The Blood of Dawnwalker director says delayed next-gen consoles could benefit smaller studios

Winners & losers: Famed video game director Konrad Tomaszkiewicz has shared surprisingly contrarian views on the impact of delayed next-generation consoles on game developers and publishers, arguing that such delays could actually benefit indie studios and startups. Best known as the director of The Witcher 3, Tomaszkiewicz is currently leading development of the upcoming vampire-themed RPG The Blood of Dawnwalker.

Speaking to Eurogamer, Tomaszkiewicz said he believes the reported delays could be a blessing in disguise for small studios like Rebel Wolves, which he co-founded with other industry veterans in 2022. According to him, smaller teams and indie developers have an easier time optimizing their games for existing consoles than developing for entirely new hardware.

Tomaszkiewicz revealed that Rebel Wolves is preparing four builds of The Blood of Dawnwalker – one each for Xbox Series and PlayStation 5, along with two PC versions tailored for different regions with varying ratings restrictions. According to him, delivering bug-free patches for four versions of a game is already challenging enough without having to develop additional builds for next-generation consoles.

Tomaszkiewicz argued that supporting new platforms multiplies the workload required not only from developers but also from testers, who must ensure that the game "has no blockers (and) you can finish it from the beginning to the end." He added that the extra work could make development exponentially more complex and prohibitively expensive for smaller teams.

Originally announced in January 2025, The Blood of Dawnwalker is an open-world dark fantasy RPG set in a fictional vampire-infested kingdom in 14th-century southeastern Europe. Players take on the role of Coen, the game's main protagonist, and complete quests using his human abilities during the day and vampiric powers at night.

The game also features a time-sensitive structure, giving players 30 days and nights to achieve their goal. It offers a wide range of choices that can alter the storyline while providing more freedom than The Witcher 3. Tomaszkiewicz claims that the game draws inspiration from the first two Fallout titles.

Rebel Wolves revealed gameplay details and system requirements for The Blood of Dawnwalker in April, following weeks of media speculation about its storyline and release date. Built using Unreal Engine 5, the game launches on September 3 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series.