GameCentral got to play four hours of The Blood Of Dawnwalker, the debut title from Rebel Wolves, a studio founded by former CD Projekt Red developers including The Witcher 3 co-director Konrad Tomaszkiewicz. The game is an open-world RPG set in a 14th century southeast European-inspired world, where players control Coen, a man who becomes a unique hybrid: human by day and vampire by night.
The game world is original, not based on any existing IP or mythology. Vampires, called vrakhiri, have created a feudal society where humans donate blood weekly in exchange for healing. Coen's transformation goes awry due to silver dust in his lungs from working in mines, causing him to shift forms daily. The story imposes a strict 30-day and 30-night limit; after that, the head vampire completes his coronation and Coen's kidnapped family is sacrificed.
Combat and controls aim for freshness
Combat uses bumper buttons (LB and RB) for attack and defense, with directional inputs required for blocking. Players can teleport short distances as a vampire and walk on walls. The game includes interactive dialogue and Telltale-style decision-making, with consequences for choices. Side quests are optional, and time only advances when players complete significant story moments.
According to Tomaszkiewicz, the time limit was designed to create urgency and immersion. 'The game is really long... average time of play is between 50 to 70 hours,' he said. 'The point was to create the stakes, the goal, which is real.' He compared the risk to his own investment: 'I paid for nine months of development from my own pocket and I could go bankrupt.'
Rebel Wolves' philosophy on game development
Tomaszkiewicz emphasized that the studio avoids 'oversized games' and the problems of large teams. 'When you have a huge game it's really hard to test... when you fix one bug you can create another three,' he explained. With 160 people, communication is easier. Environment artist Adam Payet noted that as a regular artist, he worked directly with the game director, which is rare in larger studios.
The game is set for release on September 3, 2026, for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, priced at £59.99. Publisher is Bandai Namco. The developers confirmed it is the first of multiple planned games in this original universe.
