"New RPG Blends Witcher and Persona Styles"

Summary

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

The Blood of Dawnwalker made its much-anticipated debut with a reveal trailer that showcased mostly pre-rendered footage alongside brief snippets of gameplay. The promotional video emphasized the game's similarities to The Witcher, while also highlighting its unique Persona-like elements.

Developed by Rebel Wolves, a Polish studio founded by former CD Projekt Red developers who worked on The Witcher series and Cyberpunk 2077, The Blood of Dawnwalker was initially announced as Dawnwalker in January 2024. It was described as a narrative-driven open-world RPG set in a dark fantasy world with impactful choices.

On January 13, almost a year after its initial announcement, Rebel Wolves and publisher Bandai Namco hosted a reveal stream for The Blood of Dawnwalker. The event concluded with an extended cinematic trailer lasting over four and a half minutes. This trailer introduced the game's setting and the titular Dawnwalkers, essentially super-powered vampires within the game's lore. It also introduced the protagonist, Coen, who becomes a Dawnwalker at the game's outset.

The Blood of Dawnwalker Reveal Trailer Is Reminiscent of The Witcher

With its dark fantasy setting, monstrous creatures, and the premise of an open-world RPG filled with morally gray choices—along with the tagline "the world needs what it fears"—The Blood of Dawnwalker strongly evokes The Witcher, especially for those who enjoyed the vampires and tough decisions in The Witcher 3's Blood and Wine expansion. The game's focus on player choice is evident through its morality system, which allows Coen to either embrace his Dawnwalker nature to save his family or hold onto his dwindling humanity.

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

While The Blood of Dawnwalker shares similarities with The Witcher, it also introduces innovative elements to the open-world RPG genre. Notably, it features 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. The design decision to make it impossible to complete every quest and story arc in a single run aims to enhance replayability and ensure each playthrough feels unique. Rebel Wolves calls this a "narrative sandbox."

The Blood of Dawnwalker is currently in development for PC and the latest PlayStation and Xbox consoles. Envisioned as the first installment in a trilogy, it will be published by Bandai Namco. Although a specific release date or estimated launch window has not been announced, given its 2022 start and triple-A budget, a market debut is not expected before 2027. Rebel Wolves has promised to reveal gameplay footage in the summer of 2025.