Frame rate is something that can make or break a game for a lot of players, and reports that The Blood of Dawnwalker maxed out between 30 and 40 FPS on consoles ignited a lot of frustration, with some even seeing it as a deal-breaker. However, The Blood of Dawnwalker doesn’t need the desired 60 FPS to be a worthwhile experience. Yes, frame rate can matter with certain games, but it’s not nearly as important for a game like The Blood of Dawnwalker.
The Blood of Dawnwalker‘s frame rate has been a big point of debate. After the initial backlash in response to the 30-40 FPS reports, Rebel Wolves will be offering a day one patch that bumps up the frame rate to the desired 60 FPS. For many, 60 FPS is the bare minimum when considering buying a game. Granted, there are plenty of good reasons to have these kinds of standards when it comes to deciding which games to buy, especially when gaming is becoming more expensive. However, a game’s frame rate isn’t as black and white of a situation as it often feels.
The Truth Is That Not Every Game Actually Needs 60 FPS to Be Worth Playing
If The Blood of Dawnwalker was a first-person game, then this would be an entirely different story. Granted, there are a lot of games that run at 60 FPS that also happen to be third-person. It isn’t really as noticeable of a difference, though. For first-person games, the difference between 30 FPS and 60 FPS is far more apparent.
Playing a first-person game at 30 FPS after becoming used to 60 FPS makes the experience practically unplayable for a portion of gamers. The classic first-person games of yesteryear may have been locked at the 30 FPS threshold, but as the industry and its technical capabilities have evolved, so has the audience. Frame rate stability is actually far more important than the frame rate number. Revisiting some of the best first-person PS2 games or Xbox 360 tiles on the original consoles are great examples of how 30 FPS games can still feel good. However, not every game out there nails frame rate stability, and that’s where a lot of the most common complaints about 30 FPS arise.
Gameplay and overall visuals are far smoother with 60 FPS first-person titles, but these details aren’t the only upsides. The visual stutter that 30 FPS creates in first-person can make players dizzy or even sick. It’s sometimes a sensory nightmare, so having such high frame rate expectations is incredibly valid when it comes to new first-person games. The bright side is that The Blood of Dawnwalker‘s gameplay probably wouldn’t have faced this issue.
When It Comes to Third-Person Games, Frame Rate Is a Much Different Story
Since third-person games are focused on a central character instead of being from a first-person perspective, the negative effects of 30 FPS aren’t nearly as obvious. Because the main character is the focal point instead of a surrounding game environment that is mimicking a real-life visual experience, things like motion blur are far more manageable for the brain to process. So, nausea and dizziness aren’t really as common. Sure, The Blood of Dawnwalker‘s open world will probably be more satisfying to explore with its higher frame rate, but it shouldn’t have been a deal-breaker if Rebel Wolves stuck with the original 30-40 FPS max.
Frame rate stability is actually far more important than the frame rate number.
When it comes to great fantasy RPGs that are third-person, the frame rate is rarely, if ever, attributed to what makes it such an enjoyable experience. Gameplay, map design, quests, and story are the key features that make a game like The Blood of Dawnwalker worthwhile. This vampire-fueled RPG may not be out quite yet, but The Blood of Dawnwalker has teased plenty of intriguing gameplay features that make it seem like the game has what it takes to be one of the biggest standouts of 2026.
The Blood of Dawnwalker Getting a 60 FPS Patch Is Great and All, But It Wasn’t Necessary
Plenty of games have managed to make 30 FPS work quite well. Games like Ghost of Tsushima launched with only 30 FPS support before the frame rate was eventually upgraded. Despite the lower frame rate, Ghost of Tsushima still managed to be one of the most successful games of 2020.
GTA 6 is reportedly going to be locked at 30 FPS. Rockstar has already proven before with Red Dead Redemption 2 that 30 FPS can still feel incredible. If that frame rate can work for the biggest game of the year, then it would have hopefully work just as well for a newcomer like The Blood of Dawnwalker.
Even if The Blood of Dawnwalker remained locked between 30 and 40 FPS, it has enough going for it that frame rate is simply a minor preference issue. I would love for every game to hit the 60 FPS mark, but I’m far less concerned about frame rate specifics when it’s a third-person title. A third-person RPG like The Blood of Dawnwalker is built on a foundation that prioritizes immersion, not the super sensitive and snappy controls that make 60 FPS feel so much better in first-person. The Blood of Dawnwalker‘s features and mechanics are going to be the defining details that make it worth playing or not.
Not every 30 FPS game is unplayable. There are plenty of examples of games that feel awful without 60 FPS, but a third-person RPG is a completely different story than Counter-Strike 2 or modern Call of Duty games. The difference between 30 FPS and 60 FPS can often be felt instantly, but it’s hard to imagine a scenario where The Blood of Dawnwalker‘s lower frame rate would have made a remarkable difference. I understand the frustration, but the game’s original console frame rate shouldn’t be what steers gamers away from The Blood of Dawnwalker. It looks like a compelling and original new story, so I’m remaining optimistic, regardless of frame rate.
- Released
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September 3, 2026
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content
- Developer(s)
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Rebel Wolves
