The Blood of Dawnwalker's Secret Ending Is Hidden Near the Start of the Game

Au revoir, family

I love a secret ending in a video game, especially one that allows you to essentially say "nope, I'm outta here," and abandon the main quest entirely. Even though it prevents you from actually experiencing most of the game, knowing the option is there helps me feel more immersed in the character I'm playing. It'd be a shitty thing to do, but if The Witcher 3 let Geralt ride Roach off into the sunset? You best believe I'm taking that option first then reloading an old save to continue searching for Ciri.

How to find the secret ending in The Blood of Dawnwalker

The Blood of Dawnwalker lets you do exactly that, and it's brilliant. All you need to know is exactly where to go. If you're just here to watch the secret ending unfold, check out the video below:

Alternatively, if you want to head there for yourself, go to the spot on the map below at nighttime:

When you approach, you'll discover a broken bridge. If you've leveled up shadowstep, then you'll be able to cross this in one go, but if not, you'll need to descend into the valley from the eastern edge, just west of the Coward's Path shrine. If you go too far into the valley, you'll be attacked by some wolves, which may be too high a level if you're doing this early on.

Use planeshift and shadowstep to climb the rocky face; then, when you get to the top, follow the path. Snow will start falling and eventually you'll come to an open gate. Coen will ponder whether to go through it or not, but ultimately the choice is yours: you can leave Vale Sangora, never to return, and earn the achievement/trophy for finishing the story of The Blood of Dawnwalker without fighting a single boss, except for that one at the end of the prologue.

The credits will roll, followed by the post-credits cutscene we saw during The Game Awards 2025. This has huge implications for future games in the series, so only keep reading if you don't mind spoilers. (Not for the full ending to The Blood of Dawnwalker, just the post-credits scene.)

[Editor's note: Spoilers follow for the secret ending of The Blood of Dawnwalker.]

The Blood of Dawnwalker secret ending post-credits cutscene explained

The post-credits cutscene for The Blood of Dawnwalker cuts to modern day, with Coen bleeding out on a chair. A delivery driver arrives, and after sliding a box along the floor to our protagonist, Coen opens it up to reveal a blood bag. He drinks it to heal, stands up, and faces an ominous, shadowy figure floating by the window.

I still haven't finished The Blood of Dawnwalker the legitimate way, so I have no idea who that figure is meant to be. However, what we do know is that developer Rebel Wolves intends for this to be the first game in a long saga, and they've also said that subsequent games will explore different periods and cultures in time. In a somewhat similar way to how Abstergo and the templars exist through to modern day in the Assassin's Creed games, it seems like the Dawnwalkers will do the same, and that Coen will be part of it for a long time to come. Whether the next game will be the one set during the present day, or if that will be saved for a future release beyond the immediate sequel, only time will tell.