I'll be there day one playing Grand Theft Auto 6 alongside millions of other players, I have no doubt. As a massive Assassin's Creed fan, I am inexplicably excited about the release of Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced this summer. But since its initial confirmation for 2026, no game has enraptured my attention quite like The Blood of Dawnwalker.
Now, as part of Blood of Dawnwalker's Road to Launch Event, developer Rebel Wolves has confirmed that the upcoming vampire RPG will release on September 3, 2026. If you haven't heard of Rebel Wolves, you'd be forgiven simply because it is a brand new studio, but let me put you on game. Rebel Wolves is staffed by developers like Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, Jakub Szamalek, Batlomiej Gawel, Daniel Sadowski, Tamara Zawada, Michal Boryka, and Robert Murzynowski. If you don't recognize these names, you'd also be forgiven, but you won't be forgiven if you are unfamiliar with games like The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077, which these names worked on. Rebel Wolves was founded by veterans from CD Projekt Red, and Blood of Dawnwalker is their first game as a studio. Yet, very clearly, it has the DNA of CDPR all over it.
How Blood of Dawnwalker Places a Premium on Player Agency in its Quest Design
Blood of Dawnwalker's writer and lead quest designer share how the game aims to place player agency at the forefront of its branching questlines.
It will be available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S consoles.
If a vampire RPG developed by CD Projekt Red talent does not sound appealing, I don't know what will. I, for one, have been largely disappointed by vampire games as of late, at least specifically vampire RPGs. There are some solid, recent games in the wider vampire "genre" like Cabernet and I've had my eye on upcoming vampire RPG Kalyskah for some time now, but by and large, nothing has yet to deliver on the visceral, dark power fantasy of vampires I've been craving for years: raw power, story-driven, excellent vampire gameplay. Then, The Blood of Dawnwalker came along, and every time it rears its head, there's something else about it that excites me. Come September 3, I will be sinking my teeth into it—pun obviously intended here. Beyond its release date, though, there's plenty to know about BoD.
What is Blood of Dawnwalker?
For those unfamiliar, Blood of Dawnwalker is a dark fantasy open-world RPG developed by Rebel Wolves and published by Bandai Namco Studios. In it, players take on the role of Coen, who has been recently turned into a vampire. Specifically, he is a Dawnwalker who can unleash all his vampire might at night but is as limited as any human during the day. Blood of Dawnwalker gives him 30 days and 30 nights to save his family from the vampire lord and main antagonist, Brencis. Confident players, similar to games like Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, can also just head straight to Brencis' lair and face the final boss much earlier in the game.
Blood of Dawnwalker takes place in a fictional version of 14th-century Europe, where conflict lays waste to those living there, and Black Death claims the survivors. This leads to vampires walking out of the shadows and claiming dominion over the world, freedom for themselves, and ultimately power. That's the threat players will face in Blood of Dawnwalker's gameplay.
- The day-night cycle impacts Coen's gameplay, as well as quests, NPCs, and traversal routes.
- Days and nights move forward based on player actions in the world state
- BoD encourages multiple playstyles (stealth builds, combat focus, persuasive face gameplay, supernatural abilities, etc.)
- Blood of Dawnwalker features romance options for Coen
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Everything Revealed in Blood of Dawnwalker's Road to Launch Event
Whatever your choice, the question stands: Is your soul worth the lives of those you love?
- The Showcase begins with an outline of the information coming in the event (~5 minutes)
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The Showcase shows some brand new gameplay in Blood of Dawnwalker's open world (~14 minutes)
- Shows off the map and travel
- Shows off an early game ability: Wolf transformations
- Shows off quick select abilities in combat, as requested by the community
- Shows off the Corruption Level Mechanics tied to vampiric acts, like feeding.
- Shows off Shrine gameplay + Perk Manuals
- Shows off Day/Night Cycle, The Edicts Issued by Brencis (which react to Coen's actions), all of which contribute to its Infamy System.
- Brencis has at least three officers: Ambrus, Xanthe, and Bakir.
- Some abilities are shared between Coen's human and vampiric forms
- Shows off Haunted Sites gameplay (day activity focused on Blood Magic)
- Open-world activities and gameplay impact features like The Edicts
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The Showcase then shows off a new trailer for Blood of Dawnwalker's story (~5 minutes)
- Shows off how Coen's family factors in, Brencis' plans for them, and sets up the narrative justification for gameplay
- Shows off some of the characters and allies
- There's a hint at its romance system
- Shows off the moral quandaries of being a vampire
- Shows off a confrontation with Brencis
- Ends with the Release Date: September 3, 2026
- The Showcase then shows off the PC System Requirements (Minimum, Recommended, and Ultra - now listed on Steam) (~1 minute)
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The Showcase then turned to a dev discussion by Daria Bury-Zawada and Piotr Kucharski about its story and open world, largely focused on how its world is supported by lore and gameplay. (~10 minutes)
- Specifically, how Vampires and humans in the valley influence its construction.
- They also discussed how Coen is not a seasoned warrior, nor a fully-powered vampire, and how that influenced the gameplay and world.
- They also discussed adding details to make the world feel lived in, like a blacksmith accidentally hitting himself at the forge.
- They then discussed consequences in the world and how it impacts players, as well as its dark themes.
- 10/10 discussion, give me more.
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The Showcase then turned to a dev discussion between Maciej Wisneiwski and Dorota Rutkowska discussing systems in the world, like weather and the day/night cycle. (~7 minutes)
- Time advance is described as a resource that players can either optimize or just go with the flow with it
- The game does not end when Coen's 30 days are over. Hello??
- They then discussed how exploration, interactions, and activities all add to the narrative, not just making a checklist open-world game.
- They then discuss how emotions work into the story, discussing Coen's family (his younger siblings, Coen's mother and father).
- They then discuss creating the community that inhabits Blood of Dawnwalker's setting of Vale Sangora, including specific NPCs.
- They then discuss how players will encounter difficult choices as they create their "version" of Coen.
- It is described as "a story of family, loyalty, rebellion, and the cost of the choices we make."
- The Showcase then gives viewers a sick musical performance to wrap up the dev panels. (~4 minutes)
- The Showcase Hosts then show off the Standard Edition, Pre-order Bonus, Digital Editions, and the Collector's Edition (~3 minutes)
- The Showcase then ends with a little Behind-The-Scenes video.
OpenCritic Reviews
- Released
- September 3, 2026
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content
- Developer(s)
- Rebel Wolves
- Publisher(s)
- Bandai Namco Studios
