The Blood of Dawnwalker, an open-world action RPG currently in development by Level Wolves, recently held a media event in Korea to showcase a playable demo and host an interview with the development team. The interview was conducted with Korean and Asian media outlets and featured Jakub Szamalek, Narrative Director and Lead Writer at Level Wolves.

The most significant feature of The Blood of Dawnwalker is that time itself is treated as a resource. Combined with the game's nature as a 'narrative sandbox,' this makes player choices incredibly impactful. Furthermore, the developers designed the game around the protagonist, Koen—a being who exists between vampire and human—to ensure that combat and gameplay styles differ between day and night.

The Blood of Dawnwalker, a game offering a unique playstyle and a rich narrative, is scheduled for release on September 3, 2026, for PC, PS5, and XSX|S.

30 Days of Day and Night: Time as a Resource

The structure seems designed with multiple playthroughs in mind. How much of the quest content is set to be achievable within the limited time of day and night.

"Once the main part opens, the player is given 30 days of day and night to save their family. While you can complete most of the quests you are interested in within that limit, we did not design it so that every single quest can be finished in one go.

We included a time limit because we wanted to provide the sense of urgency that often disappears in open-world RPGs. In most games, even when you are tasked with a critical mission, you can roam the world as much as you want. Eventually, you stop believing in the urgency of the quest. We wanted to inject the pressure of time into the game so that players could become more immersed in the main story.

However, time in this game doesn't just tick away automatically. It is more like a resource the player spends. Time passes based on the actions you take, and you have some control over how the clock moves.

Time passes not just after completing a quest, but during it as well. What was the reason for this design.

"We experimented with several methods. We felt that a system where time stands still during long quests and then suddenly jumps forward at the end felt unnatural.

So, we divided quests into multiple segments and placed time-resource costs at points where it felt natural for a specific action to consume time. For example, if a character asks for help and you decide to assist them, time passes. This signifies that the player is investing their time into that character's situation and story.

Where did you draw inspiration for the time management system.

"We didn't get direct inspiration from one specific game or copy a system wholesale. Instead, we looked at Japanese games with time-management elements and classic Western CRPGs, comparing how they utilize time to find our own inspiration. We didn't want the real-time passage of time to stress the player out—like a situation where you get a phone call while playing and someone dies in the game while you're away.

Instead, we wanted to give players control over time while still maintaining a sense of urgency in the game world. If someone in the game asks for help and you go off to play a minigame or continue doing other things, it creates a disconnect between the world and the player. In our game, if someone asks for help and you make them wait, the situation actually changes. In reality, time is a precious resource, and who you talk to and where you spend your time changes your life. We wanted to capture that feeling in the game.

It seems impossible to complete everything at once due to the 30-day limit.

"Rather than trying to finish everything at once, I recommend considering multiple playthroughs. You might need to step away from the familiar open-world playstyle. However, I believe new experiences and growth happen when you step outside your comfort zone. We wanted to create a game that is fresh and takes risks, and I believe those risks give this game its unique flavor.

Did the time limit put a strain on the narrative structure.

"In some ways, it was actually easier. Having situations constrained by time made it natural to construct character motivations and dialogue.

The difficult part was deciding what happens when time runs out and how to reflect that within the quest structure. It was an additional challenge as it added a layer of non-linearity, but I think it was worth the effort.

A Journey Shaped by Choice

Quest progression changes based on choices, but the outcome of the prologue seemed similar. Are there multiple endings.

"Not all villagers die at the end of the prologue. They are captured and taken away, and you later discover that they are being held in the dungeon of the capital castle.

The game expands from the prologue area into a large open world. There are many quests within it, and each quest has choices that lead to different outcomes. Ultimately, there is an epilogue sequence where you return to the village, but what happens in that epilogue varies greatly depending on the player's choices.

Some characters might be alive, while others might be dead. Someone might like Koen, while another might hate him. The game can end in very diverse ways.

I'm curious about how main quests and side quests are distinguished.

"There isn't a strong distinction between main quests and side quests in the traditional sense. After the prologue, the goal you must achieve to finish the game is to go to the castle and confront Brensis. What you do in the meantime is entirely up to you. Some might head straight for the core objective, while others might wait until the 29th day, building relationships or forming alliances with others. There is even the possibility of betrayal.

What you do during the game has a major impact on the endgame state. The epilogue will reflect the journey the player has created.

Can you go back and play quests or content you missed after the ending.

