Written by Capcom started teasing the next game in the Resident Evil series, speculated to be Resident Evil 9, announcing that the company is getting ready for an official announcement in the near future.
The tease was quietly inserted in a video commemorating 10 million players for the Resident Evil 4 Remake, where a board with the Roman numeral “IX” (9) was added.
Resident Evil 9 has been said to be in development since the launch of Resident Evil Village, with the game set to follow up and perhaps conclude the narrative that started with Resident Evil 7, which introduced a new cast of characters to the franchise.
Development is headed by Koshi Nakanishi, the director of Resident Evil 7, who has shown excitement regarding the project even as he keeps details secret. His participation has alleviated fans’ concerns regarding the direction of the new game creatively.
Leaks and rumors indicate that Resident Evil 9 could have dual protagonists, possibly including such legendary characters as Jill Valentine and Leon S. Kennedy, with familiar faces like Chris Redfield and Barry Burton reprising their roles in supporting capacities.
There is also speculation that the game will be open-world, a shift in gameplay style for the series. But these are all details unconfirmed by Capcom.
As far as the timeline goes, insiders and leakers such as Dusk Golem expect an announcement sometime later in 2025, with a release sometime in late 2025 or 2026.
The announcement could take place at a State of Play event or a similar presentation in mid-2025, following Capcom’s past trend of announcing big Resident Evil games in June. The game is said to start testing in September 2025.
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Top 5 Things to Know About Resident Evil 9
1. Release Window and Reveal Timing
One of the things about Resident Evil 9 is its official release and reveal schedule. So far, Capcom has not issued an official announcement for the game’s release date or even a complete reveal trailer.
That said, industry rumors, leaks, and past trends from Capcom’s releases give us some clues that inform fans and gamers globally about what to expect.
Capcom also has a standard record in announcing large Resident Evil games. Resident Evil Village was revealed as officially announced in January 2021, having had a full gameplay reveal during the PlayStation 5 Showcase event, and launching in May 2021.
Resident Evil 4 Remake was hinted at and unveiled several months prior to launch, enough time for advertising and hype-generation.
Capcom has in the past years frequently used large gaming events such as Sony’s State of Play, E3 (while it was still active), or their own digital presentations to announce new additions to the franchise.
Expectations, therefore, are that Resident Evil 9 will be announced via a similar big-ticket event some time in mid-2025, around June. This is around the summer window when gaming firms tend to unveil their largest initiatives.
Industry sources like Dusk Golem, who has a good history of reliable Resident Evil leaks, have indicated that Resident Evil 9 will probably be announced in the second quarter of 2025.
Early rumors had initially hinted at a possible release in the later half of 2025, but more recent information suggests that the development of the game may take more time, moving the launch to 2026.
Beta testing periods for AAA games such as Resident Evil 9 usually commence a few months prior to release. Rumors suggest that Capcom may initiate internal or closed beta testing in September 2025.
This timeframe is consistent with a late 2025 or early 2026 release, as extensive testing and refinement are essential for a series with a reputation for high production quality and gameplay mechanics.
The teaser within the Resident Evil 4 Remake video, which showed the Roman numeral “IX,” was the first official tease from Capcom regarding Resident Evil 9.
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2. Direction and Development Leadership
Koshi Nakanishi is an experienced game developer who has worked with Capcom and the Resident Evil franchise for decades. To date, his greatest accomplishment was overseeing Resident Evil 7, which came out in 2017.
The entry was a significant overhaul of the franchise, returning to the survival horror aspects of the older games but doing so with a new first-person viewpoint.
Resident Evil 7 was praised for its atmospheric horror, storytelling, and gameplay mechanics. It successfully revitalized the series by blending classic elements with modern design, earning critical acclaim and commercial success.
Nakanishi’s direction was central to this achievement, showing his ability to balance horror, narrative, and gameplay.
With Nakanishi set to return and helm Resident Evil 9, there is a high likelihood that the game will see the continuation of the story and elements established in Resident Evil 7 and continued in Resident Evil Village (Resident Evil 8). These two games ushered in a new direction for the series, a more character-focused, personal narrative alongside intense horror.
Nakanishi’s involvement suggests that Resident Evil 9 will maintain this focus on horror and deep storytelling. Fans can expect a continuation or evolution of the first-person perspective, or at least a similarly gameplay style.
While Nakanishi has kept quiet on actual details of Resident Evil 9, he has had nothing but positive things to say about the project when interviewed and making public comments.
The Nakanishi development team is also likely to take advantage of Capcom’s recent technology and design ideals. Resident Evil Village had graphics, AI, and highly detailed environments, and it is hoped that Resident Evil 9 will add to these technical building blocks to create an even more engaging experience.
