Resident Evil 2 Director Hideki Kamiya Says Capcom Has Become 'Numb' to How Terrifying New RE Games Are

Hideki Kamiya, the director of Resident Evil 2, has reiterated that he was 'not joking' when he asked Capcom to include a less scary mode in Resident Evil Requiem for those who are faint of heart. He even goes as far as to claim that Capcom has become 'numb' to the level of horror in their recent games.

In March 2026, Clovers Inc., Kamiya's new studio, posted a video of the team playing Resident Evil Requiem. Kamiya stood aside as an employee reached an early cutscene, prompting him to complain, 'I've been saying forever, they should make a non-scary mode.' Around the same time, he tweeted a suggestion for an alternate mode where 'the zombies get all cute, blood splatters turn into cherry blossom petals, the music becomes upbeat and feel-good, and you can purely enjoy puzzles and battles in a fun mood.'

In an August interview with Video Games Chronicle, Kamiya doubled down on his request, stating he was 'one hundred percent serious' and that Capcom is going too far with the fear factor in recent Resident Evil titles. He explained, 'Nowadays, with photorealistic and high-fidelity games, the amount of crazy, horrifying things people can put on screen is insane. I think anyone on the Resident Evil teams at Capcom must be completely numb to how scary the thing they're making is.' He added, 'This is not a joke; I'm being one hundred percent serious when I say I wish they would make it so their games can be enjoyed by people like me, who can't handle scary games at all.'

Kamiya mentioned he wanted to revisit the Raccoon City Police Department in Requiem to see how Capcom handled the iconic area he originally created in Resident Evil 2, but found it too terrifying. 'Just recently we had Resident Evil Requiem with the big return of Leon Kennedy, and he went back to Raccoon City, reliving all those memories and experiences. As someone who directed the original Resident Evil 2, I was curious to see how that panned out. I wanted to experience it myself, but the game was way too scary, and I couldn't.'

He went on to say that he has directly requested changes to the series' developers and producers, often receiving stunned reactions. 'It's not a joke. I legitimately wished for a non-horror mode for people like me. I talk to folks on the Resident Evil teams privately and tell them their games are too scary, and they're like, "What? Come on, they're not that scary." They seriously seem to have no awareness of how scary their creations are, so I really hope they address that.'

Kamiya suggested simple tweaks: 'You could make the zombies' faces less scary, put brown paper bags on their heads, or replace dark rooms with pleasant mood lighting. Even those few changes would let someone like me get through the games. Oh, and no blood!' He continued, 'Which is precisely why I don't think Capcom fully understands how scary their games are. I told producer Takeuchi-san to his face, "Your games are too scary!" And he was like, "What? Seriously?!" I get codes for every new Resident Evil, and they always come with an email saying, "Hey, we hope you enjoy the game!" I reply, "I'd love to play, but it's too scary for me." They respond, "Oh, come on, it's not that scary, you can do it!"'

Kamiya even joked about making a spinoff where Leon enjoys a peaceful retirement, taking him 'fishing in the countryside, foraging for wild veggies, baking bread, walking the dog.'

Unfortunately for him, Capcom doesn't seem to be taking his notes into account, as a remake of Code Veronica with all its terrifying zombie combat is slated for release next year.