Polish studio Rebel Wolves released fresh concept art for its debut project, The Blood of Dawnwalker. Since the announcement, updates about the anticipated vampire RPG have surfaced regularly, drawing interest from fans. This article gathers the most notable details in one place.
Who are Rebel Wolves?
The Blood of Dawnwalker is being developed by a studio founded by veterans who left CD Projekt. The team is led by Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, director of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. It also includes other Witcher contributors, such as screenwriter Jakub Szamal, designer Mateusz Tomaszkiewicz, and art director Bartlomiej Geweras. The studio numbers roughly 120 people.
In an interview, Konrad explained the split from CD Projekt this way:
“I started Rebel Wolves because I wanted to build something unique with my friends. We love RPGs and respect what has been done before. But we saw ways to expand and evolve RPG rules. We had wild ideas. To realize them, we needed our own studio. It would be hard to persuade a large company to take a risk on a new, unknown franchise. This is genuinely risky because we are trying concepts that haven’t been used before.”
What role did CD Projekt’s games influence you most?
Carpathians Vampires
The project is a spiritual heir to Blood and Wine. Just like the final Witcher 3 DLC, Dawnwalker’s Blood tells a vampire story as part of a living, evolving world.
Events unfold in the Carpathians, in an alternate version of Eastern Europe in the 14th century. Against the backdrop of a devastating plague, vampires emerge to seize power in the fictional kingdom of Sangor, a realm that blends the cultures of the peoples who inhabit the Carpathians.
The protagonist, Cohen, is a man who becomes a half-vampire after a failed romance and exposure in a silver mine. By day he remains human, but by night he gains the supernatural abilities of the blood drinkers.
In the game players can pursue romantic relationships.
Cohen seeks to shield a family from vampires, but he is opposed by Bravese, a powerful vampire lord with roots dating back to the Roman era. He intends to crown the night-born as rulers of Sangor, isolate the vampires, and establish a new religion where people worship the terrifying nobles in exchange for healing blood.
Quests on a Timer?
Cohen has a 30-day window to save his family. This isn’t merely a narrative gimmick; players must prioritize tasks because there isn’t time to do everything.
It’s a tense, Fallout-like mechanic where time forces constant choices: who deserves help and who does not. In an interview with GamesRadar, Mateusz Tomaszkiewicz explained that the studio aims to heighten tension naturally and give weight to every decision.
The team also wants to avoid the narrative mismatch seen in The Witcher 3, where Geralt races to find Ciri, yet players often feel little pressure. If desired, a player could ignore the main plot and chase Gwent or contracts instead; Ciri can wait.
However, if a player chooses the monster path, the game allows it: all plot NPCs can be slain.
Wanderer by Day
There is magic in the world, presented as a mystery that slowly reveals itself.
Another distinctive feature is a different set of skills depending on the time of day.
Rebel Wolves wants players to feel like heroes, but not all the time. The protagonist is an ordinary person by day who becomes a vampire at night, gaining strength, speed and special abilities. The studio says this dual nature is a familiar image in pop culture and has not yet been fully explored in games.
And if a player wishes to play a true monster, nothing stops them: plot NPCs can be killed.
Compact World
Tomaszewicz notes that while the RPG aims for Witcher 3 quality, it won’t match that game’s size or content. The studio is small and this is their first project, so the scope is tighter, but the ambition remains high.
The developers estimate a 30–40 hour journey for The Blood of Dawnwalker, a solid duration for a compact RPG.
The open world is smaller than Witcher 3’s map, yet that avoids empty stretches where little happens. Instead, the creators focus on dense, memorable locations that invite exploration.
Tomaszkiewicz cites Gothic as an influence, favoring a world that feels dense rather than sprawling. That approach makes exploration calmer, easier to remember, and a more integrated part of the world.
The combat system details and a firm release date have not been disclosed yet. Still, the information released so far signals compelling potential. A full gameplay reveal is expected later in the year.
What do readers think of The Blood of Dawnwalker? How intriguing does the game seem? Share your thoughts below.
Will you wait for The Blood of Dawnwalker?