The good news is that Resident Evil 9 was introduced into the minds of gamers in 2018, the bad news is – it is taking so much time for an official announcement to be made about the release of this game.
In 2018, Capcom started the development of the RE: 9 title but there hasn’t been any more information from them. However, a leak revealed that an official announcement will be made in 2024 but the game may not be released till 2025.
This revelation would make the RE: 9 to be the first franchise title to be in the development stages for the longest time.
However, fans got to see the release of Resident Evil 4 in 2023. Plus, there is even a promised huge announcement for the end of 2023 and there would be a release for March 2024.
With all these announcements and releases, the wait period is kind of cushioned, right?
Well, not entirely. RE: 4 isn’t what fans want. The storyline of RE: 4 isn’t what the fans of the game series have been looking forward to. So, the clamor for RE: 9 can be considered valid.
Although fans have been anticipating and eagerly waiting for the release of this game, this leak brings some sort of solace that there will be a game soon albeit coming in a couple of years.
If you don’t already know about the Resident Evil franchise, you should know that it is a Japanese horror game media franchise. It was created and developed in Japan under the name ‘BIOHAZARD’.
Now, what should we expect from Capcom? Definitely be a big announcement soon as the leaks and rumors shouldn’t even be taken to heart. It is long overdue and fans are eagerly waiting.
Resident Evil 9 will be the 11th Game of the Franchise
Since the very first Resident Evil game was released in 1996, there have been 10 of the games released. Furthermore, the correct order to play them has also been given so that you can play the games sequentially.
- The very first game of the RE franchise was released in 1996 and was simply titled ‘Resident Evil’. The setting for it was a mysterious mansion just outside Raccoon City. This game tells the journey of S.T.A.R.S members who try to investigate a series of mysterious murders. The main characters of this episode are Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine. However, for non-RE fans, you should know that the storyline could change depending on the character you choose to play the game with.
- Resident Evil 2 is the title of the second game from this franchise. It continues from where the first story ends and is set just 2 months apart. The location is the same as Raccoon City and the key characters are Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield (Chris’s sister) who have to find their way unharmed through the city after a virus turned everyone there into zombies.
- After RE: 2 came Resident Evil 3 was titled ‘Nemesis’ and was released in 1999. It follows a separate journey of Jill Valentine as she also tries to run away from the Zombies who have taken over Raccoon City. The title is inspired by the bioweapon named ‘Nemesis’ that follows Jill through her escape missions.
- ‘Resident Evil Code: Veronica’ is the title of the game that came after RE: 3. Here, Claire goes in search of her brother, Chris but is captured along the line and imprisoned on an isolated island. While there, she found out some dark secrets about the Umbrella Corporation which owned the island she was imprisoned on.
- Resident Evil Zero was supposed to come before the very first RE because it serves as a prequel to that one. However, its release was well-timed. Its story was about a member of the S.T.A.R.S team, Rebecca, and Marine Force Reconnaissance officer, Billy Coen. In this game, the 2 had the responsibility of investigating the murders that happened in the Arklay Mountains.
- Then comes Resident Evil 4 following Leon S. Kennedy as he investigates what led to the President’s daughter, Ashley Graham’s disappearance. During the course of his investigation which took place in Spain, Kennedy encounters a group of people infected by a Las Plagas parasite.
- Resident Evil 5 released in 2005 follows from where RE: 4 stopped. It was however set 5 years after the events of RE: 4 and takes players on Chris Redfield and Sheva Alomar’s journey to investigate a terrorist group in Africa. The 2 characters were also responsible for stopping Ricardo Irving from selling a bioweapon. During the course of this game, Chris and Sheva realize that the Las Plagas parasite in Spain had also infected the people in the African region they were operating from.
- Resident Evil 6 can be said to be the most complicated RE game ever released. The game follows the stories of Leon S., Chris, Jake Muller, and Ada Wong. The storyline was quite interesting but its complication wasn’t well appreciated.
- The 9th series of the Resident Evil franchise is Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. It introduced a new protagonist named Ethan Winters and his storyline was centered on his search for his wife. Ethan Winter’s wife is Mia Winters and they had a daughter, however, Mia’s disappearance led to Ethan’s search for her on an abandoned plantation located in Louisiana. The most interesting part of this particular game is how it switched gameplay from third-person and focused on the survival horror genre.
- After Resident Evil 7 came the sequel Resident Evil 8: Village. This story ended Ethan’s rodeo in the Resident Evil franchise, unfortunately. The main character here is Ethan Winters and the storyline progresses through his quest to rescue his daughter, Rose, from a village located in Eastern Europe. Unfortunately, he had to fight off vampires and creatures which took the forms of werewolves. The gameplay for this particular series is just like the previous one involving Ethan – survival horror. It incorporates the first-person perspective as well as a lot of actions.
Resident Evil 9 May Be Released 7 Years after the Game Became in Development
In 2018, Capcom started the development of Resident Evil 9 and it has remained in that stage even until 2023. There has been no announcement for the release of this game and it has been 5 years since 2018.
Luckily for fans of the game, they got their hopes rejuvenated in recent times when famous leaker, Dusk Golem reported that the game would be released sometime in 2025 and the announcement would be made sometime in 2024.
What More to Know about Resident Evil 9
- Resident Evil 9 Might be Titled ‘Apocalypse’
Following revelations from certain leaks concerning RE: 9, it looks like it would be named ‘Apocalypse’ and may be about the ninth moon phase. The setting is projected to be a deserted town located in the west.
Furthermore, players would fight off deformed Wendigo creatures, and explore forests, caves, and water bodies. From the rumors, players would also have to fight off a female villain and a giant black dog.
However, these are all guesses based on other series of the game and Capcom may just decide to surprise fans and go a different route.
- It will Not Feature Ethan Winters and His Daughter
One thing is certain about Resident Evil 9 though and that is the fact that it will not include Ethan Winters. Capcom announced that the last series, RE: 8 was the end of Ethan Winter’s stint in the game. Gamers reveal that he was killed off during the series and that may be why.
This means that they would be focusing on other characters involved in the new episode.
However, his daughter, Rose, might still be featured in the next series. According to the rumors, she would be joining Chris Redfield on the Hound Wold Squad which entails all that RE: 9 could be about.
People could see her being the playable character for this new expected game. Her supernatural powers could be put to good use then.
- It May Contain a Switch Between 1st and 3rd-person View
Resident Evil 9 could possibly follow a gameplay of the first-person view or third-person view. It could also involve a switch between both.
This gameplay was introduced for Ethan Winters and seeing that he would no longer be a part of the franchise, this gameplay could be adopted by another character. With the first-person gameplay, viewers are going to be better involved in the game as it gives more of the survival horror genre.
It is however important to remember that all this news about Resident Evil 9 is based on speculations, rumors from gamers, and leaks. Until an official announcement from Capcom is made, we cannot be certain how this episode of the game will turn out.