THE DAWNWALKER JOURNAL
Dawnwalker PC Hotfixes 1.0.4 and 1.0.5
Hotfix 1.0.5 improves shader compilation and may help some players with stuttering. The preceding 1.0.4 update addresses stability, saving, controller frame-rate drops and several quest blockers.
Original announcement:
Two PC updates, with different targets
Hotfix 1.0.4 was announced on September 9, 2026, followed by 1.0.5 on September 10. This article groups them so you can match a symptom with the update that addresses it. The dates refer to the original PC announcements.
| Update | Announcement date | Main changes |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0.5 | September 10, 2026 | Shader compilation improvements that may resolve stuttering for some players. |
| 1.0.4 | September 9, 2026 | Stability, a saving blocker, controller FPS drops and gameplay or quest progression fixes. |
Hotfix 1.0.5: shader compilation and stuttering
The 1.0.5 change list focuses on the shader compilation pipeline. Its stated effect is that the improvement can fix stuttering for some users. It does not promise a universal frame-rate increase or establish that every stutter has the same cause.
If that is your symptom, let the game update finish and compare the same area with the same settings. A different scene, graphics preset or background workload makes it harder to tell what changed. The hardware requirements remain a separate baseline.
Hotfix 1.0.4: saving, controllers and stability
The earlier update includes general stability improvements and a fix for an issue that prevented saving. It also addresses frame-rate drops when a controller is connected with outdated GameInput software.
The saving fix should be distinguished from normal temporary restrictions. Combat or a scripted sequence can still be a reason to wait before trying a save. If saving remains blocked after that situation ends, note the circumstances and check that the game update is installed.
- Tutorial progression after using Voracious Bite too quickly was corrected.
- Players should no longer become trapped inside certain houses because of the addressed issues.
- A condition that disabled blocking was fixed.
- Crake can speak to Coen during his training sequence, and dead NPCs should no longer start dialogues.
Quest changes in 1.0.4
These are the named quest changes in the announcement. Find your quest below, then use the linked guides for its normal progression conditions.
| Quest or situation | Reported correction |
|---|---|
| Ocha and guards | Unintended aggression from Ocha during guard attacks was corrected. |
| Deep Down | A cave situation that could trap Coen was fixed. |
| Murohn | A condition that prevented Murohn from spawning was fixed. |
| Hive and Seek | One possible solution no longer ends prematurely because of the addressed issue. |
| On the Run | Quest progression no longer triggers the addressed infinite loading. |
| A Lone Wolf’s Hunt | The displayed difficulty level was corrected. |
| Following Sara | A resulting soft-lock was addressed. |
| Smoke and Ashes | Investigating the rag is now optional. |
| The Heart Wants What It Wants | A quest blocker was fixed. |
Other fixes worth checking
Hotfix 1.0.4 also fixes music stopping in the prologue, torches growing uncontrollably and Quality preset mods not applying properly. It addresses VSync problems when FSR Frame Generation is in use.
If a fix matches your issue, retest that specific behaviour after updating. The notes do not give a benchmark percentage, a new recommended specification or a console release schedule for these PC changes.
Before returning to a blocked route
Keep a separate copy of a save you may want to preserve, confirm the update has completed and then revisit the affected objective. If the problem remains, record the quest stage and the steps that reproduce it rather than assuming that every similar symptom is the same bug.
For a route question rather than a technical blocker, use the quest directory, relevant guide and map together. They explain the conditions for progression independently of the patch notes.