Infamy is the one system in The Blood of Dawnwalker that quietly punishes you for playing well. The more of Brencis's regime you tear down, the higher your notoriety climbs — and unlike almost every other number in the game, it only ever goes up. Hit the top and the capital literally bars its gates against you.
Here is the catch most new players miss: raising Infamy is also how you unlock one of the game's major allies, the Manumit rebels, and a whole ending. So Infamy is not a stat to avoid — it is a stat to time. This guide breaks down all nine levels, every Edict Brencis proclaims as you climb, what high notoriety locks you out of, and the single trophy you can permanently miss by pushing it too far, too fast.
Quick answer: Infamy is a one-way notoriety meter running from Level 1 to Level 9. Each level triggers an Edict from Brencis that makes Vale Sangora more hostile — more patrols, higher prices, then locked city gates. It rises mainly by defeating the three court boyars (one full level each), clearing Soldier Camps, and completing Court Activities. It cannot be lowered. Level 4 ("Notorious") unlocks the Crake/Manumit questline and romance; Level 9 ("Dreaded") shuts Svartrau City. Infamy is separate from Corruption, your vampiric-power meter.
What is Infamy in The Blood of Dawnwalker?
Infamy is Coen's reputation with the vampiric court that rules Vale Sangora. Think of it as the regime's "threat rating" for you: a numbered ladder that climbs as you strike at Brencis's power structure.
Three things make Infamy matter more than a typical reputation bar:
- It is a nine-level ladder, not a slider. You move from Level 1 up to a maximum of Level 9, and each new level fires an in-game Edict — a decree read out by Brencis's herald — that changes how the open world behaves. PowerPyx confirms "9 Infamy levels exist, with Edicts issued at each level."
- It is one-directional. There is no mechanic to reduce it. As AllThings.How puts it bluntly: "There is no way to reduce Coen's Infamy. The meter only moves in one direction, and an edict cannot be repealed once Brencis has proclaimed it." The only "undo" is reloading an earlier manual save.
- It is a double-edged sword. High Infamy opens content (the rebel storyline) and closes content (vendors, gates, safe travel) at the same time.
Only two tiers have confirmed names: Level 4 is "Notorious" and Level 9 is "Dreaded." You will see those two words referenced constantly in quest requirements, so they are the two to remember.
How does Infamy rise?
You do not gain Infamy by feeding on villagers or by being a vampire — that is a common mix-up. Feeding raises Corruption, not Infamy (more on that below). Infamy is political: it climbs when you hurt the court's grip on the region. There are three main sources.
1. Defeating the three court boyars — the biggest single jumps. The game's mandatory power structure is three boyars — Ambrus, Bakir, and Xanthe — who answer to Brencis. Each boyar you defeat raises Infamy by a full level. As AllThings.How describes it, Infamy increases through "court activities against Ambrus, Bakir and Xanthe, clearing soldier camps and defeating the boyars themselves," with "each boyar kill worth a full level."
2. Clearing Soldier Camps. Scattered across the valley are the court's military outposts and blood-supply points. Taking these out chips Infamy upward in smaller increments.
3. Completing Court Activities. These are the region-specific objectives tied to each boyar's domain. Working through them pushes your notoriety alongside the bigger boyar fights.
Important math: beating all three boyars gives you +3 levels — that is necessary for reaching Level 9 but not sufficient on its own. The remaining levels come from Court Activities and Soldier Camps. So "max out Infamy" means "beat the boyars and grind down enough of the regime's smaller holdings."
One more timing quirk worth knowing: Edicts are not instant. Per PowerPyx, "Edicts will only be issued after a day passes in-game, not immediately when you've raised the Infamy Level." So the consequences of crossing a threshold land on the next in-game day, not the moment you land the kill.
