TheResident Evilfranchise has been hitting its stride lately. Following the landmark success ofResident Evil 4, the franchise stumbled a bit withResident Evil 5andResident Evil 6, which many fans considered to lean far too much into the action side of the action-horror equation. That’s not to say that they are bad games, but only that they departed greatly from what a large portion of theplayerbase was expecting fromResident Evil.
Then cameResident Evil 7, which was effectively a soft reboot of the franchise, succeeded byResident Evil Villagejust a few years later. But there’s been another key pillar of modernResident Evil’s construction that can’t be overlooked: remakes. Starting with theResident Evil 2remake in 2019, Capcom has worked its way through the games in order, with the incredibly well-receivedResident Evil 4remake being the studio’s most recent endeavor. SinceRE4’s remake, rumors and speculation have run rampant, as audiences try to guess where the franchise is going to go next. Chances are, it’ll go back toResident Evil 5.
A Resident Evil 5 Remake Seems Likely, and Not Just for the Obvious Reasons
Wesker Is Back in Action in 2023’s Resident Evil 4
Naturally, one wouldassume that Capcom will tackleResident Evil 5at some point, as the previous threeREremakes have seen great critical and commercial success thus far. But Capcom could very well choose to remake the firstResident Evilto make it more aligned with the modern interpretations of its successors, or it could remake a spin-off likeResident Evil RevelationsorResident Evil: Code Veronica. Indeed, these outcomes are precisely what fans and journalists have speculated about, and there’ve been plenty of rumors and leaks to support such notions.
But it still seems more likely thatResident Evil 5will be next up on the remake chopping block. A major reason to believe this, aside from the fact that Capcom has only been remaking mainline entries thus far, is that Wesker is featured in theResident Evil 4remake,particularly so in theSeparate WaysDLC. This is his first appearance in theREremake saga, and the foreboding final scene ofSeparate Waysseems to be queuing up his role inResident Evil 5, as he doubles down on his plan of mass extinction. It’s impossible to know for sure, but it certainly seems like his presentation in the remake was designed with the intention of setting up theRE5story. It would therefore be strange to take a narrative detour in the interim.
Resident Evil 5 Could Be the Next Remake, but Probably Not the Next Resident Evil Game
Even if Capcom is remaking the firstResident Evilor a spin-off game, which definitely seems likely, it’s safe to say thatRE5will come first, or at least not be too far behind. That said, it would be surprising if theRE5remake were tocome onto the scene beforeResident Evil 9. 2025 will mark four years since the last proper, forward-moving entry in theResident Evilfranchise, which left a lot up in the air with respect to the franchise’s future. With the exception of theShadows of RoseDLC, which may or may not be linked to the nextResident Evil, nothing has come down the pipeline regarding the next steps in the overallREnarrative.
Thus, Capcom is in something of an interesting positionwhen it comes to theResident Evil 5remake. On the one hand, it seems like the most logical next step, and there’s definitely a strong financial incentive, given the performance of the previous remakes, to get it to market, but it would also mean further delaying the next originalREgame. In other words, anRE5remake is probably around the corner, but it’s also probably not the first cab off the rank at the moment.
Resident Evil 5
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The Umbrella Corporation and its crop of lethal viruses have been destroyed and contained. But a new, more dangerous threat has emerged. Years after surviving the events in Raccoon City, Chris Redfield has been fighting the scourge of bio-organic weapons all over the world. Now a member of the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance (BSAA), Chris is sent to Africa to investigate a biological agent that is transforming the populace into aggressive and disturbing creatures. Joined by another local BSAA agent, Sheva Alomar, the two must work together to solve the truth behind the disturbing turn of events.
