Resident Evil's Main Story May Conclude Within 10 Years, But Capcom Isn't Abandoning the Franchise

According to a recent report from IGN, Resident Evil series producer Jun Takeuchi has suggested that the overarching story of Capcom's survival horror franchise could wrap up within the next decade. However, this doesn't mean Capcom plans to stop releasing Resident Evil games anytime soon.

In an interview with 47 News (via Yahoo Japan), Takeuchi explained, "With the release of Requiem this year, I feel like the first 10 years have reached the end of a chapter, so I think the conclusion will come in the following 10 years."

This statement led fans and news outlets to speculate that Capcom might be planning to end the beloved series by 2036. But Takeuchi is actually referring to the company's 10-year branding concept for the franchise. This vision began with the 2019 remake of Resident Evil 2—which Takeuchi mentions in the previous paragraph—and involved extensive deliberation about how to handle Resident Evil's overarching narrative.

"The series' story wasn't all planned out from the beginning; it expanded with each new release," Takeuchi said. "When we were planning the Resident Evil 2 remake and coming up with the 10-year branding concept, this (the story) was what we puzzled over. If you play through all of these games, I think you'll work out the meaning behind the order of the remakes."

So, the "first 10 years" Takeuchi refers to is the decade of this branding concept. During this period, we saw the releases of the Resident Evil 2, 3, and 4 remakes, plus Village and Requiem. Another remake, Resident Evil Veronica, is set to launch next year. It is this overarching mainline story that Takeuchi believes will conclude in the upcoming decade (i.e., "the following 10 years").

Takeuchi's vision for the next decade of Resident Evil will include both remakes and new titles. When asked how many new Resi games will be released before 2036, Takeuchi didn't reveal specifics but did confirm we can expect multiple titles.

Resident Evil is one of Capcom's top multimedia franchises, with the company's latest financial report highlighting strong ongoing sales. If this momentum continues, Capcom will likely still have other Resident Evil releases on the horizon in 2036 and beyond. Even if the main story concludes, there is plenty of potential for games and movies to explore different timelines or delve into new settings. Capcom could also revisit beloved characters like Jill Valentine or Rebecca Chambers.

Earlier this year, Resident Evil Requiem producer Masato Kumazawa mused that the series might one day get a game set in Japan—a location that has only ever appeared in the official manga spin-off Biohazard Heavenly Island. "Even though Japan hasn't appeared as a setting for the games yet, I think it might at some point in the future," he said, adding, "There are still many things we'd like to do."