2021 marks Resident Evil's 25th anniversary, which remains one of Capcom's most important video game franchises. Since its launch in 1996, Resident Evil has pioneered the survival horror genre, spawning numerous games, comics, books, and a live-action movie franchise.
Although Capcom has always been consistent in releasing Resident Evil content in the past, this year would be different now that several new projects have been confirmed since 2020. Now, fans interested in seeing what's in store for the Resident Evil franchise in 2021, here are all the confirmed projects scheduled to release this year.
Resident Evil 8 May End of The Story of a Main Character
One of the biggest Resident Evil announcements made last year is the development of Resident Evil 8: Village, which is the upcoming mainline installment in the video game franchise. Although Capcom released numerous trailers and developer insight videos, the main story of Resident Evil 8 remains a mystery. It is currently known that the game will be set in a remote village filled with new enemy types such as werewolves and will feature Resident Evil 7's Ethan Winters and Chris Redfield. Currently, the exact release date of Resident Evil 8 remains unknown, but Capcom teased that it will be released this year for the PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X.
However, one of the main talking points in Resident Evil 8 right now is the fate of one of its characters. The debut trailer mentioned that "His story comes to a close," suggesting that the game would be the last for either Ethan or Chris. Capcom then fueled the discussion when it released Chris's cryptic photo showing half of his face as a werewolf. While the studio did not explain what the photo meant, there is a strong possibility that Resident Evil 8 will be Chris Redfield's last. Additionally, all of Resident Evil 8's trailers appear to be depicting Chris as the villain of the game, so it would be interesting to see what Capcom is planning for the fate of one of Resident Evil's most prominent heroes.
Two Huge Resident Evil Projects On-Screen
Apart from Resident Evil 8, two new Resident Evil projects are currently in development for both the big and small screen. First is a Resident Evil live-action film that aims to reboot the movie franchise. Although the Resident Evil reboot film just finished shooting last December, its producers still haven't released any trailers, so the movie's exact plot remains a mystery. However, leaked images from the film's set suggest that the movie will be more faithful to the games, given photos of the Spencer Mansion from Resident Evil 1 and the Raccoon Police Department from Resident Evil 2 have surfaced online. Additionally, one of the film's actors suggests that Lisa Trevor from the first game could appear in the reboot movie.
On the other hand, Netflix is also developing an animated series called Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness, based on the lore of the video games. The upcoming Netflix animated series will see Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield's return, both of whom appeared in Resident Evil 2 and the CGI film Resident Evil Degeneration. Like the live-action film, exact details about Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness are still being kept under wraps, but Netflix is targeting to release the animated series sometime this year.
Announcement of the Next Resident Evil Remake
Lastly, it is possible that Capcom would utilize Resident Evil's 25th anniversary to announce its next remake. It is worth noting that Capcom still hasn't announced any plans for another remake. However, just after the release of Resident Evil 3 last year, the studio has asked fans whether they want to see another reimagining of a Resident Evil game. The specific game that will be remade is still unknown, but the strongest contender is Resident Evil 4, which was initially released in 2004.
It is also possible that Capcom could remake Resident Evil: Code Veronica since it is the game that takes place immediately after Resident Evil 3. Still, industry insiders are adamant that it will be Resident Evil 4. Nonetheless, it is possible that Capcom would announce its plans for the next Resident Evil remake after the release of Resident Evil 8.