Highlights
- The success of Resident Evil: Village indicates that Capcom will likely continue the franchise with Resident Evil 9, following the pattern of new releases every few years.
- Based on the release patterns of the previous games, it can be predicted that Resident Evil 9 will hit shelves in 2025.
- While these predictions are partially based on rumors and leaks, they align with the development schedule of Capcom and the leaked document outlining future plans for the franchise. However, it is important to wait for an official statement from Capcom to confirm the release of Resident Evil 9.
Ethan Winters' time in the spotlight as the new protagonist of Resident Evil may have come to a close in Resident Evil: Village, but the franchise will no doubt move forward with Resident Evil 9. The series has enjoyed a successful resurgence ever since 2017's Resident Evil 7, and it's unlikely that Capcom will want to hit the brakes on Resident Evil anytime soon, instead pushing full speed ahead.
The existence of Resident Evil 9 is 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.
Resident Evil Release Patterns
The current era of Resident Evil games really kick-started with 2017's Resident 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 of Resident Evil 2, a longtime request from hardcore fans of the franchise. Ever since then, the pattern has seen a new Resident Evil installment with a remake of a past game a couple of years later.
The one exception to this rule was Resident Evil 3's remake which was released in April 2020, just a little over a year after Resident Evil 2 in 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 significantly shorter campaign length of Resident Evil 3 in particular. Aside from this however, the release lineup has been consistent with Resident Evil 7 (2017), Resident Evil 2 (2019), Resident Evil: Village (2021) and the remake of Resident Evil 4 releasing earlier this year.
Resident Evil 9 Is Likely Coming in 2025
Based on the pattern of a new Resident Evil title every two years, it's safe to assume that Resident Evil 9 will hit shelves at some point in 2025. Capcom and the creative team behind Resident Evil have demonstrated a rock solid production schedule thus far, with little to no caveats in terms of overall quality despite the reliable turnaround times. With the Resident Evil 4 remake 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 detailed future plans for the Resident Evil franchise, 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 that Resident Evil 9 is 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 the Resident Evil series.
Resident Evil 9 is not confirmed to be in development.