Konrad Tomaszkiewicz spent years working to ensure that Rebel Wolves’ first game could stand on its own rather than being discussed only as a successor to The Witcher 3. After journalists finally spent several hours with The Blood of Dawnwalker, the overwhelmingly enthusiastic reactions left even the veteran director struggling to describe his emotions. New information has also revealed more about the vampire RPG’s unusual time system and the difficult choices awaiting players when it launches in September.
With less than two months remaining before release, members of the press have been given their first extended opportunity to play Rebel Wolves’ debut project. The Blood of Dawnwalker may come from a newly established studio, but many members of the team previously worked on some of CD Projekt RED’s most important games. The project is led by Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, best known as the director of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, so comparisons with Geralt’s third adventure have followed the new fantasy RPG from the moment it was announced. Early hands-on reports, however, suggest that the game is developing a clear identity of its own through its time-based structure, consequential decisions, and dual human-vampire gameplay.
The warmth of those reactions took Tomaszkiewicz by surprise. Writing on X, the director admitted that allowing journalists to play an unfinished version had created enormous tension, particularly because this is Rebel Wolves’ first release and the first major project its developers have built together in almost a decade. The team approached the preview period with a mixture of excitement and anxiety, but the positive coverage helped relieve some of the pressure that had accumulated over years of development.
“Today, as the first impressions begin to appear, I feel happy and proud of everything the team has achieved. Yet those words barely communicate how I truly feel. Dear Wolves, thank you so much,” Tomaszkiewicz wrote. He also highlighted several articles that meant a great deal to him. GamesRadar+, for example, argued that “Rebel Wolves’ debut RPG could change the way we engage with open-world games.” Following a four-hour session, the publication described The Blood of Dawnwalker as a project that builds on the open-world strengths associated with The Witcher 3 while introducing modern role-playing systems centered on consequence and player choice.
New Details Have Emerged About The Blood of Dawnwalker
Alongside the early previews, Bandai Namco has offered a closer look at one of the game’s defining mechanics. Coen has thirty days and thirty nights to rescue his family from Brencis, the vampire ruler who controls Vale Sangora. Time does not pass continuously, however. Exploration and ordinary combat do not advance the clock, while certain quests, activities, and progression choices consume clearly marked portions of the player’s schedule. Every daytime and nighttime period is divided into eight segments, and the game explains in advance how much time an important action will require. The intention is not to force players into a constant rush, but to make them think carefully about how they spend a limited resource.
One early scenario revolves around Coen’s mother, who is too ill to attend the Blood Mass taking place that evening. Her absence could bring consequences not only for the family but potentially for the entire village. Brencis’ soldiers guard the gates, leaving the player until sunset to find a solution. Coen can seek medicine from the local healer, spend time learning Latin, look for a runaway pig or a missing neighbor, help a weaver by recovering a stolen tapestry, or uncover the earliest signs of a rebellion against the vampires. Players interested in a more direct response can even attack one of the Uriash, the enormous ram-like warriors serving Brencis. Even within this relatively small settlement, there are enough possibilities to make seeing everything during a single playthrough virtually impossible.
That level of freedom does not mean every event can be avoided or rewritten. Bandai Namco has confirmed that some developments are tied directly to the central narrative and will occur regardless of the player’s choices. Many other situations, however, allow players to decide whom to help, which opportunities to ignore, what relationships to cultivate, and how to spend the thirty available days. Those choices can lead to different consequences and are designed to encourage a second or even third playthrough.
The Blood of Dawnwalker launches on September 3 for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S. Early hands-on impressions have already positioned Rebel Wolves’ debut among the year’s most promising RPGs, which carries particular significance for a team that spent years trying to create a world and identity of its own. Tomaszkiewicz’s reaction suggests that the studio has already overcome its first major challenge, although the complete game will ultimately determine whether the enthusiasm survives beyond the preview stage.
Source: GryOnline, PlayStation Blog, GamesRadar+, Bandai Namco
