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The Blood of Dawnwalker Sets a September 2 PC Launch With an 83 Metascore

Rebel Wolves' first RPG has an 83 Metascore ahead of its September 2 PC launch at 6 p.m. ET, while reviews praise its dark fantasy world and story and note repetitive quests, uneven mechanics, and technical problems.

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The Blood of Dawnwalker screenshot showing a character in a medieval settlement beneath towering mountains — Image credit: Rebel Wolves

Correction, September 1, 2026. An earlier version listed September 3 as the release date for every platform. Steam and GOG list the PC version for 6 p.m. ET on September 2, so we have updated the article to distinguish that timing from the September 3 console release.

The Blood of Dawnwalker will arrive on PC at 6 p.m. ET on September 2 with an early critical reception that is mostly positive. Reviews began arriving on August 31, and the vampiric RPG currently holds an 83 Metascore on Metacritic, placing it just behind the first two Witcher games. The score is three points below The Witcher at 86 and nine points below The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt at 92.

Created by Rebel Wolves and directed by former The Witcher 3 director Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, the game has attracted attention for its dark fantasy setting and time-based quest design. The studio was founded by Konrad, giving Rebel Wolves a direct connection to the series that helped shape its debut RPG.

Creative director Mateusz Tomaszkiewicz also has a substantial connection to that series. He worked as a quest designer on The Witcher 2 and lead quest designer on The Witcher 3, then served as quest design director on Cyberpunk 2077. He later directed Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales and co-directed Gwent: The Witcher Card Game before joining Rebel Wolves.

In a post on X on August 31, he described the wait for reviews as “nerve wrecking” and called the early response a “great relief.” He also said he could not wait for players to try the game and share their thoughts.

Waiting for the reviews to come in has been nerve wrecking to say the least, but they're finally (mostly) here! 🙌😌

Great relief, can't wait to see you all play the game and to hear your thoughts!

It's a privilege to work with such a talented Team @RebelWolvesDevs 🥰 https://t.co/fKpR7JZcx4

— Mateusz Tomaszkiewicz 🧛‍♂️ (@MTomaszkiewicz) August 31, 2026

Former CD Projekt colleagues congratulate Rebel Wolves

Several developers who worked with Tomaszkiewicz at CD Projekt joined the congratulations. Paweł Sasko, associate game director on Cyberpunk 2, said Tomaszkiewicz and the team deserved their success. Sebastian Kalemba, game director on The Witcher 4, and Miles Tost, a level design lead, also sent their congratulations.

Marcin Momot, CD Projekt’s global communications director, said he planned to play over the weekend. Former Kingdom Come: Deliverance director Daniel Vávra and Obsidian developer Mikey Dowling also shared messages of support.

Strong worldbuilding comes with a few rough edges

The lower review scores tend to focus on the same concerns. A 3/5 review praised the combat and worldbuilding but criticized the pacing and repetitive quests. Game Rant’s 6/10 review also highlighted the game’s world and story while pointing to technical issues and a degree of jank. Another 7/10 review criticized repetition and uneven mechanics, including the central clock system that treats time as a resource.

Those complaints have not erased the game’s stronger qualities. Vice’s 10/10 review placed the RPG among the best role-playing games released since The Witcher 3. IGN’s 9/10 review praised it as a standout vampire game with a strong story, while Destructoid’s 9.5/10 review offered similarly high praise.

GameSpot’s 8/10 review found plenty to like in the writing and combat, but it also noted technical problems and said the vampire and human forms do not always feel distinct enough. That combination of praise and criticism gives Dawnwalker a more mixed profile than its 83 score might suggest.

Across the early reviews, the clearest consensus is that Rebel Wolves has built a compelling setting with rich characters and a story that carries some of the team’s CD Projekt Red pedigree. Repetition, pacing problems, and rough mechanics keep the game from earning universal praise, but the overall response still gives the studio’s debut a strong start.

Mateusz Tomaszkiewicz later thanked his team in another post on X, describing every shipped game as a “small miracle.” The early critical response has given the creative director some breathing room, but the next test will come from players when the game launches.

PC launch times vary by region

PC players will reach Laslea at different local times even though the launch moment is shared worldwide. North America begins playing on September 2, while parts of Europe and the Pacific region move into September 3.

Los Angeles unlocks at 3 p.m. PDT on September 2.
New York unlocks at 6 p.m. EDT on September 2.
London unlocks at 11 p.m. BST on September 2.
Berlin unlocks at 12 a.m. CEST on September 3.
Sydney unlocks at 8 a.m. AEST on September 3.
Auckland unlocks at 10 a.m. NZST on September 3.

Players in other cities can use this world clock converter to match the launch to their local time.

Preloading The Blood of Dawnwalker on PC

The Steam preload is available now. A PC Gamer check measured it at 48.8GB, while the game’s minimum requirements call for 60GB of storage at launch. Checking available space ahead of time should prevent an inconvenient cleanup when the game unlocks.

The Blood of Dawnwalker will release for PS5 and Xbox Series X on September 3, 2026. PC players can begin at 6 p.m. ET on September 2 through Steam and GOG, with pre-purchases available on both storefronts.

Are you planning to play The Blood of Dawnwalker on September 2 or September 3, depending on your platform, or do the mixed reviews give you pause? Share your thoughts in the comments, and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, Steam, and Telegram.

The Blood of Dawnwalker is an open-world dark fantasy action RPG set in 14th-century Europe. You play as Coen, human by day and vampire by night, fighting to save your family in a story shaped by your actions and the secrets you uncover.