Capcom's Master Plan for Resident Evil Remakes Revealed

Ever wonder what happens when Capcom runs out of classic Resident Evil games to remake? Well, the company has a plan, and it's been in the works for a while.

According to Jun Takeuchi, a Capcom veteran and executive producer on the series, the Resident Evil franchise is being developed along two tracks. "Someday, the remake series will catch up with the era of the numbered titles, and we are already thinking about what we will do when that happens," Takeuchi said in the Biohazard 30th anniversary special magazine book. "In fact, we have been gradually preparing for that since around Resident Evil Village."

So far, Capcom has remade Resident Evil 2, 3, and 4 to great success, with a new version of Code Veronica slated for next year. Reports suggest a Resident Evil 0 remake will follow in 2028, and a Resident Evil 1 remake has also been considered. That would leave only Resident Evil 5 and 6 as the remaining mainline titles without remakes. While Capcom likely has enough remakes to last another decade, there will come a point when they need to decide: remake other titles, remake the remakes, or do something else entirely. Takeuchi teased that they have something else in mind.

He explained that elements like the appearance of Umbrella and Spencer, and the return of Raccoon City in Requiem, are part of preparing for a "crossover." "At first, we included these elements with the sense that they were fan service, but users were far more delighted by them than we had imagined," Takeuchi said. "So, as a series, we decided to respond to users' expectations and pushed this setup further in Village and Requiem."

Takeuchi also stated that Capcom regarded Resident Evil 7 "as a turning point for the series," as it was in development when plans to start remaking older games really came to fruition. This raises the question: does that mean everything before 7 will be remade one day, while 7 and onwards are considered too new?

Looking ahead, Resident Evil 5 sold hugely well, especially after the top-rated Resident Evil 4. But any new version would see Capcom returning to the controversy over 5's African setting and companion character Sheva. As for Resident Evil 6, which featured a range of protagonists, it just isn't very good. But perhaps Capcom could salvage it in an eventual new version?

What's more interesting is Capcom's suggestion that it is using its remakes to seed ideas it will pick up again in newer titles, when that "crossover" point eventually happens. After all, Resident Evil has now been going for 30 years, which is a long time for anyone to remember plot details without being able to revisit early entries.

For now, all of that is a long time off — and there's plenty to look forward to. The promising-looking Resident Evil Veronica is next on the docket. What do you think about Capcom's long-term plan? Will you be picking up the next remake?