Summary
Ethan Winters' time in the spotlight as the new protagonist ofResident Evilmay have come to a close inResident Evil: Village, but the franchise will no doubt move forward withResident Evil 9. The series has enjoyed a successful resurgence ever since 2017’sResident Evil 7, and it’s unlikely that Capcom will want to hit the brakes onResident Evilanytime soon, instead pushing full speed ahead.
The existence ofResident Evil 9is only a rumor at this point, with no formal announcement being made by Capcom so far. A ninth game in the immensely popular survival horror series seems like a matter of time; the only question is when it will actually drop. However, when investigating release patterns for the franchise in the past, a few educated guesses can be made for when the next entry in the long-running horror series will be available.
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Resident Evil Release Patterns
Thecurrent era ofResident Evilgamesreally kick-started with 2017’sResident Evil 7. It revamped the franchise and brought it back to a more horror focused atmosphere, while ramping up the intensity in the moment-to-moment gameplay. Following this was a remake ofResident Evil 2, a longtime request from hardcore fans of the franchise. Ever since then, the pattern has seen a newResident Evilinstallment with a remake of a past game a couple of years later.
The one exception to this rule wasResident Evil 3’s remake which was released in April 2020, just a little over a year afterResident Evil 2in January 2019. This quick turnaround in development time could be due to the similarities between the two games, reusing areas and characters, as well as the significantlyshorter campaign length ofResident Evil 3in particular. Aside from this however, the release lineup has been consistent withResident Evil 7(2017),Resident Evil 2(2019),Resident Evil: Village(2021) and the remake ofResident Evil 4releasing earlier this year.
Resident Evil 9 Is Likely Coming in 2025
Based on the pattern of anewResident Eviltitle every two years, it’s safe to assume thatResident Evil 9will hit shelves at some point in 2025. Capcom and the creative team behindResident Evilhave demonstrated a rock solid production schedule thus far, with little to no caveats in terms of overall quality despite the reliable turnaround times. With theResident Evil 4remake now in the rearview mirror, all eyes are pointing ahead to the next game, which based on the pattern, should be a new installment.
Furthermore, a leaked Capcom document from a few years ago detailedfuture plans for theResident Evilfranchise, with numerous games in active development. These kinds of things should always be taken with a grain of salt, but some details have proven true thus far, and it is also likely that the studio is planning several years ahead at any given point in time.
Even more evidence pointed to this potential release window thanks to reputable leaker DuskGolem, who claimed earlier this summer thatResident Evil 9is coming in 2025. All of these statements are rumors and unconfirmed leaks, so fans shouldn’t jump to conclusions until Capcom makes an official statement. However, based on the release pattern detailed above it isn’t a stretch to connect the dots and see what’s possibly next for theResident Evilseries.
Resident Evil 9is not confirmed to be in development.
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