All 9 Infamy levels and their Edicts
Each level triggers an Edict that ratchets up the pressure on the open world. The exact wording varies by source, but the escalation pattern below is drawn from PowerPyx's Edict table and KeenGamer's walkthrough. Treat the lower-level effects as the direction of travel; the Level 9 lockdown is the one with hard, confirmed consequences.
| Infamy level | Named tier | What the Edict changes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | — | Additional settlement patrols appear |
| 2 | — | Military checkpoints go up on key routes |
| 3 | — | Prices rise across the valley |
| 4 | Notorious | Extra road patrols; patrol commanders now recognize Coen |
| 5 | — | Fewer civilians outdoors from dusk to dawn |
| 6 | — | More checkpoints and a further price increase |
| 7 | — | Headhunters start appearing; all soldiers recognize Coen |
| 8 | — | All soldiers become tougher |
| 9 | Dreaded | Svartrau City gates shut; fast travel in/out disabled |
The two load-bearing, double-confirmed facts here: prices genuinely increase as you climb (so an infamous Coen pays more at merchants), and soldiers grow to recognize and hunt you, with headhunters joining the party in the back half of the ladder. Only "Notorious" (4) and "Dreaded" (9) have confirmed names — do not trust any guide that hands you cute titles for the levels in between.
The Level 9 "Dreaded" lockdown — read this before you rush it
Reaching maximum Infamy triggers the harshest Edict in the game, usually rendered as "On Svartrau Defences." At the Dreaded rank:
- Every gate into Svartrau City locks. AllThings.How: at Dreaded rank "every gate into Svartrau City is locked and fast travel in or out is disabled."
- Fast travel to and from the capital stops working. The only way in becomes climbing the walls at night (PowerPyx's Edict 9 note: "Svartrau City gates are shut (can only climb over the walls at night)").
- It never wears off. Because Infamy cannot be lowered, this lockdown is permanent for that save.
Svartrau City is the game's hub, so sealing yourself out of easy access to it mid-playthrough is a genuine inconvenience. If you still have errands in the capital — shopping, questlines, a certain fishmonger — do them before you take Infamy to 9.
The missable trophy hiding in the lockdown
The Svartrau market has a single fishmonger (marked as a Food Vendor on the map, who identifies as the Fishmonger on interaction) who only appears by day. Selling fish to her earns the "Selfish" trophy. The problem: once the gates shut at Infamy 9, she is no longer reachable, and "Selfish" becomes permanently missable for that save (KeenGamer, corroborated by the Svartrau-lockdown coverage).
A note on sourcing, because accuracy matters here: a couple of bare trophy-list pages list "Selfish" without flagging it as missable. But the guides that actually document the Level-9 despawn tie the two together. The safe play is to grab "Selfish" early, long before you flirt with max Infamy.
What high Infamy unlocks: the Manumit rebels and the Knyazmaker ending
Here is why you should not treat Infamy as pure poison. The mortal-led rebellion against the vampire courts — the Manumits, led by Crake (real name Marat) — will not deal with a nobody. Their storyline only opens up once the court sees Coen as a real threat.
- Crake's questline and romance require Infamy Level 4 ("Notorious"). AllThings.How: "Raise Infamy to level 4 (Notorious) and the quest step updates, opening the Manumits hideout." Below that threshold, the Manumit thread stays closed.
- The Knyazmaker ending runs through Crake. This is the ending where Coen defeats Brencis alongside Crake and the Manumits (PowerPyx's trophy: "The Knyazmaker — Defeat Brencis together with Crake"). You cannot reach it without first building enough Infamy to meet and side with the rebels.
So Infamy is a questline currency as much as a penalty. If the Manumit path or the Knyazmaker ending is on your wishlist, you need to push to at least Level 4 — just do it deliberately, with your capital-city business squared away first.
