Summary

• Former CD Projekt Red developers at Rebel Wolves unveiled a cinematic trailer for their debut game, The Blood of Dawnwalker.
• 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-style time management mechanics.

The Blood of Dawnwalker recently debuted its highly anticipated reveal trailer, showcasing a blend of pre-rendered cinematic footage and brief gameplay glimpses. The trailer highlights the game's previously announced similarities to The Witcher, enhanced by unique Persona-inspired elements.

The Blood of Dawnwalker marks the first title from Rebel Wolves, a Polish studio founded by former CD Projekt Red developers who contributed to The Witcher series and Cyberpunk 2077. Initially announced as Dawnwalker in January 2024, Rebel Wolves described it as a narrative-driven open-world RPG featuring impactful choices within a dark fantasy setting.

Exactly one year later, on January 13th, Rebel Wolves and publisher Bandai Namco presented a reveal stream culminating in an extended cinematic trailer—over four and a half minutes long. This trailer establishes the game's world and introduces the Dawnwalkers, essentially powerful vampires within the game's lore. We also meet Coen, the protagonist, who becomes a Dawnwalker at the game's outset.

The Blood of Dawnwalker Reveal Trailer: Echoes of The Witcher

With its dark fantasy setting, monstrous creatures, and open-world RPG structure offering morally gray choices—further emphasized by the tagline "the world needs what it fears"—The Blood of Dawnwalker evokes a strong Witcher feel, even independent of its development team's history. Fans who enjoyed the vampires and challenging decisions in The Witcher 3’s Blood and Wine expansion will likely find the premise compelling. The game's emphasis on player choice is reflected in its morality system, allowing Coen to either embrace his Dawnwalker nature to save his family or cling to his humanity.

The Blood of Dawnwalker: A Persona-Inspired Twist

While superficially similar to The Witcher, The Blood of Dawnwalker introduces intriguing twists to the open-world RPG formula. Most notably, it incorporates Persona-like time management mechanics, where completing quests consumes in-game time. 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 completing every quest in a single playthrough, fostering replayability and unique experiences.

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.

Currently in development for PC and current-gen PlayStation and Xbox consoles, The Blood of Dawnwalker is envisioned as the first installment in a trilogy, published by Bandai Namco. While a concrete release date remains unannounced, given its 2022 development start and AAA budget, a release before 2027 seems unlikely. Rebel Wolves has promised a gameplay reveal in Summer 2025.