The new RPG from Rebel Wolves, a studio founded by Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 devs, asks a bold question: What if Geralt was a vampire?
When Rebel Wolves teased its first project back in 2022, PC Gamer's Rich Stanton said it gave him "strong vampire vibes." When the studio revealed the game's title and some new concept art in 2024, I said it gave me "verystrong vampire vibes." Today we got a look at Dawnwalker's debut cinematic trailer, and it pleases me greatly to say, we were right.
The Blood of Dawnwalker, as the game is now called, is set in 14th century Europe, amidst relentless warfare and the Black Death—not a great time for humanity. Sensing opportunity, the vampires make their move to take over, leading other «creatures of the night» to do the same. One of those creatures is you, a young man named Coen who's been turned into a Dawnwalker, but who may not be ready to fully embrace the lifestyle.
«Fight for your humanity or embrace the cursed powers to save your family,» the website at dawnwalkergame.com says. «Whatever your choice, the question stands: is your soul worth the lives of those you love?»
Ah, but that doesn't necessarily mean all vampires are all bad: «Face your foes—be they human, monster, or the ticking clock itself. But remember—the real evil may bask in the sun's light, and the most loyal of allies could lurk under the cover of night.»
Rebel Wolves is headed up by Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, who previously served as game director on The Witcher 3 and head of production on Cyberpunk 20777—and before that, as lead quest designer on The Witcher 2 and story designer on The Witcher. That background really shows through in this cinematic, which could very easily be a Witcher trailer; Coen himself appears to be essentially a young Geralt, granted great powers through unpleasant supernatural rituals that robbed him of much of his humanity—or, maybe not!
The implied moral ambiguity—evil in the daylight, friends in the darkness—is obviously not unique to The Witcher but certainly a central part of it: One of Geralt's best friends, recall, is a higher vampire who wouldn't be at all out of
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