"Once the game is over, you cannot return to quests or areas you didn't explore earlier. Instead, we encourage multiple playthroughs. You cannot see all the content in a single run. Since there is so much content that cannot be seen at once, I think it's best to play twice, or perhaps three times, if you want to see everything.

Of course, I know there are players who want to roam the world and enjoy it even after the tension of the main quest is gone. But we decided that doing so wouldn't fit our world. Instead, if you want to see how the results change by making different choices and exploring different areas, starting over will be a meaningful experience.

Narrative Sandbox and World-Building

Managing day and night, branching stories, and the results of all choices must not have been easy. I'm curious about the development process.

"The key was iteration and trial and error. We have experience making games with non-linear structures and many choices before, but we wanted to raise the bar even higher with this project.

In this game, the story can continue even if you kill every NPC. Some quests unfold differently depending on whether you are human or a vampire. We consider these choices as much as possible during the documentation phase, but as you implement them and play through the entire game, you constantly discover situations you didn't think of during the design phase. Then, you have to add extra choices or place new checks elsewhere.

We received a lot of feedback from the entire studio, including gameplay designers and graphic artists. Sometimes, even after recording was finished, we would find and recycle unused voice-over lines to add new non-linear elements. It was a complex but enjoyable process.

What kind of experience did you want to give players through the narrative sandbox.

"I want players to talk to each other about their own play experiences. The results can vary—whether Koen's mother survived, whether Vladimir, the leader of the local rebels, survived, or whether there was a flag at the church or a dead woman.

I think players can find deep satisfaction in becoming co-creators of the story. We provide the tools and blocks through the game, but at the same time, we allow players to create a story that feels true to them.

Books have a fixed beginning and end. But games are different. As long as people are playing them, they are alive, constantly changing, and offer a unique experience that only games can provide. I think players who love stories and RPGs will find deep satisfaction in this game.

Is it possible to fail to clear the game if you make the wrong choices.

"You can reach an ending one way or another. To put it extremely, it is possible to eat all the cool NPCs. Only a very small number of characters always survive. You can finish the game even if you act like a complete monster. However, the ending might be quite horrific.

Do all choices made by the player become canon? Can these choices carry over to a sequel.

"I don't mean that we will carry over every single choice. That would be too ambitious. It's hard for us to say we would go that far.

However, we do want to record key decisions and bring them into the sequel. Some hidden endings might not be considered canon. But we want to make sure that the player's choices have consequences that transcend the individual work. We want to give players the feeling of building their own saga across future games.

What are the motifs for the world-building and setting? I'd like to hear what kind of story you wanted to tell through a being between human and vampire.

"We drew inspiration from many places. This game is deeply rooted in European history and culture, and we were heavily influenced by European myths, monsters, and stories about evil.

Koen is a Dawnwalker, a human by day and a vampire by night. As a vampire, he possesses powerful abilities that humans lack. But to grow that power, he must drink blood, and in the process, he loses a part of his humanity. The player chooses for themselves how close to the darkness they will get to achieve their goals.

I think the moment a game becomes most interesting is when choices have meaning. Players can balance between good and evil or forge their own path. Some players will fight to protect Koen's humanity, while others might choose to lean deeper into the darkness.

Why did you choose a relatively realistic world based on actual history.

"We wanted the world to be believable and feel real. Of course, there are fantasy elements like magic and monsters. But we felt that if it were rooted in actual history, it would be easier for players to feel like this might have actually happened.

Because I majored in archaeology, I love old stories and myths. That background helped in weaving together elements like Roman mythology and legends. In the end, you could say it's a method of picking out interesting elements from actual history and adding fantasy elements to them.

Where is the game set.

"We wanted to express the diversity and richness of medieval Europe. The game world features characters representing various cultures of medieval Europe, such as Slavic, Germanic, Czech, and Jewish. However, we didn't want to fix it to a specific region. We didn't want to be tied to specific historical or geographical constraints. Rather than choosing one exact point, we wanted to create a world inspired by that era and culture.

Because vampires are beings that have lived for hundreds of years, we were able to reflect cultures from more distant regions. The appearance of vampires from ancient Rome, the Mongolian steppes, and Egypt was a choice made to provide that diversity.

I'm curious why the story begins in a world already dominated by vampires.

"There is a saying in storytelling: "Don't start at the beginning." The beginning can be boring, so it's often better to start in the middle of the action.

