The Blood of Dawnwalker thoroughly impressed me when I visited Rebel Wolves’ studio in Warsaw, Poland, in April. Though much of my excitement was centered on the heavy reliance on choice-driven mechanics and the way NPCs react to the protagonist, Coen, based on how you interact with others in the game, I would be remiss to not mention that the combat system also feels like a step up from other similar titles. And in speaking with the seasoned game-development veterans at the nascent studio, they seem to feel that way as well.
In The Blood of Dawnwalker, players participate in similar combat as other action/role-playing titles where you can attack, block, or parry an incoming attack. Even The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, a game directed by Rebel Wolves founder and The Blood of Dawnwalker game director Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, used a variation of this system. However, by adding a layer of directionality to the existing foundation, Rebel Wolves hopes to introduce new layers to the tried-and-true formula.
Now, instead of just needing to rely on timing for your parries, but also the direction from which it’s coming, as indicated by the icon on the enemy. You can use omni-direcitonal blocking similar to the standard parry-based combat, but it consumes more stamina than a concentrated directional block or parry. Through this system, Rebel Wolves hopes to avoid the feeling of detachment from the action, as, in those other games, players can sometimes become so good at the rhythm of the combat that they almost zone out during fights. With this directional approach, players must remain focused on where the attacks are coming from. Additionally, as I saw in one miniboss fight against The Forgotten Guardian, some more capable foes can deliver unblockable attacks, which you must dodge.
Though the studio has landed on a combat system it’s proud of, it took a long way to get there. After all, this is Rebel Wolves’ debut title, so much like its protagonist’s journey in said game, each choice carries great magnitude. “There were different iterations of it throughout the years; I think it went quite a long way to reach the point where it is,” creative director Mateusz Tomaszkiewicz says. “At some point, we reached the conclusion it would be really nice to experiment with directional combat. At the same time, we’re aware of all of the controversies around it, like worries that some players have about it being too complex or too difficult. It was a balancing act to get to the point where it feels easy to learn but hard to master, and just enjoyable overall. We did a lot of playtesting with all kinds of players – more casual players, very hardcore players – to get it to the point where it’s enjoyable for everyone.”
And according to Rebel Wolves, the feedback from those playtests has yielded positive reinforcement. “Together, we tried to create combat which is for everyone, but also have this directional component,” Konrad Tomaszkiewicz says. “People who already played the game from the outside are saying that because you focus on directions, what’s happening in the combat, you feel that you are inside the combat, not that you are watching it from a far distance. I think it’s a really good achievement, because in RPGs, the most important [thing] is immersion. And immersion is, when you are inside, what you are seeing all the time, and if the combat is not really good, and you are just pressing buttons and watching what’s happening on the screen, then there are moments when you come out from it. What we’re trying to do is keep you in the world we created.”
But that’s not all, as Coen features two distinct combat suites: one for his daytime human form, and one for his nighttime vampiric form. As a vampire, Coen grows claws and fangs, so he doesn’t need to rely as much on swords. However, if he so chooses, he can draw a sword to take down enemies. Additionally, as Coen’s adventure progresses, he can level up to learn new abilities. In his vampire form, he learns vampire abilities. While I only see traversal-based powers during my hands-off demo, Coen eventually learns vampire abilities he can use in battle. “It evolves while you’re playing,” Konrad Tomaszkiewicz says. “We’re adding new possibilities, new actions for your opponents, and new skills you can use to fight with whole groups of opponents.”
When I ask Mateusz Tomaszkiewicz about his favorite new abilities, he touts a powerful move that I saw one of the enemy vampires use in a cutscene. It turns out Coen will eventually be able to unlock and harness this power. “You have a bunch of these abilities from special sword techniques to blowing up people with magic so they explode in a pool of blood,” he says. “That’s my favorite, personally, and I really enjoy it. But generally speaking, there is a lot to look forward to with these abilities. They’re pretty exciting, and they make these different playstyles also feel very different from one another.”
You can also customize the experience across various parts of the game, including combat, with difficulty settings for Story, Normal, Duelist, and Nightmare modes. “I hope that when people have fun with the combat, they will try the higher difficulty levels,” Konrad Tomaszkiewicz says. “In them, we turn off these indicators, and you won’t have U.I. showing in which direction you should fight, but you’re observing your opponents and reacting to what’s happening on screen. It’s a really cool and unique experience.”
It’s safe to say that The Blood of Dawnwalker skyrocketed up my list of most anticipated games of 2026 after my extended demo. It’s clear that Rebel Wolves has the vision and experience to pull off something special like the early hours indicate this might be, but we’ll need to wait until September 3, when The Blood of Dawnwalker arrives on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, to see if the studio can deliver on all of this potential.
