It’s 2026, and one of the big games of 2026 was almost going to be released without a 60fps mode. The Blood of Dawnwalker was set to only reach 40fps, even on PlayStation 5 Pro. But a flurry of complaints has forced developer Rebel Wolves to speed up its timeline for a mode with a higher framerate.
The studio recently revealed a new gameplay trailer that showed how the vampire RPG would look on console. While some players quibbled over the quality of the open-world footage, others were dismayed that there was no mention of a 60fps performance mode. “That opening clip stating 2 modes are available with one targeting 30fps and one targeting 40 fps and on ps5 pro to boot confirms that this is absolutely gonna be a game I buy on pc instead if I decide to buy it lol,” read one YouTube comment. “I much prefer to buy physical though so it’s a pity.”
Now Rebel Wolves is saying don’t worry, a 60fps mode is on the way, it just wasn’t originally ready to confirm its arrival by launch on September 3. “The Blood of Dawnwalker will receive a Performance Mode targeting 60 FPS on PS5, PS5 Pro, and Xbox Series X on Day 1 through the launch patch,” the game’s official X account posted on August 24. “On Friday, we answered your questions about console performance with what we knew we could confidently deliver at launch.”
The developers continued, “Performance Mode was already in the works, but it was still being tested. We simply weren’t ready to promise it yet. We heard your feedback. It was clear how much this mattered to many of you, so we focused on finishing the next round of tests. Those results gave us the confidence we needed to confirm Performance Mode for Day 1.”
The original version of the trailer on YouTube has since been set to private, and players looking forward to the game are relieved that they’ll at least have the option to play the combat-heavy RPG with a more fluid look. At the same time, I played the entirety of The Witcher 3, which Rebel Wolves’ lead developers worked on, and which The Blood of Dawnwalker looks exactly like, on console at 30fps without ever feeling slighted. The 60fps version that arrived later for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S was great, but a good game is a good game regardless of the number of frames.
The only concerning bit might be why Dawnwalker‘s 60fps mode was in the works but wouldn’t be ready in time for launch. Day-one versions of games are more hit-or-miss than ever. The Witcher 3 certainly wasn’t in the greatest condition on release day. Hopefully Dawnwalker is.