How vampires took over the world is presented in the opening. Players who want to know more can dig deeper through related quests, in-game books, and reading materials. We decided it was better to show the moment the vampires began their rule in the introduction and then let the player explore the already-conquered world.

During the game, there are parts where the screen turns red, as if showing the next story. What does that mean.

"On the surface, it looks like a game about vampires, but underneath, there is a deeper setting and story. Those scenes are meant to hint at that deeper story.

To truly understand where the monsters came from and what they want, you have to explore the world. If you look closely at ancient tombs, ruins, murals, and mysterious books, you can find clues. The full story will be better revealed to players who have the patience to dig deep.

What is the structure of the 'Monarchy' or 'Court' system.

"It was inspired by medieval Europe and feudalism. It's a pyramid structure with a lord at the top, followed by knights and serfs. Brensis is at the top of the pyramid of evil. He is the master of Veil Sangora, and beneath him are three vampire vassals. As players explore the world, they can intervene in this structure and weaken it to prepare for the final attack.

However, the more aggressively the player intervenes in their operations, the more Brensis realizes that the player is a threat. He becomes increasingly angry and begins to issue special decrees to block the player's progress.

Some players might attack Brensis quickly, while others might slowly erode his power over 30 days. We wanted to create a game that reacts to the player's playstyle. That's why we call it a narrative sandbox. We allowed players to freely combine various story elements and experience them in different orders and ways.

Human and Vampire, Dawnwalker Koen

What was the most important element in the vampire design? How did you express Koen's transformation.

"The element we focused on most in vampire design was the teeth. We thought teeth were a feature that made vampires immediately recognizable. In our world, the older a vampire gets, the more teeth they have. Very old vampires even grow teeth in strange places. It's like teeth popping out from under the skin.

In Koen's case, the most noticeable change is his eyes. After transformation, Koen's two eyes have different colors. This expresses his duality as a human by day and a vampire by night.

Does the player's choice between day and night, humanity and vampirism, reflect on Koen.

"Yes. The game has elements that record and reflect how the player has played. For example, if Koen loses control and unintentionally drinks someone's blood, he is shocked at first. But as that happens repeatedly, Koen becomes increasingly desensitized. Even when defeating other vampires, that darkness remains within Koen in a sense.

The game's ending also changes depending on whether the player accepted the darkness or tried to keep their distance. I think games are a great medium for testing a player's moral compass. Books and movies follow someone else's story, but games put the steering wheel in the player's hands and ask, "What would I do."

If your health is low at night, you get a disadvantage in conversation due to the bloodsucking urge. I'm curious why you included this phenomenon.

"Playing as a vampire is a cool and powerful experience. But we also wanted to show the downsides that come with it. That downside is the craving for blood.

If you don't manage this craving properly, there are negative consequences. If you talk to a NPC without feeding Koen, you might lose control, even if that person is a close friend or a romantic interest. A situation might occur where Koen sucks their blood. This system was designed to make you feel the burden and danger of living as a vampire.

Do vampires from different cultures have different combat styles and roles.

"Yes. The vampires you meet in the game each have their own unique character, combat style, abilities, and role within the world.

Players can disrupt their activities to weaken the vampire regime. For example, the wetland area is ruled by a vampire named Ambrus. He is responsible for collecting, storing, and transporting blood. If the player disrupts his operations, other vampires also become weaker, and the chances of achieving the final goal increase.

Why do Brensis' subordinates come from various countries and cultures.

"There wasn't a specific rule or system. We wanted diversity and wanted each character to feel different in appearance, tone, and expression. We were also curious about how people would perceive each character. For example, we were surprised by the many positive reactions to Ambrus. There were many questions about whether he could be a romantic interest. Honestly, it was an unexpected reaction.

Could you explain more about the romantic interests.

"There are several romantic interests in the game. In some cases, you will feel a clear spark from the beginning, and in others, you might find out that a character you didn't expect has feelings for Koen. We wanted to create room to get to know each character more deeply, do things together, and develop the relationship to the next level. For players who want to build relationships with NPCs, there will be plenty of opportunities.

Combat and Exploration Design

The directional combat felt difficult. I'm curious why you designed such a combat system.

"Through directional combat, we wanted to express the senses of a skilled swordsman. We wanted to give the feeling of a warrior who knows not just how to fight with force, but where to aim to land a fatal blow.

Directional combat gives players more choices. You can feel more directly in control of the combat situation, and at the same time, you have to watch more carefully what the opponent is doing. However, since there may be players who don't want to actively use this system, we also provide options to adjust the experience to suit individual tastes.

