Skip to main content

Resident Evil 9: everything we know so far

Ethan Winters shoots Lycans in Resident Evil Village.
Capcom

One of the longest-running franchises in gaming is Capcom’s Resident Evil. While the series has hit many stumbling points over the years, Resident Evil 7 was a turning point that brought the survival horror series back into the mainstream. Now, the series has split into new games and a string of equally excellent remakes. As fun as revisiting those classic games is, it is the new entries that have fans most excited, especially given where Resident Evil 8 left things. That obviously means Resident Evil 9 is next up for the core series, but what will that game look like and when can we expect it? Capcom is focused on more imminent upcoming video games like Monster Hunter Wilds and Okami 2, but there’s no doubt work is being done on its flagship series. Details are more secretive than the Umbrella Corporation’s agenda, but we’ve collected as many documents as possible to give you all the intel we could find.

Release date speculation

Resident Evil 7 Director, Kōshi Nakanishi, confirmed a new Resident Evil is in development.

He wasn't sure where to go with the series after 7, but he says he's found something substantial. pic.twitter.com/yuq1SQYM28

— Stealth (@Stealth40k) July 1, 2024

There’s no official release window for Resident Evil 9. In fact, we only know that it is being made and that Resident Evil 7 Director Koshi Nakanishi will return to direct this entry.

Recommended Videos

Some leakers have speculated that Resident Evil 9 could come as early as 2025, but take that information with some skepticism. Resident Evil 8 came out in 2021, so it is possible this new entry could come next year, though 2026 seems like a more realistic expectation.

Platforms

No platforms are confirmed for Resident Evil 9, though we feel it is more than safe to say it will at least come to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Odds are it won’t hit last-gen consoles, but we can’t be sure.

Trailers

CAPCOM NEXT | Summer 2024 Livestream

There isn’t even a single screenshot of whatever Resident Evil 9 will look like. The only small tease comes from Nakanishi who stated “It was really difficult to figure out what to do after [Resident Evil 7], but I found it, and to be honest, it feels substantial. I can’t share any details just yet, but I hope you’re excited for the day I can.”

Spoiler warning for Resident Evil 8: Since Ethan bit the dust at the end of that game’s DLC, we will need a new protagonist for Resident Evil 9. Rose seems like the obvious choice, but Chris is another potential option.

Rumors about Jill potentially being at least one of the main playable characters exploring some form of hospital setting started swirling around the internet, however notable leaker Dusk Golem apparently has information debunking them. According to them “Jill doesn’t play a major role in RE9 unfortunately. This current hospital rumor floating around is 100% bullshit. Crushing the Jill hopium now before wrong expectations are set.” Furthermore, they also state that all other rumors are false as well.

After that statement, another leaker called Rino sourced a new rumor from Dusk Golem that states “Leon S Kennedy is claimed or be the main protagonist of Resident Evil 9, and Jill was only part of early drafts, but won’t be have a meaningful role in the game.” While the post did include an image of an older Leon, always take these leaks as speculation until we get official confirmation.

Gameplay

Based on who is directing Resident Evil 9, and the way the new titles have played so far, we expect this new game to continue with the first-person perspective the series has adopted since Resident Evil 7. There could be a third-person and/or VR modes added later, but we believe it will at least launch as another first-person horror game.

Beyond that, the only core things we expect to be doing are inventory management, solving puzzles, and fighting horrific monsters and bosses while exploring a unique location. There are bound to be plenty of tricks and new mechanics in store, but it would be impossible to guess at what those could be as of now.

Preorder

Sorry, Resident Evil fans, but there is no preorder information for Resident Evil 9 right now. Until we get a much clearer release date, Capcom won’t announce what preorder options there will be. We do expect plenty of editions to pick from, both physical and digital, so stay tuned to this article for updates.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Jesse Lennox
Jesse Lennox has been a writer at Digital Trends for over five years and has no plans of stopping. He covers all things…
The Last of Us Part 3: everything we know so far
Ellie holds a guitar in the forest in The Last of Us Part 2.

The original The Last of Us ended ambiguously but didn't necessitate a sequel. However, Neil Druckmann and the team at Naughty Dog felt there were more stories to tell in that world, resulting in the equally impressive The Last of Us Part 2. Unlike the first game, though, the sequel left many questions unanswered that demanded at least one more upcoming video game.

Initially, the team was working on a multiplayer spinoff called The Last of Us Online, however, we now know that project has been abandoned and the team is once again focusing on single-player games. One of those games is indeed The Last of Us Part 3. Naughty Dog is considered one of the best studios at PlayStation, alongside Insomniac and its upcoming PS5 game Marvel's Wolverine and Suckerpunch's Ghost of Yotei.

Read more
Virtua Fighter 6: everything we know so far
A man waling toward the word Ready in Virtua Fighter 6.

We're living in a golden age of classic franchises making a return. Games like Turok: Origins and Onimusha: Way of the Sword are bringing back cult-classic series that most fans never would have expected to get an upcoming video game release. Now, we can add Virtua Fighter 6 to that list. This used to be one of the best fighting games alongside Street Fighter and Tekken, but it hasn't had a new entry in almost 20 years. It's time to practice your low punches again as we run through everything we know about Virtua Fighter 6.

We don't know if we can put this game on our lists of upcoming PS5 games, upcoming Xbox Series X games, upcoming PC games, or upcoming Switch games yet, but they are otherwise fully fleshed out for your convenience.
Release window speculation

Read more
Okami 2: everything we know so far
The Okami 2 wolf in a flowery field.

Capcom has been firing on all cylinders for the past couple of years. They've given us some of the best PS5 games already, plus it has Resident Evil 9 and Monster Hunter Wilds as upcoming video games to which we're looking forward. But there was one beloved series we never thought would make a comeback: Okami. This PlayStation 2 classic was a beautiful action-adventure game made by the now-defunct Clover Studio, whose former members went on to form PlatinumGames. However, not only has that studio been reborn as Clovers, but its first project is Okami 2, a direct sequel to the cult classic. Whether you've been waiting all these years for a sequel or this is your first time hearing about it, let's go over everything we know so far about Okami 2.

For a full accounting of upcoming PS5 games, upcoming Xbox Series X games, upcoming Switch games, and upcoming PC games, check out our dedicated lists.
Release speculation

Read more