The first gameplay preview is out forThe Blood of Dawnwalker, the upcoming vampire RPG from Rebel Wolves. This relatively new studio was founded by Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, one of the directors ofThe Witcher 3.
Set in medieval Europe, The Blood of Dawnwalker adds dark fantasy elements to this historical setting, against the backdrop of the Black Death, while firmly rooting the magic system in dark andritualistic elements rather than colorful explosions.
The studio hostedan hour-long gameplay revealyesterday on YouTube, including a20-minute segment of pre-beta footage. Daniel Sadowski, co-owner and design director, presented the gameplay and narrated the showcase, and showed off the unique day and night cycle that transforms the main character, Coen, from human to vampire.
With Great Vampire Power Comes Great Responsibility
Or Maybe Just Careless Blood-Sucking
The preview started at dawn, asany good “dawnwalker” should.By day, Coen is a human and combat is your typical action-RPG experience, resembling Kingdom Come: Deliverance with a directional attack and block system. Come nighttime, Coen changes to his vampire form and gameplay Coen gains the vampiric abilities and, of course, needs to feed on the town drunk to keep his hunger at bay. Failing to properly sate your hunger can lead to dire consequences and a loss of control as your bloodlust takes over.
As combat changes between forms, Coen can perform ritual magic as a human, carving runes in his arm. One spell, burning blood, caused an enemy to burn from the inside until eventually exploding in gory fashion. Magic is as dangerous to use for Coen as it is for his enemies, reducing his maximum hp or other effects.
In vampire form, Coen’s runes heal, and he can no longer use that wicked arm magic. He also starts each night hungry. This hunger not only affects what vampire powers you may use, but if it gets too low you won’t be able to control yourself and may kill important characters. Feeding not only restores your health but also fuels your vampiric abilities. Teleporting to rooftops, walking on walls, and bloody claw-based fighting abilities were prominently featured.
The day/night cycle is more than just a thinly-veiled mechanic to force vampiric transformations; the quests and story will change depending on when and how you approach them with branching paths based on numerous decisions.
“The core feature of The Blood of Dawnwalker is the dual-gameplay loop,” said Sadowski. “Depending on when you tackle a particular quest, what choices you’ve made earlier, whom you befriended, or whom you’ve angered, your gameplay and story experience will be very, very different.”
Rebel Wolves has an impressive team, many of whomcome from CD Projekt Red.The Blood of Dawnwalker is scheduled to release for the PlayStation 5, PC, and Xbox Series X/S in 2026.
