2024 is the End of an Era for Resident Evil

It’s looking increasingly likely that 2024 will mark the end of the era for Capcom’s Resident Evil franchise, as it will be the first time in five years that no new game from the series hit store shelves. Capcom has released a new Resident Evil game nearly every single year since the original was released in 1996. The stretch from 1998’s Resident Evil 2 to 2007’s Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles is the longest streak that the franchise has gone when it comes to new releases, with the second-longest streak now coming to an end.

Earlier this year, it was looking likely that Resident Evil was going to break its five-year streak of new game releases. However, there was still hope at the time that Capcom would announce a new Resident Evil game for release in late 2024 to keep the streak alive. Any hope for a new Resident Evil game dropping in 2024 died when the franchise didn’t make an appearance at the latest PlayStation State of Play event. Barring a surprise shadow drop at The Game Awards or something, it seems safe to say now that Resident Evil‘s five-year streak is coming to an end.

The latest Resident Evil new release streak started with the critically-acclaimed Resident Evil 2 remake in 2019, mirroring the previous long streak that started with the original Resident Evil 2. Capcom followed that game up with the Resident Evil 3 remake in 2020, which was joined by the multiplayer game Resident Evil: Resistance. Resident Evil Village followed in 2021, with Resident Evil Re:Verse dropping in 2022. Finally, the last game in the streak was the Resident Evil 4 remake. Again, unless Capcom surprises fans with a shadow drop, the lack of a new Resident Evil game for 2024 is certainly the end of an era.

All Resident Evil Games from the Last 5 Years

• Resident Evil 2 – 2019
• Resident Evil 3 – 2020
• Resident Evil: Resistance – 2020
• Resident Evil Village – 2021
• Resident Evil Re:Verse – 2022
• Resident Evil 4 – 2023

While it looks like no new Resident Evil game is releasing in 2024, that doesn’t mean that the franchise is dead. On the contrary, Capcom almost certainly has brand-new Resident Evil games in the works right now. In fact, reputable insiders have suggested that there are at least three new Resident Evil games in development.

What Are the Next Resident Evil Games?

• Resident Evil 9
• Resident Evil Code: Veronica Remake
• Resident Evil Zero Remake

If the leaked information is accurate, the next Resident Evil game will be Resident Evil 9. The recently-published Resident Evil 9 Metacritic page has fans hoping that a reveal for such a game will happen sooner rather than later, but it’s expected to follow in the footsteps of Resident Evil 7 and Village. Assuming that’s true, it’s likely that Resident Evil 9 will feature a first-person perspective and continue the story that started with RE7.

Besides Resident Evil 9, Capcom is believed to be working on remakes of Code: Veronica and Zero. Fans have been asking for a Resident Evil Code: Veronica remake for years, and such a project could go a long way in filling in some narrative gaps that are currently present in the remake games. A Resident Evil Zero remake would also help fill out the franchise’s backstory for those that have only played the remakes and haven’t bothered with the originals.

Less reputable leakers have said that a remake of the original Resident Evil game is in the works. If that ever comes to pass, it would be the second full-blown remake of the original RE. The first Resident Evil remake was released in 2002 for the GameCube, with a remaster of said game readily available to play on modern platforms. Still, a new remake of the original Resident Evil game using the over-the-shoulder camera of the more recent games could be exciting. If nothing else, it would be nice to be able to play through the entire series in one cohesive style.

If all the rumored Resident Evil remakes come to pass, the only games left would be Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil 6. While it was a commercial success, many believe that Resident Evil 6 is the worst main series RE game, and so Capcom would definitely have its work cut out for it if it were to attempt a remake. Considering how Resident Evil 5 ends, it may be better for Capcom to focus its attention on a remake of that game instead to bring the RE remakes to a close. Of course, fans can expect Capcom to continue releasing brand-new main series Resident Evil games in the coming years as well, with Resident Evil 9 almost certainly set to be followed up by Resident Evil 10, 11, 12, and so on and so forth until the franchise stops making money.

Resident Evil

Resident Evil is a long-running survival horror franchise developed by Capcom. Spread across numerous mainline and spin-off entries, the series is known for it’s third and first-person action horror, zombie-related monsters and references, and challenging puzzles.

Summary

Capcom’s survival horror franchise.

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