Resident Evil’s Latest Announcement is Hopefully Just Testing the Waters

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This summer at Game Fest, after years of buzz and whispers, Capcom dropped a bombshell with the announcement of the next major installment in the Resident Evil series. Titled Resident Evil Requiem, this game follows an entirely new protagonist named Grace Ashcroft, and it’s slated for release in February 2026. The unveiling of Requiem was electrifying, but that’s not all – Capcom’s got another Resident Evil title brewing for the near future. They confirmed it this week, and trust me, it’s quite different from anything we’ve seen before in the series.

Teamwork between JOYCITY, Aniplex, and Capcom results in the creation of a new game titled “Resident Evil: Survival Unit“. This game is designed for iOS and Android devices, set to release globally. Despite being a mobile version of Resident Evil, many long-term fans might initially hesitate due to its format. However, this spin-off could signify an important milestone for the franchise as it’s one of the first standalone non-multiplayer games Capcom has developed in years. While Resident Evil: Survival Unit may not seem thrilling on its own, it could indicate that Capcom is exploring new possibilities within the series.

Resident Evil: Survival Unit Could Be the First of Several New Resident Evil Spin-Offs

Resident Evil: Survival Unit Takes the RE Franchise Into a New Direction

As per Capcom’s announcement, Resident Evil: Survival Unit appears to be a unique blend of survival horror and real-time strategy (RTS) gameplay. While specifics about the gameplay mechanics haven’t been revealed yet, this combination is quite intriguing given that the Resident Evil series primarily focuses on action. In fact, RTS games in the Resident Evil franchise are scarce, with few, if any, incorporating survival horror elements like this one seems to. Although Capcom has previously released a couple of strategy mobile games within the Resident Evil franchise during the mid-2000s, these were turn-based rather than real-time strategy games. Consequently, it’s exciting to see Capcom venturing into new territory with Resident Evil: Survival Unit.

On July 10, Capcom will stage a presentation for “Resident Evil: Survival Unit,” potentially unveiling its initial gameplay footage.

Capcom Hasn’t Developed Non-Multiplayer Resident Evil Spin-Offs in Ages

It’s not surprising that mobile games might not appeal to everyone, but it’s encouraging to see Capcom venturing into new genres for the Resident Evil series again. For quite some time now, Capcom has been more cautious with its spin-off projects compared to the mainline Resident Evil games. In the past ten years, the only Resident Evil spin-offs from Capcom have been online multiplayer games like Resident Evil Re:Verse and Resident Evil: Resistance. Unfortunately, these titles haven’t managed to draw a substantial audience, and they don’t compare favorably to some of the older spin-off games in the franchise.

Throughout the PS2 and PS3 eras, Capcom unveiled numerous spin-offs of the popular franchise, Resident Evil, which spanned various game genres. One of their notable releases from the 2000s was the Resident Evil Outbreak duology, a pair of survival horror games that offered full cooperative multiplayer functionality. Simultaneously, they introduced several light gun shooter versions of Resident Evil, including Resident Evil Survivor, Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles, and Resident Evil: Dead Aim. In the year 2012, Capcom ventured into new territory with a squad-based third-person shooter titled Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City, featuring both single-player and multiplayer modes.

Resident Evil: Survival Unit’s Potential Success Should Encourage Capcom to Experiment More With the RE Franchise

Although not every spin-off from the Resident Evil series was stellar, it’s refreshing that Capcom allows its developers to experiment with the franchise. With the current surge in popularity of the Resident Evil series, Capcom could pique even more interest by producing additional single-player spin-offs across various genres. For example, they might consider developing a strategy game inspired by XCOM, or perhaps a stealth-based Resident Evil. If the success of Resident Evil: Survival Unit signals the beginning of a more innovative era for the Resident Evil franchise, then here’s hoping the game performs well to encourage Capcom to create more unique spin-off titles.

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2025-07-06 23:43