Symptom guide · Progression

A Quest Will Not Progress in The Blood of Dawnwalker: Check This First

Most blocked quests are a missing requirement rather than a bug, and several real blockers have already been patched. Work through the requirements before you reload or report anything.

Last checked against official patch notes: Sep 10, 2026 · Hotfix 1.0.5

Which Blockers Were Already Patched

These are the progression problems the official Hotfix 1.0.4 notes name. If yours is on this list, update first — the fix may already be installed.

  • Fixed

    Quest progression blockers

    Hotfix 1.0.4 fixed several named progression blockers, including tutorial progression and getting stuck in houses.

  • Fixed

    Missing NPC spawn

    Hotfix 1.0.4 fixed circumstances where Murohn could fail to spawn.

  • Still reported

    Quest-specific blockers not in the notes

    Anything not named in a patch note is an open case, however similar it looks to a listed fix.

Check the Requirement That Is Actually Blocking You

Official

Work through these in order. Four out of five “stuck quest” reports end here, before a bug is involved.

  1. Confirm the exact objective text

    Read the objective you are actually on, not the one you remember. Players frequently describe an earlier step as stuck when the journal has already moved on.

  2. Check the required item

    Quest items, sword shards and crafting pieces are the most common hidden requirement. Confirm you hold the item rather than having read about it.

  3. Check the NPC or world state

    The NPC may have moved, be waiting at a different location, only be present at a specific hour, or still be mid-dialogue elsewhere.

  4. Check the time of day

    Some steps only run at a specific time of day or after a story beat. Waiting or resting is a legitimate fix, not a workaround.

  5. Check the patch status

    If the same symptom appears in an official patch note, update and retest before assuming a requirement is missing.

Blockers Fixed in the Official Notes

Official

Named progression fixes from the official notes. If your quest appears here, update first.

  1. The Heart Wants What It Wants

    A progression blocker in this quest was fixed in Hotfix 1.0.4, along with Ocha attacking Coen when guards attacked her.

  2. On the Run

    Progressing this quest no longer causes infinite loading.

  3. Hive and Seek

    One possible solution no longer ends the quest prematurely.

  4. Deep Down

    Coen can no longer get stuck inside a cave during this quest.

  5. Following Sara

    A soft-lock that could occur after following Sara was fixed.

  6. Smoke and Ashes

    Investigating the rag is now optional, so the quest cannot stall on it.

Community-Reported Workarounds

Community reported

Reported by several players, not stated by the developer. They change world state, so read the whole item before using one.

  1. Leave the area and come back

    Reported to re-trigger a conversation or objective. Fast travelling out and walking back is less disruptive than reloading a save.

  2. Rest until the next time of day

    Reported to make a time-gated step appear. Confirm the step is actually time-gated first.

  3. Reload an earlier manual save

    Effective, but it costs every hour since that save. Do this last, and only after protecting your newest working save.

Unverified

Unverified

Reported once or not reproducible. These can move your world state, so treat them as a last resort.

  1. Talk to an unrelated NPC first

    Reported to reset a dialogue flag. The reason is not established.

  2. Fight and lose, then retry

    Reported to reset a scripted encounter. No confirmed cause.

  3. Restart the game without reloading

    Reported to clear a stuck objective marker. Cheap to try, and it costs no progress.

Do Not Do This First

A blocked quest rarely means a corrupted save.

  • Do not delete the save, and do not assume corruption, until the requirements are checked.
  • Do not reload an old save before protecting the newest working one.
  • Do not treat a quest as broken while an objective, item, NPC or time requirement is unmet.

Quest Progression FAQ

What if my quest will not progress?

Check the active objective, required item, NPC state and time of day first. Several progression blockers were already patched in Hotfix 1.0.4, so update and retest before assuming the quest is broken.

How do I know whether a quest blocker was fixed?

Search the exact quest or objective. If the problem appears in an official patch note, it is fixed for that specific cause; if it does not, it stays an open case.

Is a stuck objective the same as a corrupted save?

No. A corrupted save is a last explanation, not a first one. Requirements, NPC state and patch status explain far more blocked steps.

Should I reload an earlier save?

Only after protecting your newest working save and checking the requirements. Reloading too early can overwrite a valid autosave and cost more progress than it recovers.

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