Capcom says revisiting classic Resident Evil titles is helping keep the series active while supporting future games and new projects.
Capcom has no plans to slow Resident Evil down. The publisher wants to release a Resident Evil game every year, with producer Masachika Kawata revealing that remakes have become a key part of making that possible. Speaking in the latest issue of Game Informer magazine, Kawata explained that revisiting older entries helps Capcom bridge the gap between new games while continuing to invest in future Resident Evil titles and other projects.
The strategy has kept Resident Evil busy on both fronts. Earlier this year, Capcom released Resident Evil Requiem, the latest mainline entry, which has already sold more than six million copies, with post-launch updates also on the way. Meanwhile, Resident Evil Veronica has already been confirmed as the franchise's next remake.
Why does Capcom want to release a Resident Evil game every year?
Kawata said producing a brand-new Resident Evil every year would be "a difficult task", making remakes an important part of the series' release strategy. The developer said: “Producing a new entry in the Resident Evil series every year would be quite an undertaking and a difficult task.”
Instead, alternating between new games and modern remakes allows Capcom to keep Resident Evil releases coming more regularly while giving developers the opportunity to refine their craft. "Being able to revisit older games and remake them helps Capcom meet that goal of releasing a Resident Evil title each year, but it also allows the team to continually challenge themselves and hone their craft," Kawata said. “That's not to say the remakes are any less important. In fact, they're just as important as the mainline titles.”
How do Resident Evil remakes support future games?
Keeping Resident Evil on a steady release schedule is only one benefit of the strategy. Kawata explained that the commercial success of the remakes also helps fund future Resident Evil games alongside other Capcom projects.
"Capcom is lucky enough to have found this cycle that can continue to provide us with the financial resources to create things like new entries in the Resident Evil series and completely new IP like Pragmata," he said. “So there is that relationship there.” That approach could continue benefiting Capcom's wider portfolio in the years ahead, whether through future Resident Evil entries, additional Resident Evil Requiem content, or entirely new projects.
Which Resident Evil games could still receive remakes?
Resident Evil Veronica is the next classic to receive the remake treatment, but several major entries are still waiting in line. Resident Evil 5, Resident Evil 6, Resident Evil Zero, and Resident Evil Outbreak were among the titles players frequently requested when Capcom asked fans which games they wanted remade in its 2023 Resident Evil survey. The original Resident Evil also ranked highly in the survey, though Capcom has yet to reveal which game could follow Veronica.
With Resident Evil Veronica up next, it may not be long before Capcom reveals which classic might receive the remake treatment after that.
