Resident Evil has once again built itself as a heavy-hitter in the horror gaming genre. The last two mainline entries and the barrage of remakes made sure of that. With the inevitable Resident Evil 9 growing nearer each day, fans expect Capcom to not pull any punches so let’s break down everything we need to know about it from rumors to the release date.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Resident Evil 9 Status: A reputable leaker claims it’s in development.
- 5 Resident Evil Titles In The Pipeline: Capcom reportedly plans to release up to 5 Resident Evil games which include remakes, spinoffs, and mainline entries.
- New Protagonist: Resident Evil 9 likely won’t follow Ethan or Rosemary Winters as their saga was finished with the Shadow of Rose DLC.
- Possibly Open World: Resident Evil 9 might be open world and take place in a ghost town.
- Speculated Release for 2025: No official release date yet but expected to be revealed in 2024 and released in 2025.
Is Resident Evil 9 In The Works?
Ever since the release of the Resident Evil 4 remake, Capcom has been silent on where the series will go next. But to put it simply, will there be a Resident Evil 9? Yes, Capcom will be making Resident Evil 9, that anyone can say with absolute certainty.
Resident Evil is Capcom’s golden goose. It’s the best-selling franchise for the developer at 154 million copies sold by 2024, and it can be considered Capcom’s lifeblood at this point. Furthermore, the series has been on an all-time high level of popularity these past few years due to the streak of well-received remakes and mainline games, so it would be weird of Capcom to not capitalize when the sales are just there for the taking.
And like always, it wouldn’t be another Resident Evil game if there weren’t a couple of leaks about it before an announcement. Dusk Golem, a reputable leaker who is known for spilling the beans on a bunch of horror games in the past including Resident Evil Village and the Silent Hill 2 remake claims that Capcom is working on not 1, not 2, but 5 Resident Evil games! One of which is reportedly a sequel to Village.
The remaining four are speculated to include remakes of Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil – Code: Veronica, initially released on Dreamcast. Additionally, a new spin-off focused around Rosemary Winters might be on the table, and fans of Resident Evil Revelations shouldn’t completely lose hope for a third installment either. That said, while 5 Resident Evil games seem too far-fetched, Capcom indeed has Resident Evil 9 in the pipeline at the very least.
Resident Evil 9 Release Date?
Resident Evil Village was released back in 2021 and if Capcom sticks to its recent tradition of a 4 year gap between each mainline entry, we can expect Resident Evil 9 to hit stores in 2025. This also coincides with what Dusk Golem says about the game being announced sometime in 2024 and targeted for a 2025 launch.
Both Resident Evil 7: Biohazard and Resident Evil Village were officially revealed in the month of June and released the following year. Once again all reports indicate history repeating itself so Resident Evil fans might have a lot in store for them later this year.
What Will Resident Evil 9 Be About?
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard and Resident Evil Village followed Ethan Winters on his quest to protect his family which led him to facing unimaginable horrors. Over the course of the two games, fans grew fond of Ethan and expected him to be the new face of the series. But by the end of Village, it was apparent this marked the end of the Winters Family saga, at least of Ethan Winters’ considering his demise.
So what monstrosities await us in Resident Evil 9? Well, this part is about to be a doozy.
For starters, the oldest leak about the game originated on 4Chan and was spotted by the gamingleaksandrumors subreddit about 2 years ago. The leaked contents included a game development document that disclosed important details about the ninth entry. It stated that Resident Evil 9 was going for the title “Apocalypse” and would have something to do with the ninth moon phase. The story would be connected to the previous two games and will have themes similar to Village and Biohazard, as well as cameos of some past villains.
The document further added that Apocalypse is being developed as a third-person survival horror game with players being able to explore areas like caves, an unsettling forest level, and a ghost town. There were also mentions of NPCs and enemies such as flying “wendigo” monsters, a female villain in a green and gold dress, and a “giant black dog”. You’ll find more details on this specific leak in the hyperlink above, but that’s the gist of the 4Chan discovery.
A Playable Chris Redfield? The Return of Leon And Jill?
Another rumor states Chris Redfield is supposedly the protagonist of Resident Evil 9, and that old characters from the franchise will be re-introduced and their stories will come to a close. This means we finally have the possibility of seeing the return of fan favorites like Jill Valentine and Leon Kennedy, both of whom have been MIA since Resident Evil 5 and 6, respectively.
Before we jump ahead, you should take these Resident Evil 9 rumors and leaks with a massive grain of salt. While they certainly seem appealing and even believable, it’s still Capcom’s official announcement you should wait for before setting expectations.
The Franchise Might Be Going Open World In Resident Evil 9
Resident Evil 9 seems to be making a drastic change if this new rumor by Dusk Golem is anything to go by. We might be seeing an open-world setting for the first time in a Resident Evil game. That doesn’t necessarily hint at total abandonment of the classic Resident Evil vibes which took us through creepy hallways or ominous villages per se, but it does suggest the franchise will be expanding its roots into uncharted territories for better or worse.
According to Dusk Golem, Capcom’s upgraded version of their RE Engine seems to have paved the way for an open world Resident Evil game. With the engine improving from game to game, Dusk Golem claims that Capcom has opted, as with Dragon’s Dogma 2 and Monster Hunter Wilds, to make Resident Evil 9 an open-world game.
As to how an open world setting will be used, maybe the Dark Souls formula where resting at locations respawns enemies is used as an inspiration. You could perhaps stumble on abandoned houses with hidden loot, dodge zombies in the streets, and maybe even find a safe haven in a hidden cabin. The scares wouldn’t be trapped in one place, they’d be everywhere, waiting to jump out from any dark corner. Sounds a lot more intriguing and terrifying.
As we await the next horrifying adventure among Resident Evil’s bio-infected lore, our expectations are sky-high. Next year seems to be when Resident Evil 9 will arrive, and if that’s true, it’ll be a hell of a time to be a gamer considering GTA 6, Death Stranding 2, and so many more iconic franchises are set to return.