New RPG Is Like The Witcher Meets Persona

Rebel Wolves, a studio comprised of former CD Projekt Red developers, unveiled a cinematic trailer for their debut title, The Blood of Dawnwalker. This open-world RPG, reminiscent of The Witcher, features a dark fantasy setting, morally ambiguous choices, and a compelling outcast protagonist. Unique to its genre, it also incorporates Persona-style time management mechanics.

The recently released trailer, predominantly pre-rendered cinematic footage with brief gameplay glimpses, highlights the game's Witcher-esque qualities alongside its Persona-inspired elements. Initially announced as Dawnwalker in January 2024, the game was fully revealed on January 13, 2025, during a joint stream with publisher Bandai Namco. The extended trailer (over four and a half minutes) introduces the setting and the Dawnwalkers – essentially, powerful vampires – and the protagonist, Coen, who becomes one at the game's outset.

Echoes of The Witcher

The Blood of Dawnwalker's dark fantasy backdrop, monsters, open-world exploration, and morally gray choices immediately evoke The Witcher series, even independent of its development team's history. Fans of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's Blood and Wine expansion, with its vampire elements and complex decisions, will find the premise particularly intriguing. The game's morality system allows players to choose whether Coen embraces his Dawnwalker powers to save his family or clings to his humanity.

A Persona-Inspired Twist

While sharing similarities with The Witcher, The Blood of Dawnwalker introduces a novel gameplay mechanic: Persona-like time management. Every quest consumes time, forcing players to prioritize their actions. Co-founder and game director Konrad Tomaszkiewicz explains, "There are multiple approaches to saving Coen’s family with no clear division between main and side quests; you decide on how you spend the time." This "narrative sandbox" design, where completing all quests in a single playthrough is impossible, encourages replayability and unique experiences.

Currently in development for PC and current-gen consoles (PlayStation and Xbox), The Blood of Dawnwalker is planned as the first installment of a trilogy. While a release date remains unannounced, given its 2022 development start and AAA budget, a 2027 release or later is anticipated. Rebel Wolves promises a gameplay reveal in Summer 2025.