The Blood of Dawnwalker Director Responds to 120 FPS Complaints as PC Stuttering Issues Continue
The Blood of Dawnwalker is still drawing attention from PC players, but not only for its dark vampire RPG setting. Since launch, performance has been a major talking point, with players reporting stuttering problems even after the release of Patch 1.05. Now, game director Konrad Tomaszkiewicz has weighed in on another heated topic: the demand for 120 FPS.
In a recent interview, Tomaszkiewicz questioned why some players are so focused on reaching 120 frames per second in a single-player role-playing game, especially when The Blood of Dawnwalker is already running above 60 FPS on many systems. According to him, the game is not a competitive shooter where ultra-high frame rates are essential to the experience.
He explained that the team is monitoring player feedback, collecting hardware details, and working on fixes. However, he noted that some complaints focus on the game running at 70, 90, or another figure below 120 FPS, even when performance is already above 60 FPS. From his perspective, The Blood of Dawnwalker is built around atmosphere, storytelling, exploration, and RPG systems rather than twitch-based competitive gameplay.
His point is understandable in one sense. For many story-driven RPGs, a stable 60 FPS can be more than enough for a smooth and enjoyable experience. However, the issue for many PC players is not simply whether the game reaches 120 FPS. The bigger concern is consistency. Even high average frame rates can feel rough when frame pacing is uneven or when traversal stutter interrupts gameplay.
Patch 1.05 was released to address shader compilation problems in the Unreal Engine 5 rendering pipeline. Shader compilation has become a frequent source of performance trouble in modern PC games, especially when shaders are compiled during gameplay rather than fully prepared in advance. When this happens, players may notice sudden hitches while moving through the world, entering new areas, or quickly rotating the camera.
The latest update improved parts of the shader compilation pipeline, but reports suggest that traversal and camera stutter have not been fully eliminated. That means players may still experience interruptions even when the frame rate counter shows relatively strong performance.
This is why the 120 FPS discussion has become more complicated. Many PC gamers asking for higher frame rates are not only chasing bigger numbers. They are often looking for smoother frame times, reduced input latency, and fewer sudden dips. In a game like The Blood of Dawnwalker, where atmosphere and immersion matter, stuttering can break the mood just as much as poor visuals or bugs.
Unreal Engine 5 may also be part of the challenge. The engine uses pipeline state objects, often referred to as PSOs, which can trigger stutter when they are not compiled before being needed in-game. If the engine encounters an uncompiled PSO while the player is exploring, it may briefly pause or hitch while processing it. This can be especially noticeable in open areas or during fast camera movement.
The Blood of Dawnwalker is not the only Unreal Engine 5 title to face these issues. Several recent PC releases using the engine have struggled with shader-related hitching, traversal stutter, or inconsistent frame pacing. While Unreal Engine 5 offers impressive visual capabilities, including advanced lighting and detailed environments, optimizing its performance across a wide range of PC hardware remains a major task for developers.
For Rebel Wolves, the priority now appears to be continued post-launch support. The studio has already begun releasing updates, and more performance improvements are expected as the team gathers feedback from players. Fixing stutter will likely be more important to many PC users than simply raising the maximum frame rate.
Ultimately, Tomaszkiewicz’s comments highlight a wider debate in PC gaming. Is 60 FPS enough for a single-player RPG, or should modern games aim for much higher performance targets? The answer depends on the player, the hardware, and the type of game. But one thing is clear: stable performance matters more than headline frame rate numbers.
For The Blood of Dawnwalker, the real test will be whether future patches can deliver smoother traversal, better frame pacing, and fewer interruptions during gameplay. If Rebel Wolves can solve those issues, the vampire RPG may be able to shift the conversation back to its world, story, and role-playing systems rather than PC performance complaints.
