Ex-CDPR dev behind The Witcher 3 says new vampire RPG The Blood of Dawnwalker is all about how players "shape their own way of play," just as "pen and paper refugees" did in tabletop games like D&D

Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, a former CD Projekt Red developer with experience in leading gems like The Witcher 3, says new RPG The Blood of Dawnwalker is all about player choice.

Tomaszkiewicz, who is directing The Blood of Dawnwalker, declares as much during a new interview with GamesRadar+ at Gamescom 2025. When asked about Rebel Wolves' decision to add more camera options to the vampire game following fans' feedback, the game lead explains, "I believe that RPG games should be about choice, and players should choose the camera they like and play that way." The devs' decisions revolve around users' freedom.

"That's why everything we are doing is about the freedom – not only the camera choices, but also the combat, the narrative sandbox you have in the game, and how you want to progress to the main goal. If you prefer to play at night or day or mix those together, it's up to players." Tomaszkiewicz continues, describing how he was inspired by old "pen and paper" tabletop experiences like Dungeons & Dragons and the choices they offered players.

As the director states, "my dream and my vision was to make [an RPG] a few steps closer to the pen and paper refugees, where you have the Game Master, and when you're doing something, he or she reacts and evolves your story and your experience in a different way, but to the same goal." Rebel Wolves was striving for that sort of organic, heavily player-driven vibe in The Blood of Dawnwalker, hence its emphasis on choice.

Ensuring fans have "fun" is "the most important" thing, according to the lead – and I'm inclined to agree as a longtime lover of both tabletop games and video game RPGs alike.

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After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms' clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, including Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she's not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she's probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she's spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3. If you spot her away from her PC, you'll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.

With contributions from

Josh WestEditor-in-Chief, GamesRadar+

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