The Blood of Dawnwalker targets 40fps on consoles — but no 60fps at launch
Rebel Wolves and Bandai Namco have shared the first console gameplay of their upcoming action RPG The Blood of Dawnwalker, and with it came an answer to a question every console player asks: how will it run? The short version: two graphics modes on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, with frame rates topping out at 40fps. There is no 60fps option at launch. (VGC)
For players who like the terminology: "fps" is frames per second, the measure of how smoothly a game's image updates on screen — higher means smoother motion. "Dynamic 4K" means the game renders at a 4K resolution target but scales the pixel count up or down in real time to keep performance steady.
The two modes on PS5 and Xbox Series X are a Quality Mode targeting 30fps at dynamic 4K, and a Balanced Mode targeting 40fps, also at dynamic 4K. PlayStation 5 Pro — Sony's mid-generation hardware upgrade, released in November 2025 — will hit the same frame rates and resolution targets, but with enhanced visual quality across both modes. (VGC)
The absence of a 60fps performance mode is notable. Many current-generation console games offer a 60fps option that prioritises smoothness over visual richness, and players have come to expect it. The Blood of Dawnwalker will not have one on any console at launch, according to Pure Xbox. Whether one arrives in a post-launch patch is an open question the developers have not yet addressed.
The game is directed by Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, who served as game director on The Witcher 3 and held production and secondary game director roles on Cyberpunk 2077 — both titles developed at CD Projekt Red. Rebel Wolves is the studio he co-founded after leaving that company, and The Blood of Dawnwalker is the studio's first announced project.
The Blood of Dawnwalker is set to release on September 3 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. The game is a single-player action RPG — a genre focused on story-driven combat, exploration, and character progression — built on Unreal Engine 5.
For console players weighing a purchase, the calculus is now clearer. The game will look sharp on a 4K display, and the 40fps Balanced Mode offers a middle ground between the visual fidelity of Quality Mode and the buttery smoothness of 60fps that many players prefer. It is a compromise — a common one in this console generation, where developers balance ambitious visuals against fixed hardware. Some players will be fine with it. Others will hold out hope for a 60fps patch.
Either way, the console performance picture is now on the table before launch, and that is what matters: players can make an informed call.
