The Blood of Dawnwalker, Rebel Wolves’ new dark fantasy action-RPG, will launch on September 3, 2026 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series. This open-world title will plunge players into an alternate 14th century under the thrall of vampires, delivering an adventure where every choice could alter the course of history. Check out our preview!
And what if the 14th century belonged to vampires? The Blood of Dawnwalker, an action-RPGdark fantasy open world, developed by Rebel Wolves and published by Bandai Namco, will launch on September 3, 2026 on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series. The game plunges players into an alternate medieval Europe, where the feudal order buckles beneath a new vampiric dominion and where the choices you make directly shape the narrative.
"In a land devastated by bloody conflict, the Black Death comes for the survivors. In the aftermath of disasters that have claimed thousands of victims, humanity struggles to survive. A moment of weakness... That's all they needed. Vampires jump at the chance. They emerge from the shadows to seize what has eluded them for centuries: freedom and the power it brings. Other creatures of the night follow suit. Legends become reality and change the course of history. You play the role of Coen, a young man transformed into a Penumbral: neither quite human nor quite vampire, between the world of day and the kingdom of night. Defend your humanity or drape yourself in your cursed powers to save your family. Whatever your choice, the question remains: are you willing to pay with your soul for the salvation of your loved ones?
Developed under Unreal Engine 5, The Blood of Dawnwalker tells the story of Coen, a young man who has become a Dawnwalker, a creature oscillating between humanity and vampirism. Players will have 30 days and 30 nights to decide the fate of their family, or turn to a quest for vengeance. "Inspired by classic RPGs, we want players to feel a sense of urgency in an open-world game," explains Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, co-founder of Rebel Wolves and director of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, in a statement. Each quest influences the time available, offering a unique experience with each playthrough thanks to what the team calls a "narrative sandbox".
The game's universe, set in 14th-century Europe ravaged by the Black Death and bloody conflicts, is a striking one, as its new trailer shows. The opening cinematic, set two years before the events of the game, introduces Coen, his sister Lunka, and the vampire lord Brencis. This context highlights the moral dilemmas and gameplay mechanics based on the passage from day to night, offering varied abilities and scenarios depending on the moment.
Trailer for Road to Launch of The Blood of Dawnwalker:
With its dynamic storytelling and meaningful choices, The Blood of Dawnwalker promises a genuinely unique experience in the action-RPG sphere. The trailer unveiled on April 28, 2026 offers a clearer sense of this ambition, introducing several characters Coen will encounter on his journey, from potential allies to key adversaries. The Road to Launch presentation also revealed new locations in Val Sangora, a mysterious region in the Carpathians, as well as over ten minutes of PC gameplay, highlighting exploration that is closely tied to the narrative, hidden secrets, and the consequences of the player's actions.
The event also gave Rebel Wolves the floor to outline the behind-the-scenes work on development, with contributions from several team members and a making-of video focused on the motion capture of Jan Błachowicz, former UFC champion, for the character Bakir. Pre-orders for The Blood of Dawnwalker are now open on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series, with multiple editions announced, including an Eclipse Edition featuring digital bonuses and a limited Collector's Edition.
A game we were able to test for 4 hours during a preview session. We start straight away (you’ll experience the same when you begin the game) with the story and a short tutorial to learn the basics. Once you’ve got that, you’re plunged into a lengthy narrative. The introduction alone will take about four hours to finish.
Our take:
Without wanting to compare too far, The Blood of Dawnwalker reminded us quite a bit of a certain The Witcher III... No surprise there, since the developers are veterans of CD Projekt, the team behind GOTY 2015. And the standout feature of the game is its daily format: you have 30 in-game days to complete your mission, no more, no less. A looming deadline that nudges you toward urgency and forces you to prioritize. The catch: choosing certain quests over others risks missing some entirely (time is ticking, after all), and you may not be able to tackle them later if you skip them. Each decision reshapes the story’s path: wipe out a key person for a quest, and you can’t rely on the “royal voice” approach to succeed, so you’ll need a bit of cleverness to make it work. It won’t be easy, but the quest won’t be impossible. Note that story actions accumulate one or more “hourglasses,” indicating time consumed once each objective is completed.
Two or three things to know before you dive in: on the combat side, you can tailor the mechanics to your playstyle. You have two options: “traditional combat” or “directional combat.” The former drains more stamina, while the latter grants certain advantages if you execute actions precisely. Pick what suits you best, and note you can switch modes anytime in the settings. As for combat itself, it’s fairly dense in both approach and execution. You’ll need a bit of time to acclimate so everything flows smoothly.
Graphically, the cutscenes look pretty stunning (we played on PC at 60FPS/4K). Regarding the in-game visuals, the project is still a work in progress, so we won’t go into specifics, but the overall impression is promising based on what we’ve seen.
A few more tips: beware of certain abilities that unlock only at particular times of day (depending on how much time has elapsed). Also pay close attention to what the NPCs say during quests—the information they provide can genuinely help you solve puzzles (think Q&A challenges you must succeed at, or knowing the exact quantities needed to craft a potion, etc.). And we can’t overstate the value of brushing up on your Latin, as it could come in handy during the prologue (a NPC even offers Latin lessons).
Note that the controls aren’t always perfectly fluid, especially when drawing or stowing your sword or drinking the blood of victims (not possible during combat, for health regain). Regaining health in human form isn’t entirely intuitive either. Otherwise, the gameplay is quite robust. We also recommend not rushing and paying close attention to how the time flow is managed, along with your stamina meter. There you have it—you should have a solid sense of the game. Now it’s up to you to form your own opinion at launch.
