The Blood of Dawnwalker PC Controls: What You Need to Know First
The Blood of Dawnwalker PC controls cover movement, directional combat, vampire abilities, menu shortcuts, and traversal across a fully rebindable keyboard input system. Developed by Rebel Wolves, a studio founded by former CD Projekt Red developers including Witcher 3 director Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment, The Blood of Dawnwalker launched on September 3, 2026 for PC (Steam), PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. It runs on Unreal Engine 5 and follows Coen, a half-vampire navigating a world governed by a 30-day real-time clock.
The Blood of Dawnwalker keyboard controls are fully rebindable through the in-game settings menu. Controller keybinds on PS5 and Xbox are not remappable through the game itself; controller players choose between two preset schemes called Default and Alternative. All keybinds described below reflect the default layout at launch.
Stat: The Blood of Dawnwalker sold one million copies within its first three days of release. Within a week of launch, Rebel Wolves began hiring for sequel development, signaling the strong commercial reception of the studio’s debut title.
The Blood of Dawnwalker Keyboard Controls: Full Default Keybind List
The Blood of Dawnwalker PC keybinds organize inputs into five categories: General, Menu Shortcuts, Movement and Camera, Combat, and Abilities. Every action accepts only one key binding at a time. Pressing L at any point reveals a contextual control guide overlay that shows the most relevant keybinds for your current situation.
General Keybinds
| Action | Default Key | Input Type |
| Interact | F | Press |
| Left Quickslot | 1 | Press |
| Top Quickslot | 2 | Press |
| Right Quickslot | 3 | Press |
| Bottom Quickslot | 4 | Press |
| Pause Menu | Esc | Press |
| Quick Menu | Tab | Press |
| Toggle Control Guide | L | Hold |
The Blood of Dawnwalker Menu Shortcut Hotkeys
| Action | Default Key | Input Type |
| Quick Save | F5 | Press |
| Quick Load | F9 | Press |
| Active Abilities | X | Press |
| Character Screen | C | Press |
| Court | B | Press |
| Crafting | T | Press |
| Glossary | G | Press |
| Inventory | I | Press |
| Journal | J | Press |
| Map | M | Press |
Pro Tip: The Blood of Dawnwalker lets you press a number key to select dialogue options during cutscenes, even though the numbers do not appear on screen. The dialogue list is numbered in the background, so pressing 1, 2, or 3 selects the corresponding answer without clicking. This saves real time during talkative sequences and feels noticeably smoother on keyboard than cycling through a controller menu.
The Blood of Dawnwalker Movement Keybinds
| Action | Default Key | Input Type |
| Move Forward | W | Hold |
| Move Backward | S | Hold |
| Move Left | A | Hold |
| Move Right | D | Hold |
| Sprint | Left Shift (Toggle) | Press to Toggle |
| Jump | Space | Press |
| Crouch | Left Ctrl | Press |
| Climb / Mantle | W + Space | Press |
| Clawride (Vrakhir form, near ledge) | Left Ctrl | Press |
| Planeshift (near flat wall) | R | Press |
| Move Camera | Mouse | Move |
| Lock Target | Middle Mouse Button | Press |
| Next Target | Scroll Wheel Down | Scroll |
| Previous Target | Scroll Wheel Up | Scroll |
| Walk (slow movement) | Left Alt (hold) | Hold |
Important: The Blood of Dawnwalker keyboard controls do not include a Walk toggle by default. Holding Left Alt activates slow walking, but there is no toggle option in the base game. Players who want a proper walk toggle need a mod or third-party keybind tool to add that behavior.
The Blood of Dawnwalker Combat Hotkeys
The Blood of Dawnwalker combat controls introduce a directional layer on top of standard attack and block inputs. Attacking and blocking without a directional input triggers an Omni action. Holding a WASD direction while pressing the same button triggers a Directional action aimed at the corresponding angle.
| Action | Default Key | Input Type |
| Draw / Sheathe Weapon | Y | Press |
| Swap Weapon (armed/unarmed or claws) | F | Press |
| Omni-Attack | Left Mouse Button | Press |
| Directional Attack | Hold WASD + Left Mouse Button | Hold and Press |
| Omni-Block | Right Mouse Button | Press |
| Directional Block | Hold WASD + Right Mouse Button | Hold and Press |
| Dodge | Hold WASD + Space | Hold and Press |
| Toggle Quickslots | Q | Press |
The Blood of Dawnwalker Ability Keybinds
| Action | Default Key | Input Type |
| Focus | Right Mouse Button (without weapon drawn) | Hold |
| Navigate Ability Wheel | Z (while Focused) | Hold |
| Use Ability | Left Mouse Button (while Focused) | Press |
| Shadow Step (Forward) | E | Tap |
| Shadow Step (Aimed) | E + Mouse | Hold and Release |
| Drink Blood | Space | Press |
Directional Combat in The Blood of Dawnwalker: Why Keybinds Matter Here
The Blood of Dawnwalker directional combat system lets Coen attack and block in four directions: left, right, top, and bottom. You steer the direction of each attack or block using your WASD movement keys at the same moment you press the attack or block button. Enemy attack directions display as indicators above opponents during combat, giving you the information needed to place a matching directional block.
