Blood of Dawnwalker director says 30-day clock may not return for sequel

The 30-day countdown in The Blood of Dawnwalker may never tick again.

Director Konrad Tomaszkiewicz told Eurogamer that Rebel Wolves has not decided whether the time mechanic will return in a sequel. The studio will only keep it where it fits the story.

Rebel Wolves has said it wants to make more Blood of Dawnwalker games. The current game is the studio's debut. The studio was co-created by Tomaszkiewicz, who was game director of The Witcher 3.

The mechanic is simple to grasp. Players get 30 days and 30 nights to rescue their family from Brencis, a vampire antagonist. The limit is meant to give the quest shape and urgency.

Time does not run constantly. It moves forward when you finish quests or move them to their next stage. It also advances when spending points in some skills. Exploring the open world does not use time. Fighting minor enemies, such as wolves, does not either.

Tomaszkiewicz said the game was balanced so around 80 percent of its content can be completed with the clock running. That leaves room for side tasks. It still forces choices.

That choice is the point. Rebel Wolves will not force the system into every game. If a future story does not need a deadline, it will not have one.

For fans, this means the sequel talk is real, but the rules are not set. The clock defined the first adventure. The next one could play very differently.