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3. Gameplay and Open-World Rumors
Historically, the Resident Evil series has struck a balance between linear storytelling and exploration and puzzle-solving. Early games such as Resident Evil 1 to 3 had fairly contained environments, focusing on tension, resource management, and carefully designed scares.
Resident Evil 4 saw a more action-based style with larger, open areas but retained a largely linear progression.
More recently, Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil Village blended first-person views with semi-open worlds. Village, specifically, had a hub-based design where players had greater freedom to explore a central village and surrounding areas.
The speculation that Resident Evil 9 could adopt an open-world format is especially interesting since it would mean a larger and player-controlled experience.
An open-world game usually lets players travel through a big, seamless world with less limit on movement and mission sequence. This format promotes exploration, emergent gameplay, and a sense of immersion.
If Resident Evil 9 takes this approach, it might provide players with a huge, interconnected world with varied locations, dynamic events, and various means of tackling objectives. This would maximize the survival horror experience by introducing unpredictable encounters, more resource management, and environmental storytelling.
4. Playable Characters and Storyline Hints
One of the primary sources of hype for Resident Evil 9 is around its rumored playable characters and the narrative direction of the game.
Although Capcom has not made any public announcements on these matters, a cascade of leaks and industry insider rumors in 2024 and early 2025 have established a scenario that intrigues old fans and newcomers both.
One of the rumors is that Resident Evil 9 will feature dual protagonists, with series veterans Jill Valentine and Leon S. Kennedy in the spotlight. This would be a big return for both characters, who were fan favorites from the first time they appeared in earlier Resident Evil games.
In addition to Jill and Leon, other long-time characters like Chris Redfield, Claire Redfield, and Barry Burton are said to make appearances in supporting or playable capacities, producing what insiders have referred to as a full-fledged Resident Evil cast.
The concept of multiple protagonists is not new to the series-earlier installments such as Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 6 have tried character switching and concurrent storylines.
But having so many popular characters in one mainline installment would be a first and could enable a larger and more interconnected story.
Narratively, Resident Evil 9 will continue the threads of Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil Village. Those titles added new characters and storylines, featuring Ethan Winters and the shadowy organization The Connections.
Leaks suggest that Resident Evil 9 could finally give answers regarding The Connections, possibly closing out loose ends and finishing the saga they started in Resident Evil 7.
There are also rumors that the setting will be a “Ghost Town in the West,” and the game may include new kinds of enemies, like skin-walker monsters.
If true, rumors of double protagonists and extensive returning cast could see Resident Evil 9 adopt a branching narrative style, where players can see the story from various points of view.
The possibility of Resident Evil 9 being a “closing act” for some storylines-most notably those concerning the Winters family and The Connections-has also been teased by insiders. This would mean that the game could be a narrative bridging point, concluding current arcs while setting the stage for fresh directions in later installments.
It’s worth mentioning that, with all the leaks and rumors, Capcom has not confirmed anything regarding the playable characters and storyline of Resident Evil 9 through official channels. The company’s silence has led to rumors, but the fans should remain cautiously optimistic until confirmed announcements are given.
5. Setting and Expectations
One of the rumors surrounding Resident Evil 9’s location is that it will be set on an isolated, cryptic island somewhere in Southeast Asia. This would be a break from the European village and castle world of Resident Evil Village and the American South setting of Resident Evil 7.
The island setting would be able to provide a varied environment-from thick jungles and coastal terrain to deserted research facilities and tiny settlements-offering a new context for survival horror.
An island setting is inherently conducive to isolation, a traditional survival horror theme. Being isolated from the rest of the world maximizes tension and vulnerability, which are signature elements of the Resident Evil franchise.
Resident Evil has blended horror with science fiction, specifically bioterrorism and the repercussions of immoral scientific research.
Resident Evil 9 should continue to delve into these themes, perhaps investigating the mysterious organization known as The Connections was first seen in Resident Evil 7 and expanded upon in Village.
The game can play with concepts of legacy, corruption, and survival within a dangerous environment. The alleged addition of new types of enemies, including skin-walkers-creatures based on myth and folklore-demonstrates a fusion of supernatural horror and the franchise’s classic bio-organic menaces.
Such a fusion would allow for a different kind of horror experience that pushes the series’ narrative to a wider canvas.
The environment will be important in creating the atmosphere of the game. Resident Evil games are famous for their rich worlds that narrate stories through their design. An island environment may have biomes and places, each with its own background and secrets, inviting exploration and discovery.
Environmental storytelling could involve deserted villages, abandoned laboratories, and secret bunkers, all lending to an atmosphere of mystery and fear. The contrast between natural and human horrors can increase the psychological tension.
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