Directional Blocks timed correctly do not consume Stamina. Omni-Blocks always drain Stamina. On higher difficulty settings (Challenging and Duelist), enemies become more aggressive and your Stamina pool becomes more critical, making directional inputs the core skill that separates sustainable combat from attrition.
Omni-Attack and Omni-Block are available for players who prefer not to engage with the directional layer, but Omni-Attacks are more frequently blocked by enemies when used repeatedly, leading to wasted Stamina on whiffed hits.
Pro Tip: On keyboard, Directional Attacks and Blocks require you to hold a WASD key and press the attack or block button simultaneously. Get comfortable pressing W+Left Mouse Button for upward strikes and S+Right Mouse Button for downward blocks as a baseline pair, since upward attacks and downward blocks cover the most common directional scenarios in early combat encounters.
The Blood of Dawnwalker Controller Keybinds: PS5 and Xbox
The Blood of Dawnwalker controller keybinds cannot be remapped in the in-game settings. The Controller menu offers two preset schemes, Default and Alternative, alongside sensitivity and vibration options. The Default scheme places attack and overworld abilities on shoulder buttons; the Alternative scheme moves attack and block to face buttons, similar to The Witcher 3’s layout.
The Blood of Dawnwalker Default Controller Layout
| Action | Xbox Default | PS5 Default |
| Move | Left Stick | Left Stick |
| Move Camera | Right Stick | Right Stick |
| Sprint | Left Stick Click | L3 |
| Jump | A | Cross |
| Crouch | B | Circle |
| Climb / Mantle | Left Stick + A | Left Stick + Cross |
| Clawride (near ledge) | B | Circle |
| Lock Target | Right Stick Click | R3 |
| Draw / Sheathe Weapon | Y | Triangle |
| Swap Weapon | X | Square |
| Omni-Attack | RB | R1 |
| Directional Attack | RB + Left Stick | R1 + Left Stick |
| Omni-Block | LB | L1 |
| Directional Block | LB + Left Stick | L1 + Left Stick |
| Dodge | B + Left Stick | Circle + Left Stick |
| Toggle Quickslots | A | Cross |
| Focus | LT | L2 |
| Navigate Ability Wheel (while Focused) | Left Stick | Left Stick |
| Use Ability (while Focused) | A | Cross |
| Shadow Step (Forward) | Tap RT | Tap R2 |
| Shadow Step (Aimed) | Hold RT + Right Stick | Hold R2 + Right Stick |
| D-Pad Left Quickslot | D-Pad Left | D-Pad Left |
| D-Pad Up Quickslot | D-Pad Up | D-Pad Up |
| D-Pad Right Quickslot | D-Pad Right | D-Pad Right |
| D-Pad Down Quickslot | D-Pad Down | D-Pad Down |
| Menu | Menu Button | Start / Touchpad Right |
| Quick Menu | View Button | Options / Touchpad Left |
The Blood of Dawnwalker Alternative Controller Layout
The Alternative scheme moves combat inputs from shoulder buttons to face buttons. Attack moves to X (Xbox) / Square (PS5), Block moves to Y / Triangle, and Toggle Quickslots moves to LB / L1.
| Action | Xbox Alternative | PS5 Alternative |
| Draw / Sheathe Weapon | RT | R2 |
| Swap Weapon | A | Cross |
| Omni-Attack | X | Square |
| Directional Attack | X + Left Stick | Square + Left Stick |
| Omni-Block | Y | Triangle |
| Directional Block | Y + Left Stick | Triangle + Left Stick |
| Shadow Step (Forward) | Tap RB | Tap R1 |
| Shadow Step (Aimed) | Hold RB + Right Stick | Hold R1 + Right Stick |
| Toggle Quickslots | LB | L1 |
The Blood of Dawnwalker Platform Controls Overview
| Platform | Input Method | Rebind Support |
| PC (Steam) | Keyboard and Mouse | Full per-key rebinding in Settings > Controls |
| PC (Steam) | Xbox / PS5 Controller | Default and Alternative presets only; no per-button remapping |
| PS5 | DualSense | Default and Alternative presets only |
| Xbox Series X/S | Xbox Controller | Default and Alternative presets only |
Controller players who need deeper remapping beyond the two presets can use the Controller Tweaks and Remap mod on Nexus Mods, which runs through UE4SS and allows reassignment of shoulder buttons, trigger layout, and walk threshold adjustments without affecting keyboard bindings.