In the early demo, the combat patterns of day and night felt similar. Does it change in the latter half.

"Yes. As the character grows, new skills and abilities open up for both day and night. During the day, you can use magic, and as you find and learn various spells, your combat style shifts toward relying more on magic. At night, the more blood you drink as a vampire, the more powerful and dynamic vampire skills you unlock. Also, because you can absorb the abilities of other vampires you defeat, your choices become broader.

What was the most difficult part of balancing day and night combat.

"The biggest challenge was that vampire combat at night felt attractive and powerful. The experience of fighting as a supernatural being leaves a strong impression in itself. So, we had to make the human-state combat during the day just as interesting.

To this end, we provided new combat elements during the day through spells and swordsmanship. We wanted both day and night playstyles to be fun to explore. However, we also thought it was natural for differences to arise, such as solving things more aggressively through combat at night and solving difficult situations through conversation during the day.

There are a lot of animals and enemies. What was the intention behind this design.

"We wanted the world to feel alive and realistic. So we placed various animals. For players who don't want to drink human blood, animals can be an alternative blood source. During the day, the relationship with animals is different. We are also working on adding a feature to pet animals. We know many players like this feature, so we want to include it in the game if possible.

We wanted to make monsters not exaggeratedly large and flashy, but beings that could be hiding in the shadows somewhere in this world. You won't see many monsters when traveling on main roads or in cities. But if you go into dark places like wetlands or forests, there is 'something' there.

We referred to Central and Eastern European myths and folklore and prepared various enemies. By having enemies that attack in groups, enemies that attack from a distance, and large enemies that you have to circle around to attack, we ensured that players who like action can keep feeling the tension.

How much variety is there in enemies and combat tools.

"I'm not a gameplay designer, so it's hard to give an exact answer. However, from what I see, variety is one of our important design principles.

There are many mini-bosses in the game, and there are not only a variety of monster types but also custom enemies tailored to specific quests or situations. We also provide players with various tools. Powerful weapons have unique attack abilities attached to them, which you can add to your actions and skill list. For players who enjoy complex combat and want to build their own combat style, there will be many choices.

Is there a reason why many things are not displayed on the map like in a typical open world.

"We didn't want to hide content, but we didn't want to take away the sense of discovery either. Finding that balance was important. Some content is highlighted from the beginning, but some must be discovered through exploration. If you climb to the top of a tower at night, you can open up specific points of interest.

However, there is quite a bit of hidden content that the game doesn't tell you about until the end. This is a structure to reward players who explore thoroughly. We wanted to give players the satisfaction of discovering something that most other players haven't seen.

Dawnwalker Saga and Future Expansion

The SGF video hinted that Koen is still alive in the modern era. Do you plan to continue Dawnwalker as a long-term series.

"We don't want to end this story with one game. We want to create one long story, one saga, through several games in the Dawnwalker universe.

Time will pass through each work, and Koen will get closer to the modern era. He is not a character who stays in one place, but one who will travel to various regions of the world. And he will age, gain experience, and grow. Players will see those changes for themselves. We want to create a broad and grand story that continues across multiple works.

What message does the trailer featuring an older Koen contain.

"Through that trailer, we wanted to signal that this is just the beginning. We didn't want to show this game as a standalone work, but as the starting point of a long-term and grand adventure.

Time will pass in the future, and Koen will travel to various places and grow as a character. In many franchises, the protagonist doesn't change much even after saving the world several times. But we want Koen to change. The initial Koen is young, inexperienced, and confused about what happened to him. We hope to show a different side of him in future works.

I'm curious if you are considering expansion into other media.

"We are already talking about comic books. Other forms are also possible. However, we are a small studio. We have 160 people, which is by no means a large scale for making a game of this complexity. So we are trying not to do too many things at once. First, completing the game itself as a great experience is the priority. We will think about other things after that.

What is the scale of the game? Can you tell us how it compares to larger open-world games.

"In terms of level scale or playtime alone, it might be smaller than some of the large games on the market. But we didn't want to compete over "how many hundreds of hours the game is." Our game is a game with depth. As you play, that depth will be revealed, and you will feel that it offers things you haven't easily seen in other games.

Lastly, please say a word to your Korean fans.

"I want to say thank you once again. I am very happy to be able to share this game with you. The last four years have been a very intense time. We poured a lot of passion and soul into this game. I hope that effort reaches the players as well. I hope you enjoy playing it.