„Not making a choice is also a choice” The Blood of Dawnwalker devs on their dynamic game world

Today, during the Future Games Show, developer Rebel Wolves gave us a deeper look at their upcoming action-adventure RPG, The Blood of Dawnwalker. This fascinating game has a clever concept and uses several dynamic mechanics to enhance the experience. In this game, you play as Coen, a human by day and a vampire by night, which greatly changes the gameplay experience.

The Blood of Dawnwalker has the potential to be one of my most anticipated games of 2026

Coen’s family has been captured by a vampire lord, and it’s up to you to decide how to save them. In-game, you have 30 days to rescue them, but other than that, it’s completely left up to you. Including taking any action to actually save them. The developers explain: “Choices and consequences in our game have three layers. The first is quite traditional, similar to other RPGs…. The second layer plays into our dual gameplay loop. Day and night often present different choices. And finally, not making a choice is also a choice.” The game won’t end if you choose to or fail to rescue Coen’s family at the end of the 30 days. Rebel Wolves didn’t explain what would happen, but would let the players discover it on their own.

You may have caught the phrase “dual gameplay loop” in the quote from above. This is playing on the duality of Coen’s existence as a Dawnwalker. During the day, he is a human. He fights with a sword, and generally does other things humans do. But during the night, he unlocks supernatural strength and abilities. He no longer needs a sword to engage with enemies, and can use powers of short-distance teleportation and shift gravity to walk on walls. This opens up many new ways to approach quests, depending on the task and the time of day.

The developers assured players during the showcase that this gameplay isn’t as intimidating as it looks. The combat is “easy to learn, and fun to master.” The time will only pass when you choose to take on a task, not while you’re exploring the city, and each task will warn you how long it will take, so it’s easy to keep track of how many days you have left. You also have complete freedom about when to challenge the final boss. Charge into the castle on day one if you want, but it will be immensely challenging.

The constantly shifting powers and abilities, plus the 30-day time pressure, add so many fascinating layers to this game. I’m curious just from a gameplay perspective how this will all feel, plus how the various choices and actions will affect the story, gameplay, and setting. What will happen to Coen’s family after 30 days? How does interacting with NPCs go if you are a vampire? What are the gameplay benefits of being a human? This concept really engages my curiosity. I’ll be looking forward to giving it a try when The Blood of Dawnwalker is released sometime in 2026.

The Blood of Dawnwalker

2026

Want It!

• Overview

• action RPG
• vampires
• Rebel Wolves