The Blood of Dawnwalker is child of „artistic freedom.” CD Projekt RED veterans see „huge space for innovation and for evolution in the open-world RPGs”
The Blood of Dawnwalker underlines player's freedom - in the new Rebel Wolves game we will create our own unique experience. The developers also pay great attention to realism, drawing inspiration from many cultures.
Yesterday evening, the Polish studio Rebel Wolves, made up of numerous ex-CD Projekt RED employees, unveiled their first game to the world - The Blood of Dawnwalker. Our previous news contains a lot of basic information about the game, but that's not everything that was mentioned during the full developers' stream. Below we present more details about both the game and the studio itself.
Freedom above all
As we know, Rebel Wolves was founded by Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, who left CD Projekt RED in 2021 due to a mobbing investigation. The director of The Witcher 3 revealed during the stream what prompted him to establish a new company.
I decided to open the Rebel Wolves company because I felt that there is a huge space for innovation and for evolution in the open-world RPGs. And to achieve that, you need to have independence and artistic freedom, and sometimes you need to make hard and risky decisions. The best way to do that is to open your own company and make your own choices.
He compared his latest game to Fallout 2, primarily focusing on the freedom offered by this post-apocalyptic title from Black Isle Studios. There wasn't a main quest directing us to specific locations and actions, and we'll find something similar in The Blood of Dawnwalker.
We don't think about a quest like: a main quest, or a side quest. We just have quests. Players will craft their experience throughout the game, by themselves. And nobody will have the same. We call it a narrative sandbox.
Realistic world
The game's action is set in 14th-century Europe, more specifically in a place called Vale Sangora. The developers drew inspiration from Central European culture and architecture when designing the locations, although not exclusively. In the game, we will find Polish-style houses, Ukrainian and Balkan costumes, Romanian churches, and much more. Devs also paid great attention to realism, so that players feel that the world they will explore is authentic.
I wanted to see how far we could push realism so that players truly feel part of the narrative. But this is not a simulation of medieval life.
Realism will also be reflected in the magic, which in The Blood of Dawnwalker won't be vibrant and flashy. It is closer to paranormal phenomena than traditional spells.
Vampires and mechanics
We also received more information about vampires. As we know, at some point they emerged from the shadows, took power, and established a new order, but this doesn't mean that they are as straightforward as it might initially seem. On one hand, they have somehow helped people by overthrowing brutal feudal lords or feeding them with their own blood. On the other hand, they can be equally cruel; for instance, they organize bloody masses in the church during which they eat people. So they won't be "black and white", but more "gray."
The vampire leader - Brencis - styles himself as some kind of messiah who wants to change the world. The developers revealed that he will be someone in the type of an "active antagonist." The vampire is supposed to react to our actions by establishing edicts in the game, which will become obstacles for us.
Another interesting mechanic is supposed to be "bloodlust," which will allow us to feel like a real vampire. The main character will need to feed throughout the game to use skills, but most importantly, he must do so regularly. If we forget about a meal, we may end up in a situation where we lose control during a conversation with an NPC and simply eat them. Damn, if it turns out to be a random villager, it's even worse if we do it to, say, our best friend.
The Blood of Dawnwalker is heading to PC, PS5, and XSX/S. The release date is not yet known, and more details about the game will be revealed in the summer of 2025 when new gameplay materials are unveiled.
