Pixels in Orbit
newsApril 29, 20262 min read
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The Blood of Dawnwalker Locks In September 3 Launch — Rebel Wolves Unveils First Gameplay

Rebel Wolves reveals a September 3, 2026 release date and over 10 minutes of gameplay for The Blood of Dawnwalker, a dark fantasy vampire RPG from the creators of The Witcher 3.

The Blood of Dawnwalker Locks In September 3 Launch — Rebel Wolves Unveils First Gameplay

Rebel Wolves has finally pulled back the curtain on its debut title. During a Road to Launch livestream on April 28, the studio co-founded by The Witcher 3 director Konrad Tomaszkiewicz confirmed that The Blood of Dawnwalker will launch on September 3, 2026 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Pre-orders are live now through digital storefronts and major retailers.

The showcase delivered over ten minutes of gameplay footage captured on the latest PC build, and it was accompanied by a cinematic story trailer introducing the cast of characters that protagonist Coen will encounter across the cursed Carpathian valley.

A Vampire RPG Built on Witcher DNA

The Blood of Dawnwalker is a dark fantasy open-world action RPG set in a fictionalized 14th-century Carpathian Mountains, in a mysterious region called Vale Sangora. Players take on the role of Coen, a half-vampire struggling to rescue his family from a powerful vampire lord before time runs out. The game is built in Unreal Engine 5 and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment.

The Blood of Dawnwalker gameplay showing the Carpathian valley

Choices Shape the Valley

The gameplay demo focused heavily on narrative-driven open-world exploration. Rebel Wolves showed how player decisions influence the balance of power within Vale Sangora — alliances forged with one faction can close off quests with another, and exploration can unlock hidden abilities or trigger unexpected challenges that reshape Coen's journey entirely.

The developers also revealed never-before-seen locations throughout the valley, from fog-drenched mountain passes to crumbling medieval fortifications, all rendered in impressive UE5 detail. Combat sequences showed Coen leveraging both human weaponry and vampiric abilities in fast, fluid encounters against hostile creatures and rival factions.

The Blood of Dawnwalker combat encounter

Rebel Wolves Stakes Its Claim

Founded in 2022, Rebel Wolves is led by veterans of CD Projekt Red who previously worked on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Cyberpunk 2077. The Blood of Dawnwalker is the studio's first project, and the September 3 release date pits it squarely against one of the year's busiest release windows.

With Bandai Namco's publishing muscle behind it and a decade of RPG expertise in the development team, Dawnwalker is positioned as one of the most anticipated RPGs of 2026. Whether it can live up to the Witcher legacy its creators carry remains to be seen — but the first gameplay certainly makes a strong case.

The Blood of Dawnwalker dark fantasy landscape

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