The Blood of Dawnwalker’s First Major Update Will Add an Easier Difficulty and Improve Combat

The current Story mode will be renamed, while combat targeting, escapes, balance, PC performance, and New Game Plus are also in the studio's plans.

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Five characters from The Blood of Dawnwalker stand together against a glowing orange sky

The Blood of Dawnwalker is scheduled to receive its first major PS5 update in early October, bringing a new difficulty below the existing Story setting and several changes aimed at making combat less frustrating.

Director Konrad Tomaszkiewicz previewed the update in an interview with Eurogamer. The new option is intended for players who want to focus on the story without as much combat pressure. Rebel Wolves has not confirmed whether encounters will disappear completely or whether the setting will include a literal prompt to skip them, so it is best understood for now as a much gentler way to experience the game.

Current Story mode will be renamed Demanding, or something similar, rather than removed. A new Story option will then sit below it as the easiest difficulty available.

Combat targeting is also being adjusted. Coen can currently switch to another enemy after using a stun ability, even when the player wants to keep attention on the stunned opponent. Tomaszkiewicz said that behavior was intentional, but Rebel Wolves now plans to restore the earlier target-locking behavior after complaints from players. He also described a three-hit requirement tied to the stun state, with the team ready to evaluate how that change feels once players can try it.

Escaping battles should become less of a struggle as well. Enemies can follow Coen across the map, sometimes turning retreat into a second fight. Rebel Wolves is working on movement that ignores the navigation mesh while Coen runs away, which should make fleeing feel more direct instead of causing him to catch on the environment. Enemies will also become less resistant to damage as the studio continues adjusting combat balance.

Performance work is planned too, although the preview places most of that focus on the PC version. Tomaszkiewicz said pushing the game from 60 frames per second to 120 frames per second is not the team’s top priority, but development on PC performance will continue. Matching improvements for PS5 have not been confirmed, so console players will have to wait for the full patch details before knowing how far those changes will reach.

The October update will follow Hotfix 1.0.4, which addressed quest progression, saving, combat, stability, and several PC-specific problems. Tomaszkiewicz called the October release the big patch and said it was quite close at the time of the interview.

Rebel Wolves has also confirmed that New Game Plus is coming to The Blood of Dawnwalker, though the studio has not provided a release date for the mode.

Official patch notes have not been shared yet. Which change would improve your time in The Blood of Dawnwalker most, the easier Story mode or the combat and escape adjustments? 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.