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

The former director of *The Witcher 3*, Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, has unveiled an intriguing new game mechanic for *The Blood of Dawnwalker*, where the protagonist, Coen, leads a dual life. By day, he embodies the vulnerabilities of a human, but by night, his vampiric blood awakens, granting him supernatural powers. This unique human-by-day, vampire-by-night concept introduces a fresh gameplay dynamic that hasn't been fully explored in video games yet.

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

Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, now at the helm of Rebel Wolves, a studio formed by former *The Witcher 3* team members, shared insights into this innovative mechanic during an interview with PC Gamer. Tomaszkiewicz aimed to craft a hero grounded in reality, steering away from the typical superhero progression seen in many games and films. "It’s hard to do those stories because you are just stronger and stronger and stronger," he explained. "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."

Drawing inspiration from pop culture icons like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Tomaszkiewicz crafted a protagonist who embodies the duality of human and vampire nature. This duality not only adds depth to the character but also affects gameplay significantly. By day, players must rely on human ingenuity to navigate challenges, while by night, they can leverage Coen's vampiric abilities to tackle enemies and quests differently. "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," Tomaszkiewicz noted.

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

Adding another layer to *The Blood of Dawnwalker* is the "time-as-a-resource" mechanic, as revealed by former *The Witcher 3* design director Daniel Sadowski in an interview with PC Gamer on January 16, 2025. This system ties quests to a time framework, compelling players to make strategic choices about which missions to pursue and which to forego. "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," Sadowski explained. "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 encourages players to think critically about the impact of their actions on future scenarios and relationships within the game. 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 these dual mechanics in place, *The Blood of Dawnwalker* promises a deeply engaging experience where every choice and action holds significant weight, shaping the narrative and gameplay in profound ways.