Blood of the Dawnwalker launches without a 60fps console mode

40fps is the ceiling, at least for now

With Blood of the Dawnwalker less than two weeks from launch, Rebel Wolves and Bandai Namco have released new console gameplay footage that answers one question fans were holding out hope on: no, there is no 60fps mode at launch.

As reported by VGC, the action RPG will offer two graphics modes on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. Quality Mode targets 30fps at dynamic 4K resolution. Balanced Mode pushes that up to 40fps, also at dynamic 4K. PS5 Pro owners get the same frame rate targets but with what the developers describe as “enhanced visual quality” across both modes. The ceiling, across every console configuration, is 40fps.

For players who have been following the game closely, that news landed with a thud in the comments section under the new footage. “[I] was excited but I guess I’ll be waiting for a performance patch,” one user wrote, according to VGC. Another put it plainly: “I’d rather have the option of playing it at 1080p at 60 fps rather than 4k at 40 fps.”

The frustration is understandable. A 40fps Balanced Mode is a reasonable middle ground for players with 120Hz displays, but the total absence of a 60fps option, even at reduced resolution, tends to draw scrutiny. Whether Rebel Wolves addresses that in a post-launch patch remains to be seen.

Pedigree doesn’t make the criticism quieter

What makes this particular release feel like a bigger conversation is who is behind it. Blood of the Dawnwalker is directed by Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, the game director of The Witcher 3 and head of production on Cyberpunk 2077. Rebel Wolves is a relatively new studio, but Tomaszkiewicz is not a new name, and expectations have followed accordingly.

Those expectations appear largely warranted based on early impressions. VGC’s Jordan Middler spent four hours with the game recently and wrote that it “instantly became one of my most anticipated games,” adding that “The Blood of Dawnwalker doesn’t feel like the first game from a new studio. There’s a level of experience in the bones of this game that is evident from the opening moments.” Middler also noted: “While its developer’s pedigree is unimpeachable, ‘the new thing from the guys who made the amazing thing’ is rarely as impressive as this.”

High praise. But enthusiasm for the game’s design does not necessarily quiet the conversation around its technical options, and that tension is playing out in real time.

What players are weighing

The 40fps Balanced Mode is worth understanding in context. On a 120Hz television, 40fps delivers a noticeably smoother experience than 30fps without requiring the GPU headroom a locked 60fps would demand. It has become a popular option for visually ambitious games that cannot hit 60fps without meaningful quality concessions. Studios including CD Projekt Red and Santa Monica Studio have used similar approaches.

Still, the mode only benefits players whose displays support 120Hz VRR or 120Hz output. For everyone else, the choice is 30fps or 30fps.

Blood of the Dawnwalker releases September 3 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. PC players, naturally, will have more flexibility on the frame rate question depending on their hardware. For console players hoping to see a 60fps option added down the road, that hope now lives entirely in a future patch.