The Blood Of Dawnwalker launches this week, and its director, Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, has spoken about the mixed emotions of releasing a brand new IP from a new studio. The game is the first title from Polish developer Rebel Wolves, founded by ex-CD Projekt Red staff, including Tomaszkiewicz, who co-directed The Witcher 3.
Speaking just days before release, Tomaszkiewicz described feeling both excited and stressed. “There is a lot of opposite feelings because, on the one hand, I’m really excited, because we will show to the world our first game and our creation which is quite unique,” he said. “And on the other hand I’m really stressed, at how people will react and how they like what we’re doing. Because this is like you show your baby to the world for the first time and you are really curious what will be the reaction. It’s an amazing feeling, but there’s constant stress until we will know how people like it.”
Calm before launch
Tomaszkiewicz noted that this release feels calmer than previous ones, with many team members already on holiday. He said the quiet studio is unusual, as he is used to intense periods before launch. “It’s done and you just need to wait,” he explained. “And if I have time where I know that I cannot do anything more right now, it feels really weird. Like, you’re waiting for what will explode tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. But hopefully everything will be great.”
He confirmed that the game will have a 60fps performance mode on consoles at launch, following fan questions. The decision to announce it came after testing showed the mode would work. “We saw what fans were writing and we were sad that they thought that there will be no 60fps mode, because we worked on it for some time,” Tomaszkiewicz said.
Positive preview feedback
Reflecting on the press previews, Tomaszkiewicz said the feedback was mostly positive, with no negative reactions. He highlighted praise for the combat and the time mechanics. “We got a lot of positive feedback about the combat. We got a lot of positive feedback about the time mechanics that influence the emotions the way we wanted to, that it boosts the story,” he said.
The events in London and Milan also provided useful feedback, he said, allowing the team to make small adjustments. “It’s really useful to get this kind of feedback, especially from the media and from people who play a lot of games,” he added.
Risks of a new IP
Tomaszkiewicz acknowledged the challenge of launching a new IP from a new studio, but said he prefers challenges. He explained that the team focused on evolving the RPG genre rather than relying on an established IP. “We didn’t feel that it’s bad that we are not based on already established IP, because for us, after all of this experience we have from the past, it’s easier to create a new IP,” he said.
On future plans, Tomaszkiewicz said the team has already started working on the future of the franchise, while most staff focus on the launch and a patch. He said he hopes sales will allow a sequel, but stressed he is not thinking about money. “I’m thinking about how people will experience it,” he said.
The Blood Of Dawnwalker is out on September 3, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, published by Bandai Namco.
