Since the announcement ofResident Evil 3hot on the heels of theResident Evil 2remake, the survival horror franchise appears to be stopping for nothing. 2019 was a major year for Capcom including launchingResident Evil 2,Devil May Cry 5, and continued support forMonster Hunter: World. Now rumors are circulating already regarding multiple newResident Evilgamesand one of most talked about games isRE8. However, theResident Evil 8rumors are a bit contradictory at the moment.
Ever since theending ofResident Evil 7and its DLCsthat tied the game into the Umbrella-related deep lore of the series, fans have been wondering what’s next. Will a potentialResident Evil 8be a direct sequel to7or will it take players to a whole new location with a new cast of characters? Will the game focus on Chris Redfield as potentially suggested by the end of the last game?
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Not much is known about the game aside from the fact that it reportedly exists in some stage of development at Capcom, yet exactly how far along it is in the project is up for debate. There are also rumors that otherResident Eviltitles are in development and slated for release beforeResident Evil 8.
Resident Evil 8 May Be Announced Soon
Earlier this month, a 4chan leak suggested thatResident Evil 8might be getting a release announcementsometime in the very near future. Specifically, this leak claimed that the game could show up at the Playstation Meeting event on February 5, where Sony is expected to give more details on the Playstation 5 and upcoming games for the console. The rumor gives a thorough rundown of what is expected from the event and it includes showing off more of the PS5 than ever before. It also strongly suggestsRE8will be a next-gen game, which checks out if the release date isn’t likely until 2021 or later.
A big question is whether or notResident Evil 8will stick toRE7’s first-person camera, especially after the success of the third-person behind-the-back camera ofRE2that is being carried into the next major release withRE3. If the game is teased in February with just a short trailer this question may not get an answer for months or even another year, but not everyone is so sure thatResident Evil 8is a priority for Capcom right now.
…Or Resident Evil 8 Development May Be On Hold
On the other hand, more recent information suggests thatCapcom scrapped what was going to beResident Evil 8following the release ofRE2in mid-2019. According to game developer and Twitter user @AestheticGamer1, the game’s development was paused in 2017 so that Capcom could focus onResident Evil 7’s DLC andResident Evil 2.
The tweet thread asserted that there was a version ofResident Evil 8in development around 2016 that went on pause the next year and was finally scrapped. Aesthetic Gamer notes that a new version has been in development for less than a year and is going to be years out. It may build off some of the previousResident Evil 8’s plans, which could lead to a speedier development cycle than is typical from AAA games.
While this certainly delays the timeline and leaves room for Capcom to work on otherResident Evilprojects betweenRE3and the inevitableRE8, it does help strengthen the speculation that the game is indeed being worked on. It would be a no brainer for Capcom not to be working on the next numbered sequel over three years afterRE7’s release, but the success of the remakes has brought the franchise back in a major way that not even7could muster on its own. With so many games potentially in development right now, it is safe to sayResident Evilis back and bigger than it has been in over a decade.
A New Resident Evil Game in 2021
It is starting to seem very unlikely thatResident Evil 8will get a 2021 release, although news from the Sony event next month could prove that line of thinking to be incorrect. However, it is also rumored that anewResident Evilgame is planned for 2021, but that game will not beResident Evil 8. Instead, a new game in the series that is neither a remake nor a new sequel is rumored to be released.
The game is hinted at in the same thread from AestheticGamer. He stated that the game is not a remake of an older game, but is also notResident Evil 8. It will supposedly be a story-based spin-off from the franchise, but whether it leans more heavily into the horror or action elements of the series is yet to be divulged.
As development moves forward, games change and that’s been especially true in theResident Evilfranchise. A leaked early version ofResident Evil 4showed that game was once a more classic-styleREhorror game, with fixed camera angles and slow, tense movement. Now, of course, we all know how revolutionary that game’s eventual pivot to more action-focused gameplay ended up being. Another very early build of the game that was started up in 1999, right after the initial release ofRE3, ended up being the basis for the originalDevil May Cryin 2001.
Resident Evil: Resistancewas supposed to be a stand-alone multiplayer game, but was eventually rolled into the upcoming remake ofResident Evil 3. This is all to say that plans change. Capcom could very well combine this upcoming game andResident Evil 8or scrap one and use that work to build up the other. One thing is for certain:Resident Evilis, once again, a critically acclaimed and exciting franchise.
Resident Evil 8is rumored to be in development.
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