The Blood of Dawnwalker Was Built on a $40 Million Budget as Rebel Wolves Grew to 160 Staff

The Blood of Dawnwalker was developed with a budget of about $40 million, considerably lower than the spending associated with many large modern role playing games.

Development began in 2022, when game director Konrad Tomaszkiewicz personally funded the studio during its first year. The early team focused on preparing a pitch document, recruiting staff and building a prototype before external investment arrived.

NetEase later acquired a 26 percent stake in Rebel Wolves and provided the $40 million budget that supported production.

The game has since sold more than one million copies and received a positive critical response, giving Rebel Wolves a strong start with its first major project.

Rebel Wolves expanded as the project grew

Full production began near the end of 2023, and the studio steadily increased its workforce as the scope of the game expanded.

Rebel Wolves had around 90 employees in 2024. That number has now grown to roughly 160.

Tomaszkiewicz said the studio did not reach that size simply by deciding it wanted more people. Hiring took time, and the development team repeatedly reviewed the amount of work required as the game became larger.

The company also used contractors during production, but some of those workers were eventually brought into the studio as full time employees.

Tomaszkiewicz believes the current team size fits the developer’s needs while still allowing him to remain closely involved with the creative process. He said the studio is still small enough for him to know and speak with individual team members rather than functioning only as a manager.

That balance appears important to Rebel Wolves as it considers future growth.

Writer Jakub Szamalek said the studio is actively watching its expansion and does not want to increase headcount simply for the sake of becoming larger.

A sequel is already being prepared

The Blood of Dawnwalker is expected to become a broader franchise rather than remain a single game.

Rebel Wolves is already recruiting a lead writer for its next project, indicating that early work on a follow up has started. The studio has also teased material involving protagonist Coen in a modern setting, although the direction of the next game has not been fully explained.

Save data from The Blood of Dawnwalker is expected to carry over into the next title in some form. Details about which decisions, statistics or story outcomes will transfer have not yet been revealed.

The studio is also reconsidering some of the systems used in the first game. The distinctive time mechanic may not necessarily return unchanged in a sequel, with the developers still deciding how it should evolve.

Before moving fully to the next game, Rebel Wolves still has plans for the current release.

A New Game Plus mode is in development, although no release date has been announced. Tomaszkiewicz has confirmed that the feature is coming.

The combination of a $40 million budget, a team that remained below 200 people and sales of more than one million copies shows the relatively focused production model Rebel Wolves used for its debut. The studio now faces the challenge of expanding the series while keeping the smaller creative structure that shaped the first game.