Recommended: play with a controller
The Blood of Dawnwalker Controls
The Blood of Dawnwalker ships with full controller support and a Steam note that the developers recommend a pad. Directional attacks and blocks are the reason. A mouse can flick a camera. A stick can point a swing at “up” without taking a hand off movement. Use whatever you will actually finish a 50-hour RPG with. Just bind parry where your brain already keeps it.
The table below matches the public control maps discussed around launch. Always confirm in the in-game mapper — Rebel Wolves have iterated the ability wheel after Gamescom feedback, and a day-one patch can move a stealth bind. This page is the wiki’s launch sheet, not a substitute for the pause menu.
PC / Steam keyboard
| Action | Default key |
|---|---|
| Move | W A S D |
| Sprint | Left Shift |
| Jump / vault | Space |
| Interact | E |
| Lock on | Middle mouse |
| Light attack | Left mouse |
| Heavy attack | Right mouse |
| Block / parry | Q |
| Dodge / roll | Ctrl |
| Ability wheel | Tab |
| Use ability | 1–4 |
| Shadowstep (night) | F |
| Feed / bite (night) | R |
| Inventory | I |
| Map | M |
| Pause | Esc |
If you insist on mouse aim, put block on a side button. Q as parry is a PC RPG fossil that fights WASD. Directional combat wants block as available as attack. Then go fight a daytime bandit pack using the daytime opener so the new bind is muscle, not a wiki row.
PlayStation 5
| Action | DualSense |
|---|---|
| Move | Left stick |
| Sprint | L3 |
| Jump / vault | Cross |
| Interact | Square |
| Lock on | R3 |
| Light attack | R1 |
| Heavy attack | R2 |
| Block / parry | L1 |
| Dodge / roll | Circle |
| Ability wheel | L2 |
| Shadowstep (night) | Triangle |
| Feed / bite (night) | D-pad down |
| Inventory | D-pad up |
| Map | Touch pad |
Xbox Series X|S
| Action | Xbox |
|---|---|
| Move | Left stick |
| Sprint | LS |
| Jump / vault | A |
| Interact | X |
| Lock on | RS |
| Light attack | RB |
| Heavy attack | RT |
| Block / parry | LB |
| Dodge / roll | B |
| Ability wheel | LT |
| Shadowstep (night) | Y |
| Feed / bite (night) | D-pad down |
| Inventory | D-pad up |
| Map | View |
Console performance talk belongs on system requirements and the review page: Quality, Balanced, and a promised 60 fps Performance mode via day-one patch on PS5 and Series X (Series S excluded from that promise). Controls do not change with the frame-rate mode. Your parry timing might.
Binds that match the dual kit
Keep Shadowstep and bite on the night kit without stealing day ability slots. The build planner assumes four day and four night quick actions. If bite and blink sit on face buttons, your 1–4 keys stay hexes and gold physicals. That split is how a hybrid stays playable at dusk instead of a menu.
Frequently asked questions
Are these binds official final?
They match the public maps circulating at launch. Always check the in-game remapper after patches. Unblockable attacks still cannot be omni-blocked even if you rebind.
Does gyro or adaptive trigger matter?
DualSense support is confirmed at the hardware level. Use adaptive triggers if they help you feel a heavy versus a light; they are not required to complete the prologue.