Infamy vs Corruption: two systems people constantly confuse
These are two completely separate meters, and mixing them up leads to bad advice. The short version:
| Infamy | Corruption | |
|---|---|---|
| What it measures | Political notoriety with Brencis's regime | How far Coen has given in to his vampiric nature |
| Range | Level 1 → 9 | Up to Level 15 |
| Rises from | Boyar kills, Soldier Camps, Court Activities | Feeding on humans/animals (Voracious Bite, Vials of Blood) |
| Can it drop? | No | Managed differently — it is your power meter, not a notoriety ladder |
| Unlocks | Manumit questline (L4), Knyazmaker ending; triggers Edicts | Vampirism-tree Ultimate Perk and vampire power scaling |
Corruption, per TheGamer, "directly measures how much Coen has given in to his vampiric nature," sits next to your health bar, caps at Level 15, and is fed by drinking blood at night. Infamy never touches that. If a guide tells you to "feed in public to lower your reputation," ignore it — public feeding is a Corruption input and has nothing to do with Infamy. For the full breakdown of the blood meter, see our corruption explained guide.
How to manage Infamy: a practical plan
Because Infamy is one-way, the whole game is front-loading your low-notoriety errands and then climbing on purpose. A clean order of operations:
- Early game (Infamy 1–3): Do your Svartrau City shopping, hit the fishmonger for "Selfish," and bank any merchant purchases while prices are low. Prices rise at Level 3.
- Mid game (push to Level 4): Clear Court Activities and a Soldier Camp or two to reach Notorious. This opens the Manumit hideout and Crake's thread — and the road to the Knyazmaker ending.
- Late game (climbing toward 9): Defeat the boyars (Ambrus, Bakir, Xanthe) for the big +1 jumps. Expect headhunters and tougher soldiers from Level 7. Finish anything you need inside Svartrau City before you cross into Level 9.
- At Level 9 ("Dreaded"): The capital locks down for good on that save. From here, enter the city by climbing the walls at night, and commit to your chosen ending.
There is no penalty for reaching max Infamy if you have cleaned up first — it is only "bad" when it strands you from content you still wanted. Plan around the lockdown and Infamy becomes a tool, not a trap.
FAQ
Can you lower Infamy in The Blood of Dawnwalker? No. Infamy is a one-directional meter and Edicts cannot be repealed once proclaimed. The only way to "undo" an Infamy gain is to reload an earlier manual save, so keep a backup save before any boss fight or camp clear you are unsure about.
How many Infamy levels are there? Nine. You climb from Level 1 to a maximum of Level 9, with an Edict triggered at each level. Only Level 4 ("Notorious") and Level 9 ("Dreaded") have confirmed in-game tier names.
How do you raise Infamy fast? Defeat the three court boyars — Ambrus, Bakir, and Xanthe — since each kill grants a full Infamy level. Supplement with Soldier Camps and Court Activities for the levels in between. Remember Edicts apply after the next in-game day, not instantly.
What happens at maximum Infamy? At Level 9 ("Dreaded"), the Edict "On Svartrau Defences" shuts every gate into Svartrau City and disables fast travel in and out. You can only enter by climbing the walls at night, and because Infamy cannot be lowered, this lockdown is permanent for that save.
Is Infamy the same as Corruption? No. Infamy is your political notoriety with the court (max Level 9, rises from fighting the regime). Corruption is your vampiric-power meter (max Level 15, rises from feeding on blood). They are separate stats with separate uses.
Does high Infamy help or hurt you? Both. It hurts by raising prices, adding patrols and headhunters, and eventually locking Svartrau City. But it helps by unlocking the Manumit rebel questline and Crake's romance at Level 4, plus the path to the Knyazmaker ending — so you want to raise it deliberately, not avoid it.
Should I avoid raising Infamy early? Avoid maxing it early. Keep Infamy low while you handle Svartrau City shopping and the missable "Selfish" trophy, then push it up on purpose once your capital-city business is done and you want the rebel content.
| *Facts in this guide were verified against PowerPyx, KeenGamer, AllThings.How, TheGamer, and Game8 as of October 2026. The Blood of Dawnwalker launched September 3, 2026 on PS5, Xbox Series X | S, and PC; it is a single-player game developed by Rebel Wolves and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment.* |
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For more, see our all endings guide, the romance options guide, the all bosses guide, and our missable items guide.
