The Blood of Dawnwalker Is Making Combat More Accessible in Its First Major Update

The Blood of Dawnwalker is set to receive its first major update in early October 2026, with Rebel Wolves preparing a new easiest difficulty, revised combat targeting, improved stun behavior, easier ways to escape encounters, and further performance work. Game director Konrad Tomaszkiewicz outlined the plans during an interview with Eurogamer, although the studio has not announced an exact release date or complete patch notes.

The update arrives only weeks after the dark fantasy action RPG launched on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. While earlier patches concentrated mainly on technical problems and progression issues, this larger update is expected to make noticeable changes to how players approach the game’s story and combat.

A new Story mode will reduce the combat barrier

The Blood of Dawnwalker currently offers four named difficulty settings: Story, Fair, Challenging, and Duelist. The October update will add a fifth option positioned below the current Story setting.

This new difficulty will take the Story name and is intended for players who want to follow Coen’s journey without facing the existing level of combat challenge. The current Story difficulty will remain available under a different name, but Rebel Wolves has not finalized what it will be called.

The distinction is important. Tomaszkiewicz described the new setting as an option for people who are primarily interested in experiencing the story rather than overcoming demanding fights. However, the developer has not explained exactly how encounters, mandatory battles, or bosses will function under the new setting.

For that reason, it would be premature to describe the mode as completely removing combat. What has been confirmed is that it will become the game’s easiest option and will reduce the gameplay challenge beyond the current Story difficulty.

Targeting and stun behavior are being revised

Rebel Wolves is also responding to feedback about target selection during fights involving multiple enemies.

Under the current system, Coen can automatically shift his attention to another opponent after stunning his active target. Tomaszkiewicz explained that this behavior was originally intentional. It was designed to help players move between enemies without immediately striking and releasing the opponent they had just stunned.

The automatic switch has not worked for everyone, particularly when players want to continue focusing on the same target. The October update is expected to remove that forced transition and give players more control over which enemy Coen attacks.

To support the revised behavior, a stunned opponent is planned to withstand three hits before the stun ends. This should allow players to remain focused on the affected enemy briefly without immediately undoing the setup.

These are targeted adjustments rather than confirmation of a complete combat redesign. Details involving damage balance, enemy aggression, animation changes, and individual abilities have not been announced.

Leaving unwanted fights should become easier

The update will also change how players escape combat. Running away can currently become difficult when enemies continue pursuing Coen or when environmental obstacles interrupt his movement.

Tomaszkiewicz said Rebel Wolves is working on both combat movement and the process of disengaging from encounters. The director described this as a meaningful change for players, but the studio has not yet explained how enemy pursuit distance, movement speed, or encounter boundaries will be adjusted.

Giving players a more reliable escape route could be particularly useful in an open-world RPG. It would allow players to reconsider an encounter, avoid unnecessary wildlife battles, or return after improving their equipment and abilities.

Performance improvements are also part of the planned work. Rebel Wolves has not provided a platform specific breakdown, target frame rates, or a complete list of technical fixes, so players should wait for the official patch notes before expecting a particular problem to be resolved.

New Game Plus remains under consideration

Rebel Wolves is exploring New Game Plus and the possibility of adding more enemy types, but neither feature has been confirmed for the October update.

No details have been announced regarding carried progression, retained equipment, adjusted difficulty, or how a second playthrough would interact with the game’s time system. The studio has also not committed to new enemies or provided a timeline for their possible arrival.

The confirmed focus remains the new easiest difficulty, targeting and stun revisions, improved combat escapes, and performance work. The Blood of Dawnwalker is available now on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Players should look for an exact release date and the full list of changes once Rebel Wolves publishes the official October patch notes.