The Blood of Dawnwalker has proven a strong success for Rebel Wolves, with one million copies sold (and counting) since launch and a strong critical reception. However, what’s equally impressive is how the studio achieved this on a $40 million budget, a stark contrast to many triple-A titles that can require hundreds of millions.
Speaking to Bloomberg, game director Konrad Tomaszkiewicz said he funded the studio in its first year back in 2022 as they created a pitch document, hired staff and created a prototype. NetEase would eventually acquire 26 percent of the developer and provide a $40 million budget.
Production started at the end of 2023 with Rebel Wolves hiring even more employees throughout. “It’s not like you just say, ‘I want to work with these people’, and they just appear.” While it had 90 employees in 2024, Rebel Wolves now stands at 160, though for good reason: The project kept growing.
“We sat in the production room and counted everything. When we started to work, the game — like always — grew,” he said. While contractors were tapped, Rebel Wolves brought them on full-time, thus further expanding the team. “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,” said Tomaszkiewicz. However, after the current game’s success, writer Jakub Szamalek is more wary.
“We are aware of this growth, and we are tracking it. We don’t want to overdo it.”
Of course, this is only the beginning for the franchise. Rebel Wolves is already looking for a lead writer on the next game, and we’ve seen teases of Coen in modern times. Such is the preparation that your save data from The Blood of Dawnwalker will carry over, though in what shape and form remains unknown. It’s also undecided whether future games will utilize the same time mechanic.
In the immediate future, you can look forward to New Game Plus for the current title. It doesn’t have an ETA, but Tomaszkiewicz promises it’s on the way.
