Polish studio Rebel Wolves has shared over 20 minutes of gameplay footage of its upcoming vampire-themed open-world RPG The Blood of Dawnwalker. This recently released preview offers the most detailed look to date, giving an in-depth look at the game’s world, environments, and mechanics.
Rebel Wolves first revealed The Blood of Dawnwalker in January 2025, a year after the project’s existence was confirmed. This open-world RPG focuses on hunting monsters, morally complex decisions, and their resulting ramifications. Plus, the fact that the game is being developed by former CD Projekt Red veterans who worked on The Witcher series has led to Dawnwalker being frequently compared to The Witcher. The game is currently targeting a 2026 release for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
Stepping up its marketing efforts, Polish developer Rebel Wolves has unveiled the most detailed gameplay of The Blood of Dawnwalker to date. During a recent event held on June 21, over 21 minutes of footage was shared, recorded during a mid-game quest from the pre-beta version of the ARPG. The quest follows the main character Coen as he investigates rumors of a mysterious weapon hidden in the vaults of an old cathedral.
The Blood of Dawnwalker Showcases Intense ARPG Combat System
Before reaching the cathedral, Coen is shown wandering around the countryside, where he encounters a group of bandits and demonstrates the combat system of Blood of Dawnwalker. According to Rebel Wolves, the swordplay in the game is designed to make players feel like a real swordsman who closely observes the movements of enemies and counterattacks based specifically on the direction of their attack. In addition to basic attacks and parries, Coen can also use some special abilities that consume health. One of these is Burning Blood, which causes constant damage to the enemy over time, while a skill called Artery Attack decapitates enemies. The game pauses temporarily while selecting these abilities, much in the style of Dragon Age.
Time in The Blood of Dawnwalker Is a Resource, Not a Racing Clock
Since the game’s unveiling, Rebel Wolves has prominently touted The Blood of Dawnwalker’s “narrative sandbox” design, which features no strict distinction between main and side quests. Instead, players have a limited amount of time to reach the ultimate goal of saving their family, and can do any number of activities they choose during that time. This flexible structure is intended to make every playthrough different and unique. Recently released gameplay footage further explores the depth of this system, making it clear that time in the game will be treated as a resource, not a ‘racing clock’. This means that certain actions will make time move forward, but simply being idle or exploring the overworld will not automatically increase time Persona-style.
The Blood of Dawnwalker’s Vampirism Is Both a Blessing and a Curse
As Coen transforms into a vampire at night, he becomes more specialized and powerful, but also gains improved traversal abilities, particularly vertical movement. His health acts as a hunger meter, and each night he begins with limited health, making it imperative for him to eat to gain access to his full skill set. Players can choose different options for using NPCs as food, such as killing them outright, sucking a little blood only to render them unconscious, or hunting animals and avoiding harming humans altogether. However, if players repeatedly avoid eating altogether, Coen may eventually lose control, which is usually the most undesirable outcome. Depending on whether players explore the world as Coen human or vampire form and when and how they form alliances with certain characters gives them different options for completing missions, adding strategic variety to the gameplay.
