The Blood of Dawnwalker was reportedly developed with a $40 million budget, offering new insight into how Rebel Wolves created its ambitious RPG on a significantly smaller budget than many modern AAA productions.
According to a Bloomberg report, director Konrad Tomaszkiewicz conceived the idea for the vampire RPG in 2022 and initially used his own money to fund the project while the newly formed team worked on a prototype.
By the end of 2022, the project had attracted the attention of NetEase, which acquired a 26% stake in Rebel Wolves and provided a reported $40 million development budget.
Rebel Wolves Grew From 90 to 160 Developers
Much of 2023 was spent building the development team before full production of The Blood of Dawnwalker began toward the end of that year.
Rebel Wolves originally planned to limit the studio to approximately 90 employees, but the team eventually expanded to around 160 people.
Despite that growth, Tomaszkiewicz says the current size still allows him to remain closely involved in development.
“We decided that the size of the team we have right now is the most fitting for our needs. It’s still letting me know everyone. I can speak with everyone every day. I still feel like a creator and not a manager, which is the place I want to be.”
A Strong Start for Rebel Wolves
The reported $40 million budget puts additional context around The Blood of Dawnwalker’s early commercial performance.
The RPG surpassed one million copies sold shortly after launch, giving Rebel Wolves a strong start with its first project.
The studio isn’t stopping there either. Early planning for the next chapter of The Blood of Dawnwalker is already underway, while Rebel Wolves continues supporting the current game with updates — including the recently confirmed New Game Plus mode.
