Capcom's Resident Evil franchise celebrated its 25th anniversary last year with the launch of Resident Evil Village, Resident Evil 4 VR, and the release of the animated Netflix series Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness. With Resident Evil being one of Capcom's top franchises, fans can expect new content from the series on a regular basis, and 2022 should be no exception to that rule.
We're still very early into the new year, and so Capcom has not revealed everything it has planned for Resident Evil in 2022. However, previous announcements mean that fans already have an idea of what to expect from the survival-horror series.
Here is what to expect from the Resident Evil franchise in 2022.
Resident Evil Village DLC
After the success of Resident Evil Village, many fans started asking for Capcom to produce DLC for the game. Capcom has confirmed that Resident Evil Village DLC is in active development, but didn't share any details beyond that. It seems that whatever DLC is in the works for Resident Evil Village was not far along enough in development for Capcom to give fans a serious look at it, so it's hard to say exactly what it will be or when it will launch.
However, one has to imagine that the Resident Evil Village DLC will come out at some later this year. After all, this coming May will mark an entire year since Resident Evil Village launched, and if Capcom waits too long, it runs the risk of fans losing interest in DLC for the game.
As for what will happen in the Resident Evill Village DLC, that's anyone's guess, but Resident Evil 7 may provide some clues. Capcom released a variety of DLC for Resident Evil 7, some of which focused on different characters who had the unfortunate luck to run into the Baker family, and some that showed what happened to characters after the events of the game. Resident Evil Village DLC could go a similar route, either showing a different character exploring the village or showing what happened to some of the core cast after the ending.
Whatever the case may be, Resident Evil fans should learn more about the Village DLC later this year.
Resident Evil Re:Verse
Resident Evil Village has been acclaimed for its single-player content, but some fans may recall that it was once going to launch with a multiplayer mode as well. The Resident Evil Re:Verse multiplayer project lets players take control of different characters from the franchise as well as some of the series' most iconic enemies. It seemed like it would appeal to Resident Evil fans looking for some multiplayer action, but it seems to be having some development problems.
Unfortunately, Capcom delayed Resident Evil Re:Verse from its original release date to later in 2021, then pushed it back again to 2022. In 2022, one would think that Resident Evil Re:Verse will either release to the masses or get canned entirely, though that remains to be seen.
If it does come out, it will be interesting to see if Resident Evil Re:Verse is still tied to Resident Evil Village or if it's released as a standalone product, which would likely be the best bet. Whatever Capcom's plans for Resident Evil Re:Verse are, more should come to light in the months ahead.
Resident Evil 4 VR: The Mercenaries
While Resident Evil Village stole most of the hype when it came to the Resident Evil franchise in 2022, Resident Evil 4 VR turned some heads as well. Successfully translating the Resident Evil 4 experience to virtual reality, Resident Evil 4 VR earned widespread critical acclaim and is generally hailed as one of the better VR games to date. Even so, Resident Evil 4 VR released with less content than other versions of the game, though Capcom is looking to rectify that in 2022.
Capcom has confirmed that an update for Resident Evil 4 VR will add The Mercenaries mode to the game. As fans will recall, Mercenaries is a mode that challenges Resident Evil 4 players to fight back against hordes of enemies while dealing with a time limit. It added significant replay value to the original Resident Evil 4, and it's likely that it will do the same for Resident Evil 4 VR. Not to mention the "short bursts" style of The Mercenaries seems like it's perfectly suited for VR.
It's possible that the other missing content from past Resident Evil 4 games will also be adapted for VR, but official plans to that effect have not been announced at the time of this writing. It's also possible that Resident Evil 4 VR will make its way to other virtual reality platforms besides just Oculus Quest 2, but that is also up in the air at this point. Regardless, Resident Evil 4 VR fans do know that they have The Mercenaries mode to look forward to at the very least.
Resident Evil Switch Game
Fans know for certain that Resident Evil Village DLC, the Re:Verse multiplayer experience, and The Mercenaries update for Resident Evil 4 VR are on the way, but they don't know about what else the RE franchise has in store. One possibility is that a Resident Evil Switch exclusive game is in development and will release this year, as reliable leakers suggested such a project was in the works and originally aiming for release in late 2021.
The Resident Evil Switch game has not been confirmed by any official source, but leaks have suggested that the game is called Resident Evil: Outrage and will feature Rebecca Chambers and Chris Redfield in a college campus overrun with zombies. Rumors have persisted about the game even though it hasn't been revealed to the public, but hopefully fans will get their first glimpse of it soon, assuming it exists at all.
Resident Evil 4 Remake
The Capcom ransomware attack is what initially let the cat out of the bag when it comes to in-development Resident Evil projects like the supposed Resident Evil: Outrage game in the works for the Switch. It also confirmed that Capcom is making a Resident Evil 4 remake, and apparently the original plan was for the game to launch at some point in late 2022. The latest rumors suggest that development disagreements have seen Capcom change gears a bit on the Resident Evil 4 remake, which could potentially push its release date back to 2023.
But even if the Resident Evil 4 remake is delayed to 2023, there's still a chance fans could see the game for the first time later this year. While it has not been officially announced, the Resident Evil 4 remake is perhaps the safest bet out of all the Resident Evil game rumors, and so its reveal seems to be a matter of when, not if.
Resident Evil Live-Action Netflix Series
Besides video games, Resident Evil fans can also check out the live-action Netflix series based on the franchise. This Netflix series isn't adapting the games, but rather focuses on a story about Wesker's children and a town called New Raccoon City. Some of the liberties being taken with the source material has already caused some controversy, but it's best to withhold judgment until seeing the final product. An exact premiere date has not been announced yet, but the Resident Evil Netflix series is expected to release at some point in 2022.
