20 to 90 team members.
The studio envisions the game as the first installment in an eponymous series, describing it as a dark fantasy "narrative sandbox" featuring non-linear quests set in medieval Europe. The project is being developed using Unreal Engine 5.
Release
The Blood of Dawnwalker is scheduled to release for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S. The first trailer for the game was released on January 14, 2025.
References
- Trilles, Calvin (14 January 2025). "Medieval Europe falls under vampire rule in Blood of the Dawnwalker RPG — everything we know so far". ONE Esports.
- Kain, Erik (14 January 2025). "'The Blood Of Dawnwalker' Trailer Shows Off New Medieval Vampire-Themed RPG From Ex-Witcher Devs Rebel Wolves". Forbes.
- "The Blood of Dawnwalker has been revealed". Maxi-Geek. 14 January 2025.
- Bankhurst, Adam (4 May 2021). "Witcher 3 Director Leaves CD Projekt Following Workplace Bullying Claims". IGN. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
- ^ Schreier, Jason (3 May 2024). "Former CD Projekt Developers Take Lessons From 'Cyberpunk' Debacle". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on 3 May 2024. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
- ^ Kim, Matt (17 February 2022). "Rebel Wolves, New Game Studio From The Witcher 3 Director, Is Creating a Dark Fantasy RPG In Unreal Engine 5". IGN. Archived from the original on 3 August 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
- Dean, Ian (31 January 2024). "Dawnwalker's creative director offers a glimpse of the future: 'more AI'". Creative Bloq. Archived from the original on 31 January 2024. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
- ^ Romano, Sal (21 October 2024). "Dark fantasy action RPG Dawnwalker to be published by Bandai Namco for PS5, Xbox Series, and PC". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 13 November 2024. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
- Gonzalez, Christina (14 January 2025). "Dark Fantasy 'Narrative Sandbox' The Blood of Dawnwalker Gets In-Engine Cinematic Trailer and First Details". MMORPG.
