"Dawnwalker: Human by Day, Vampire by Night - Director's Mechanic Details"

Discover the intriguing dual life of The Blood of Dawnwalker's protagonist, as revealed by the former director of The Witcher 3. This unique game mechanic blends human and vampire traits, making gameplay more dynamic and engaging.

The Blood of Dawnwalker: Introducing a Unique Game Mechanic

Former Witcher 3 Director Teases Protagonist's Day-and-Night Abilities and Limitations

Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, the former director of The Witcher 3 and founder of Rebel Wolves, has introduced an innovative game mechanic in The Blood of Dawnwalker. This new studio, Rebel Wolves, comprises several former members of The Witcher 3 team and aims to bring fresh ideas to the gaming world.

In a recent interview with PC Gamer, Tomaszkiewicz discussed his desire to move away from the typical superhero narrative seen in media like Marvel movies. He stated, "It’s hard to do those stories because you are just stronger and stronger and stronger. So I searched for an idea for the hero, which would be near the ground—or grounded—and needed to solve things in a different way. But, also, I wanted to give some kind of superhero to the players."

To achieve this, Tomaszkiewicz developed a protagonist, Coen, who embodies the duality of being half-human and half-vampire. During the day, Coen faces all the vulnerabilities of a human, but at night, he gains access to supernatural powers and abilities.

Tomaszkiewicz highlighted the inspiration behind this mechanic, saying, "It’s somehow interesting, this duality of the hero, which we know from Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde, for example. It’s something in pop culture that is well known and wasn’t explored yet in games. It gives you a different layer to those non-realities, and I think it would be quite interesting because nobody yet has done that. And we will see how people will like it."

This mechanic introduces new strategic elements to the gameplay. Players might find it advantageous to engage enemies at night, especially non-vampiric foes, while relying more on cunning and strategy during the day when vampiric powers are unavailable.

Witcher 3’s Ex-Design Director Also Revealed “Time-as-a-Resource” Mechanic

Daniel Sadowski, the former design director of The Witcher 3, shared details about another innovative mechanic in The Blood of Dawnwalker during an interview with PC Gamer on January 16, 2025. This "time-as-a-resource" mechanic ties quests to a time system, forcing players to make strategic choices about which missions to prioritize.

Sadowski explained, "It will definitely force you to make choices at some points, like what to do, and what to ignore, because you will also have to choose which content you want to do, and which content you want to ignore, in order to maximise your chances of defeating the main enemy. But you will be able to choose between different ways to approach the problem, and that all ties into the narrative sandbox again."

This mechanic requires players to carefully consider the impact of their choices on future missions and character relationships. Although it introduces limitations, Sadowski believes that "knowing that the time you have is limited could really help crystalise what you're going to do, and why your version of the game's protagonist, Coen, is doing it."

With the integration of these two mechanics, every decision in The Blood of Dawnwalker becomes crucial, influencing the narrative and gameplay in significant ways.