"New RPG Combines Witcher and Persona Elements"

Summary

• Rebel Wolves, founded by former CD Projekt Red developers, unveiled their debut game, The Blood of Dawnwalker, with a cinematic reveal trailer.
• The Blood of Dawnwalker echoes The Witcher with its open-world RPG format, dark fantasy setting, morally gray choices, and an outcast protagonist.
• The game introduces a unique twist with Persona-like time management mechanics.

The Blood of Dawnwalker made its much-anticipated debut with a captivating reveal trailer, blending pre-rendered footage with brief glimpses of gameplay. This promotional video not only highlights the game's similarities to The Witcher but also introduces intriguing Persona-like elements.

Developed by Rebel Wolves, a Polish studio established by former CD Projekt Red developers who contributed to The Witcher series and Cyberpunk 2077, The Blood of Dawnwalker was first announced as Dawnwalker in January 2024. It was described as a narrative-driven open-world RPG set in a dark fantasy world, emphasizing meaningful choices.

On January 13, exactly a year after its initial announcement, Rebel Wolves and publisher Bandai Namco hosted a reveal stream. The event culminated in a cinematic trailer over four and a half minutes long, setting the stage for the game's universe and introducing the Dawnwalkers—vampires with enhanced abilities in the game's lore. The trailer also introduced Coen, the protagonist who becomes a Dawnwalker at the game's outset.

The Blood of Dawnwalker Reveal Trailer Is Reminiscent of The Witcher

With its dark fantasy backdrop, monstrous creatures, and the open-world RPG framework featuring morally ambiguous decisions—alongside the compelling tagline "the world needs what it fears"—The Blood of Dawnwalker resonates deeply with The Witcher fans. Those who appreciated the vampire themes and tough choices in The Witcher 3's Blood and Wine expansion will find the premise of Rebel Wolves' debut game particularly appealing. The game's morality system allows Coen to either embrace his Dawnwalker nature to save his family or hold onto his humanity, adding depth to player choices.

The Blood of Dawnwalker Also Takes a Page From Persona's Book

While The Blood of Dawnwalker shares surface similarities with The Witcher, it introduces innovative elements to the open-world RPG genre. Notably, it incorporates Persona-like time management mechanics, where every quest consumes time. "There are multiple approaches to saving Coen’s family with no clear division between main and side quests; you decide on how you spend the time," explained Rebel Wolves co-founder and game director Konrad Tomaszkiewicz. This design choice ensures that completing all quests in one playthrough is impossible, fostering replayability and unique experiences each time. Rebel Wolves describes this as a "narrative sandbox."

The Blood of Dawnwalker is currently in development for PC and next-generation PlayStation and Xbox consoles. Envisioned as the first installment in a trilogy and published by Bandai Namco, the game does not yet have a confirmed release date or even a tentative launch window. Given its development start in 2022 and its triple-A budget, a market release is not expected before 2027. Rebel Wolves plans to unveil more gameplay details in summer 2025.