One of the year’s most exciting RPGs, The Blood of Dawnwalker, launches in early September. Here’s everything you need to know before release.
Blood of Dawnwalker may well be the most ambitious open-world action RPG of the year, and it should immediately grab the attention of fans of Geralt of Rivia. The game is being developed by Rebel Wolves, the studio founded by Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, game director of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. While there is no connection to The Witcher series, Tomaszkiewicz’s track record alone is likely to send expectations sky-high. So let’s take a look at everything you need to know ahead of the launch of Blood of Dawnwalker.
When Does Blood of Dawnwalker Release?
Blood of Dawnwalker launches on September 3, 2026, for PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. A Nintendo Switch or Switch 2 version has not been announced. Important: More expensive editions do not include early access. Rebel Wolves will unlock all versions at the same time.
When Does the Blood of Dawnwalker Preload Start?
Nothing has been officially confirmed yet, but according to initial rumors, PS5 players should be able to preload the Standard Edition starting September 1. The game itself launches on September 3 and is reportedly set to unlock at midnight. It is currently unclear whether the same schedule will apply to PC and Xbox. We’ll update this article as soon as official details are available.
Blood of Dawnwalker Download Size
According to store data that has surfaced so far, the PS5 download is around 50.5 GB. On PC, the game requires 60 GB of SSD storage. Both are relatively modest compared with many other recent releases. Keep in mind, however, that a day-one patch could increase the final size somewhat.
How Long Is Blood of Dawnwalker?
According to game director Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, complete internal playthroughs by the development team currently take around 55 to 70 hours. However, that is not yet a reliable average for regular players. Given the game’s heavily branching structure, the actual playtime will likely vary considerably depending on the path you choose.
PC System Requirements
The official hardware requirements have already been released and are surprisingly accessible:
Minimum requirements:
- Operating system: Windows 10 (64-bit)
- Processor: Intel Core i5-11400F / AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics card: Nvidia GTX 1060 / AMD Radeon RX 580
- Storage: 60 GB SSD
- DirectX: Version 12
Recommended requirements:
- Operating system: Windows 10 (64-bit)
- Processor: Intel Core i7-11700K / AMD Ryzen 7 5700X
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics card: Nvidia RTX 4060 / AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT / Intel Arc B580
- Storage: 60 GB SSD
- DirectX: Version 12
If you own a reasonably modern gaming PC, you should have little trouble running Blood of Dawnwalker. You won’t need absolute high-end hardware for the recommended settings either: an RTX 4060 or a comparable AMD graphics card is enough.
Blood of Dawnwalker: Story and Setting
The game takes you to a fictional version of 14th-century Europe. Wars and the Black Death have left the population weakened, allowing vampires to exploit the chaos, emerge from the shadows, and openly seize power.
The game is set in Vale Sangora, a remote region in the Carpathian Mountains ruled by the powerful vampire Brencis. You play as Coen, a young man who, under extraordinary circumstances, becomes a so-called Dawnwalker – neither fully human nor fully vampire. Brencis is holding Coen’s family captive, and Coen has 30 in-game days to save them.
You cannot create your own character. Like Geralt in The Witcher, Coen is a predefined protagonist with his own background. What you can shape are his abilities, his equipment, and, most importantly, his path through the story – because your decisions fundamentally influence how events unfold.
The 30-Day System: Time Pressure Without the Stress
The 30-day limit may sound like constant time pressure at first, but it works differently than you might expect. The clock does not keep running while you freely explore, fight, or collect items. Time only passes through certain activities and decisions, which the game marks with an hourglass icon. Switching between day and night can also move time forward.
Reaching the deadline does not automatically result in a game over. It has consequences for the story, but the game continues. Rebel Wolves describes the system as a limited “budget” for your decisions. That means you deliberately cannot complete every quest in a single playthrough – different objectives compete for Coen’s limited time, and some events continue to unfold without your involvement. The game is therefore clearly designed around multiple playthroughs, each intended to produce a different version of the story.
Day and Night: Two Gameplay Loops in One Game
The day-night cycle in Blood of Dawnwalker is more than just cosmetic. During the day, Coen is human and relies on sword fighting and the ritual magic he has learned. At night, his vampiric abilities emerge, opening up entirely different possibilities for combat, perception, and traversal – including supernatural movement abilities that allow him to reach rooftops and other elevated areas.
NPCs, quest progression, and the ways you approach objectives can also differ depending on the time of day. Rebel Wolves therefore views day and night almost as two separate gameplay loops. At night, you also have to keep an eye on Coen’s bloodlust. When feeding on a human, you can decide whether to leave the victim merely unconscious or drain them completely.
Animals can also serve as an alternative source of blood. Ignore Coen’s bloodlust entirely, however, and you risk losing control: If his hunger becomes extreme, Coen may be forced to feed in certain situations.
Combat and Character Progression
Melee combat is built around directional attacks, blocks, and parries. Coen automatically recognizes the direction an attack is coming from, but you still have to defend against it yourself. Enemies are also designed to defend effectively. You’ll therefore need to identify openings in their defenses and attack from different directions. Successful hits generate so-called “Activation Charges,” which you can spend on active abilities and magic.
There is no class system. Instead, Coen has three progression paths: sorcery for his human side during the day, vampiric abilities for the night, and sword fighting, which remains relevant in both forms. Some vampire abilities may also be tied to specific vampiric bloodlines.
The difficulty is highly customizable. Players who are less interested in demanding reaction-based combat can enable various assists. On easier settings, for example, enemy animations can be slowed down.
Open World, Romances, and Multiple Endings
Rebel Wolves describes the concept as a “Narrative Sandbox.” Rather than feeling like a linear sequence of main and side quests, the story is designed more like a web of interconnected events that creates a different version of Coen’s story with each playthrough. Both your actions and your inaction can change how events unfold.
Interestingly: You can theoretically challenge the final boss, Brencis, immediately after the prologue. Doing so is supposed to be extremely difficult, however – Rebel Wolves describes it as a “feat that would be legendary.”
Romances have been confirmed, although the studio has not yet revealed which characters will be available as potential partners. Multiple endings have also been confirmed, though the exact number remains a secret. Fast travel is available via the world map, but there is no mount.
Blood of Dawnwalker features full voice acting in German, English, French, Italian, Spanish, and Polish.
