The Blood of Dawnwalker is set to receive a significant update in early October, introducing a new difficulty option, adjustments to combat mechanics, and improvements to player mobility. Game director Konrad Tomaszkiewicz shared details about the upcoming patch in an interview, noting that the team is also exploring a New Game Plus mode and the potential addition of new enemies.
The new difficulty level will be easier than the current Story mode, designed for players who wish to focus on the narrative without engaging deeply with combat challenges. This new mode will effectively replace the existing Story setting, which will be renamed. Following the update, The Blood of Dawnwalker will feature five difficulty levels: the new, easier Story mode, the renamed Story mode (currently unnamed but possibly 'Demanding'), Fair, Challenging, and Duelist.
Combat targeting and camera behavior are also being refined. Tomaszkiewicz acknowledged that a change where the game switches targets when a stun-like crowd-control ability is used was his intention, but player feedback has led Rebel Wolves to reconsider. The upcoming patch will modify this behavior, potentially allowing players to perform up to three hits after stunning an enemy before the target lock shifts. The developers will monitor player reactions to this adjustment.
Performance issues, a frequent point of player feedback on Steam, are being addressed. While incremental hotfixes have already been deployed, Tomaszkiewicz cited the vast number of PC hardware configurations as a challenge during initial testing. The team is actively gathering hardware information and implementing fixes to improve game performance across a wider range of systems. He noted that while the game isn't a shooter where extremely high frame rates are critical, the studio is committed to enhancing the player experience.
Improvements are also coming to player escape mechanics. Currently, running away from combat can be clunky and players may get stuck on scenery. The patch aims to make escaping more fluid by allowing players to ignore the navigation mesh when running, ensuring a smoother experience. This change extends to enemy AI, preventing animals from aggressively pursuing players if an initial attack misses while they are in a faster movement mode.
Regarding enemy 'sponginess,' or the time it takes to defeat enemies, Tomaszkiewicz explained that this is largely dependent on player character builds and gear. He stated that the developers have aimed for a balance where strong builds can clear encounters quickly, while weaker builds may find enemies more resilient. Drastic health reductions for enemies could lead to players one-shotting all opponents with optimized builds, a situation the team sought to avoid.
Tomaszkiewicz indicated that the patch is nearing completion and is scheduled for release in early October. The Blood of Dawnwalker, which launched in early September, has already achieved over one million sales. Rebel Wolves has expressed interest in developing sequels, with plans to explore different eras and locations for the protagonist, Coen.