How to Rebind The Blood of Dawnwalker PC Controls
Blood of Dawnwalker keybind remapping opens through Esc > Settings, then navigate the top tab row with Q and E to reach the Controls section. Click any action in the list, press the new key, and the binding updates immediately. If you leave an important action without a key assigned and try to exit, the game displays a Missing Bindings warning and stops you until every required action has at least one key. To reset a full page of bindings back to default, use the Reset Page to Default button available at the bottom of each category.
The game supports only one key per action. There is no secondary binding slot. Players who want WASD alternatives (arrow keys, numpad) need to rebind movement individually since no dual-binding option exists.
The Blood of Dawnwalker PC Controls Tips You Should Know
Numbered dialogue selection on keyboard. During cutscene conversations, the available dialogue options are numbered behind the scenes. Pressing 1, 2, 3, or 4 selects the matching line immediately without using the mouse.
L key shows contextual control hints. Pressing and holding L reveals a set of keybind hints relevant to what Coen is currently doing, similar to how The Witcher 3 displayed hints along the bottom of the screen. New players who feel overwhelmed by the input list should check L frequently in their first few hours rather than memorizing the full keybind table upfront.
Day and Night equipment slots are automatic. Coen carries separate equipment presets for daytime (human form) and nighttime (Vrakhir vampire form). The game switches the active preset automatically at the time boundary. You can preview and edit both presets in the Inventory menu without waiting for the current time of day to change.
FAQ
What are the default The Blood of Dawnwalker PC controls?
The default Blood of Dawnwalker keyboard controls use WASD for movement, Space for jump, Left Ctrl for crouch, Left Alt (hold) for slow walking, F for interact and weapon swap, Left Mouse Button for Omni-Attack, Right Mouse Button for Omni-Block or Focus, E for Shadow Step, M for map, I for inventory, and F5 / F9 for quick save and quick load.
How does directional combat work in The Blood of Dawnwalker on keyboard?
Directional combat on keyboard combines a held WASD direction with the attack or block button pressed at the same moment. Holding W and pressing Left Mouse Button fires an upward attack. Holding S and pressing Right Mouse Button performs a downward block. Releasing the direction key before pressing the button triggers an Omni action instead. Directional Blocks timed correctly do not consume Stamina, while Omni-Blocks always drain it.
Can you rebind Blood of Dawnwalker controller keybinds?
No. The Blood of Dawnwalker does not support per-button controller remapping in the in-game settings. Controller players choose between two preset schemes, Default and Alternative, under Settings > Controller. Players who need custom controller layouts beyond these two presets can use the Controller Tweaks and Remap mod on Nexus Mods, which requires UE4SS.
What is the Shadow Step keybind in The Blood of Dawnwalker?
The default Blood of Dawnwalker Shadow Step keybind is E on keyboard. Tapping E performs a forward Shadow Step. Holding E and moving the mouse aims the Shadow Step, then releasing E fires it in the targeted direction. On Xbox Default controller, Shadow Step uses Tap RT (forward) and Hold RT + Right Stick (aimed). On PS5 Default, it uses Tap R2 and Hold R2 + Right Stick.
What is the walk keybind in The Blood of Dawnwalker?
Holding Left Alt forces Coen into a slow walk on keyboard. There is no walk toggle in the default Blood of Dawnwalker PC controls. The game does not offer a toggle walk option in the base settings. Players who want a proper walk toggle need a mod or a system-level key remapping tool to add that behavior.
How do I open the Blood of Dawnwalker map on keyboard?
Press M to open the map in The Blood of Dawnwalker. The Quick Menu opens with Tab, and the Pause Menu opens with Esc. Individual screens have dedicated shortcuts: C for Character, I for Inventory, J for Journal, B for Court, T for Crafting, and G for Glossary.
What is the difference between the Default and Alternative controller schemes in Blood of Dawnwalker?
The Default controller scheme places attack on RB / R1 and block on LB / L1. The Alternative scheme moves attack to X / Square and block to Y / Triangle, matching a layout closer to The Witcher 3’s face-button combat design. Both schemes keep Focus on LT / L2 and Shadow Step on the right trigger. Neither scheme supports per-button remapping beyond switching between the two presets.