Rebel Wolves, the studio behind the upcoming dark medieval fantasy RPG The Blood of Dawnwalker, has announced that a 60fps performance mode will be included at launch via a day-one patch for console players. This addition comes after the developer initially did not list a 60fps option for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X versions when detailing graphical modes.
In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, Rebel Wolves acknowledged player requests, stating, "Performance mode was already in the works, but it was still being tested. We simply weren’t ready to promise it yet." The developer continued, "We heard your feedback. It was clear how much this mattered to many of you, so we focused on finishing the next round of tests. Those results gave us the confidence we needed to confirm Performance Mode for Day one."
When The Blood of Dawnwalker releases on September 3, players on Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5, and the PlayStation 5 Pro will have three graphical modes to choose from. The Performance mode is designed to target 60 frames per second, a Balanced mode will aim for 40fps, and a Quality mode will target 30fps. Owners of the Xbox Series S will have a single mode available, which is set to run at 30fps.
While specific differences between the modes have not been detailed, it is typical for Performance modes to prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity, often by reducing the complexity of lighting and particle effects and simplifying environmental details. The Balanced mode typically seeks a compromise between frame rate and visual quality. The PlayStation 5 Pro is also noted as being capable of 4K 60fps, particularly after recent system software upgrades.
The Blood of Dawnwalker marks the debut title for Rebel Wolves, a studio founded by industry veterans, including former key figures from The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077, such as The Witcher 3 game director Konrad Tomaszkiewicz. The game is set in a grim, vampire-infested medieval world where player choices carry significant consequences as they work to gain power for a confrontation with the vampire lord Brencis. According to a preview by Phil Hornshaw for GameSpot, the game's narrative emphasizes the impact of player actions, even when character-driven impulses, referred to as "hunger," take over.