Imagine the world of The Witcher, but instead of monsters and Witchers, vampires rule the night. That's exactly what The Blood of Dawnwalker promises — a dark fantasy RPG from Rebel Wolves, the studio founded by the director of The Witcher 3. Set in the 14th-century Carpathian Mountains with a unique day-night system and narrative sandbox mechanics, this could be the RPG that defines 2026.
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Two Worlds in One Game
The most innovative mechanic in Blood of Dawnwalker is the radical shift in gameplay depending on the time of day. You play as Coen, a Dawnwalker — a being with both human and vampiric qualities. This dual nature translates into two entirely different playstyles.
Day: The Warrior
During the day, Coen wields a sword with directional blocking — 4 directions for attacking or dodging, in a style reminiscent of Kingdom Come: Deliverance. He can interact peacefully with NPCs and find non-violent solutions.
Night: The Vampire
At night, Coen unleashes his vampiric abilities. He walks vertically on walls, uses Shadowstep for teleportation, fights with claws, and bites enemies to regenerate health.
Hex Magic & Executions
As you deal damage, you fill activation charges — use them for devastating Hex magic or execution moves that obliterate your enemies.
3 Skill Trees
As you progress, you earn skill points for active abilities and passive bonuses across three separate skill trees. Build your Dawnwalker your way.
Narrative Sandbox: 30 Days to Save Everything
Here lies the game's boldest design choice: there's no main quest in the traditional sense. Instead, the player has 30 days and nights to achieve their goal. Which quests you accept, how you complete them, and who you ally with — all of this shapes the course of the story.
Importantly, only plot-affecting actions advance time. Free exploration of the open world costs no time at all. An hourglass shows how much time each quest will consume, letting you strategize accordingly. Every playthrough will be different depending on your choices.
Nighttime Stealth
As a vampire at night, Coen must avoid detection by guards and citizens. He needs to feed — on animals or humans, either leaving them unconscious or killing them. The moral choices at this point affect how the world around you evolves.
Setting: Vale Sangora, Carpathian Mountains
The action unfolds in Vale Sangora, a fictional kingdom in the 14th-century Carpathian Mountains. The aesthetic draws inspiration from Eastern European folklore — primarily Romanian motifs, with broader Balkan influences. Gothic atmosphere, supernatural creatures, moral dilemmas, and political intrigue in a dark medieval world.
The protagonist Coen struggles with silver poisoning and a vampiric curse. His goal: save his family within 30 days. His sister Lunka plays a central role in exploring themes of survival, morality, and power.
"Brencis, an ancient and terrifying vampire, has seized control of Vale Sangora. Under his rule, the kingdom has been plunged into darkness — vampires impose a 'blood tax' on the human population."
— Central antagonist description
Rebel Wolves: The Team Behind the Game
Rebel Wolves was founded in February 2022 by Konrad Tomaszkiewicz — director of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and head of production on Cyberpunk 2077. After 17 years at CD Projekt, Tomaszkiewicz wanted to create something smaller in scale but greater in ambition.
The team includes creative director Mateusz Tomaszkiewicz, gameplay designer Daniel Sadowski, writer Jakub Szamalek, and art director Bartłomiej Gaweł — all former members of Witcher and Cyberpunk teams. Composers Piotr Musiał and Mikolai Stroinski handle the music. By May 2024, the team had expanded to over 90 members.
Bandai Namco as Publisher
In October 2024, it was announced that Bandai Namco Entertainment would handle publishing. A major vote of confidence for Rebel Wolves: Bandai Namco is behind the Elden Ring, Dark Souls, and Tales of series. Their experience with heavyweight RPGs is a perfect match.
Why We Can't Wait
Blood of Dawnwalker isn't just another dark fantasy RPG. The unique day-night mechanic that radically changes gameplay, the narrative sandbox system with a 30-day time limit, the intrigue surrounding vampires and moral dilemmas — all of this creates something genuinely fresh in the RPG landscape.
Add to that a team that knows how to craft top-tier RPGs (The Witcher 3 remains one of the greatest role-playing games ever made), a gorgeous Unreal Engine 5 setting inspired by Balkan folklore, and combat that feels like Kingdom Come but with a vampiric twist — and you have one of the most promising games expected in 2026.