Resident Evil's next entry, Resident Evil Requiem, arrives next year, but it's very different from its original idea. While it'll have the trademark horror and aesthetics, Requiem was originally designed as an online open-world multiplayer game before Capcom decided to return it to a single-player format. However, not everything was completely reformatted from the ground up.
"There are some remaining elements, but we can't disclose what [they are]," producer Masato Kumazawa told Press Start, explaining that while the multiplayer project was shaping up to be a good game, it wasn't scary enough.
"Looking at the game when it was multiplayer, the horror part was very mild," he continued. "However, in that build, we made a game that was fun to play, but we looked deeply into this game and wondered if a fan of the franchise would really like this, so we thought they probably wouldn't enjoy it as much."
Requiem's development has spanned six years, including its time as a multiplayer project.
Kumazawa stated that what fans want most from Resident Evil is "survival-horror and being scared," calling fear "the number-one thing that fans want." Because of that, he said the team "couldn't just slap on new skins and new characters" and give players the same experience. Instead, they wanted to focus on delivering something that feels fresh while still fitting the expectations of the franchise.
The story introduces the new protagonist, Grace Ashcroft, who begins her journey overwhelmed and in immediate danger. Director Koshi Nakanishi said this contrast is intentional, explaining that Grace starts "way over her head in danger," and described her evolution as a dramatic rise in strength. He even goes as far as to call it "the most extreme gap" between helplessness and power in the series.
Nakanishi also spoke about internal playtests, saying the team feels the game delivers "an incredible rollercoaster." He noted that players will experience a strong "curve of tension to release," with the two feelings "so far apart from each other that it's going to be incredible." This design approach, he said, reflects the team's goal of making Grace's development feel meaningful while keeping the game rooted in the series' survival-horror style.
Resident Evil Requiem launches February 27, 2025, for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.
Source
"There are some remaining elements, but we can't disclose what [they are]," producer Masato Kumazawa told Press Start, explaining that while the multiplayer project was shaping up to be a good game, it wasn't scary enough.
"Looking at the game when it was multiplayer, the horror part was very mild," he continued. "However, in that build, we made a game that was fun to play, but we looked deeply into this game and wondered if a fan of the franchise would really like this, so we thought they probably wouldn't enjoy it as much."
Requiem's development has spanned six years, including its time as a multiplayer project.
Kumazawa stated that what fans want most from Resident Evil is "survival-horror and being scared," calling fear "the number-one thing that fans want." Because of that, he said the team "couldn't just slap on new skins and new characters" and give players the same experience. Instead, they wanted to focus on delivering something that feels fresh while still fitting the expectations of the franchise.
The story introduces the new protagonist, Grace Ashcroft, who begins her journey overwhelmed and in immediate danger. Director Koshi Nakanishi said this contrast is intentional, explaining that Grace starts "way over her head in danger," and described her evolution as a dramatic rise in strength. He even goes as far as to call it "the most extreme gap" between helplessness and power in the series.
Nakanishi also spoke about internal playtests, saying the team feels the game delivers "an incredible rollercoaster." He noted that players will experience a strong "curve of tension to release," with the two feelings "so far apart from each other that it's going to be incredible." This design approach, he said, reflects the team's goal of making Grace's development feel meaningful while keeping the game rooted in the series' survival-horror style.
Resident Evil Requiem launches February 27, 2025, for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.
Source