In an interview with the director and producer of the upcoming Resident Evil Requiem, it was revealed that while the game is set to release during the series’s 30th anniversary, it wasn’t originally planned that way. The interview, conducted by Andy Robinson at Tokyo Game Show, delved into the creation of the ninth mainline installment, but it also covered some interesting topics like the development process, leaks, and the possibility of future remakes for Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil Village.
Capcom is set to release Resident Evil Requiem on February 27, 2026, just a few weeks before the 30th anniversary of the series. While the timing seems perfectly planned, producer Masato Kumazawa said it was more of a happy accident that the release date landed in the anniversary year. He noted that while the team felt a certain “responsibility” to deliver a game worthy of the anniversary, the return to Raccoon City and the release timing were originally two separate things.
Remakes for Resident Evil Games May Come Soon
This is a prime example of how Capcom is always thinking about its fans, even when it isn’t intentional. They are masters of balancing nostalgic moments for long-time fans with a story that newcomers can jump into without having to do their homework. It sounds like the kind of game where if you know the lore, you’ll enjoy it 150%, and if you don’t, you’ll still get a 100% enjoyable horror experience.
One of the more interesting parts of the interview was the discussion on leaks. Kumazawa stated that while he doesn’t get too annoyed by leaks themselves, he finds it “disruptive” that unconfirmed information is often treated as gospel. He explained that when fans start believing a leak is true, they can feel betrayed if the final product doesn’t include the rumored features, even though the developers never promised them in the first place. This is a huge issue with leak culture today, where rumors can quickly become “facts” in the minds of some people.
Speaking of upcoming games, the interview confirmed that Resident Evil Requiem will be a day-one release on the Nintendo Switch 2. This is a big deal, as it’s the first time a new mainline Resident Evil game has launched on a Nintendo console on the same day as other platforms in two decades. According to Kumazawa, this was made possible because of how smoothly the development process went when they brought the existing game to the new hardware.
Director Koshi Nakanishi added that the game was already being made in a highly scalable way, so adding the Switch 2 to the mix wasn’t a massive challenge. He noted that the RE Engine, which is used to develop the games, is built to be scalable, which is a testament to the hard work of the dedicated team behind the engine.
Resident Evil Needs to Come to More Players
It’s great to see Capcom committed to bringing their games to as many players as possible. They also confirmed that they were able to get Resident Evil 7 and Village running natively on the Switch 2 as well, so all three of the most recent titles will be available at launch for the new console.
The most exciting part of the interview, at least for me, was when they were asked about remaking Resident Evil 7 and Village in the future. Nakanishi, who directed Resident Evil 7, said he could “talk for hours” about the things he would change and add. He admitted that as a director, you’re never fully satisfied with your work and that he has a mental list of things he wanted to do but didn’t get a chance to. One of his specific examples was the timing of the door closing and the torch turning on when you first enter the Baker house.
This is the kind of detail that shows how much passion goes into making these games. He also mentioned that there was a character, Lucas’s girlfriend, who was a member of the Baker family but had to be cut from the final game. Nakanishi said it would be interesting to “produce a Director’s Cut with that content added back in”. While this isn’t a confirmation of a remake for Resident Evil 7 or Village, it’s clear that the idea is on their mind.
Source: VGC
