As Resident Evil Requiem prepares to launch this week, the official Japanese X account for the Resident Evil franchise has cooked up a bizarre promotional campaign. On Tuesday, the account posted a humorous announcement claiming that the series' villainous pharmaceutical giant, Umbrella Corp., is suing real-life food company Nissin Noodles for allegedly copying its fictional Umbrella Noodles.
Umbrella Noodles have been a recurring Easter egg in the Resident Evil universe, first appearing as an item in 2003's Resident Evil Outbreak and later on posters in the Resident Evil 3 remake. Their packaging mimics the iconic red and white design of Nissin's Cup Noodles, a playful nod that observant players have enjoyed. Nissin, founded by instant noodle inventor Momofuku Ando in 1948, introduced the world's first instant ramen in 1958 and has been selling Cup Noodles since 1971.
On February 24, the Resident Evil account escalated the joke by posting a fake legal notice stating that Umbrella Corp. had filed a complaint with the Raccoon City District Court, accusing Nissin of intellectual property infringement over Umbrella Noodles. Ironically, even if Umbrella Corp. were real, it was established in 1968 with a focus on biological weapons, making it unlikely to have developed noodles before Nissin.
True to its relentless nature in the games, Umbrella Corp. didn't back down. The account followed up with a video featuring an Umbrella scientist apologizing to customers who mistakenly bought Nissin's 'imposter' noodles and claiming Nissin copied their recipe. As 'proof,' the scientist demonstrated how to recreate Umbrella Noodles by adding entrails and a basil-based sauce to Nissin Cup Noodles, though it left employees feeling itchy—best not to question the entrails' origin. Nissin responded on X with, 'However you look at it, you're the ones doing the copying!'
Adding fuel to the fire, Japanese shoppertainment company Yume Group, which recently sold out a limited Resident Evil Requiem bundle with exercise gear, released an over-the-top ad for Umbrella Noodles. The commercial features a terrified Grace Ashcroft stumbling upon a Japanese infomercial duo enthusiastically eating and praising the noodles, with a disclaimer noting they're not real, unlike Resident Evil Requiem. Nissin Cup Noodles' official account reacted by sharing the ad with a bewildered, 'What the hell is this?'
The fake lawsuit and sudden spotlight on Umbrella Noodles have amused Japanese-speaking fans online. One joked, 'No way can Umbrella beat Nissin. You think a Tyrant can stop a cheese alien?' referencing Nissin's mascot from a 2001 commercial. Another quipped, 'Umbrella Noodles are delicious, yeah? Although a huge eye'll appear on your shoulder the day after you eat them.'
With all this attention, it's likely Umbrella Noodles will make an appearance in Resident Evil Requiem. Players might find them as Leon and Grace explore Raccoon City's ruins, adding a tasty—if eerie—touch to the survival horror experience.
For more on Resident Evil Requiem, check out details on how long it takes to beat and global release times. IGN's review scored it 9/10, praising it as 'the result of an experiment conducted in an underground Umbrella Corporation lab, successfully splices two separate strains of survival horror together into one highly infectious new mutation.'
