In its latest financial reports, Capcom hints at a "full-scale offensive" for the Resident Evil series, fueling speculation that Resident Evil 7 will release this year.
With it being the 20th anniversary of the Resident Evil franchise, fans have been expecting Capcom to celebrate the series in a big way. The company has a multiplayer spinoff called Umbrella Corps planned for release this summer, and is also looking to re-release some of the older games in the series on new-gen consoles. However, comments made by the company in its most recent report to investors hints that Capcom has a surprise in store for Resident Evil fans in the form of Resident Evil 7.
Resident Evil 7 has been rumored for years, but Capcom hasn't made any official announcements regarding the game yet. After all, with Resident Evil 6's poor critical reception, the company probably wants to make sure that Resident Evil 7 is at the top of its game before it is unveiled to the public.
That unveiling could be pretty soon, if the investor report is any indication. Capcom claims that it has plans for a "full-scale offensive" for the "second half of the year" in regards to the Resident Evil franchise. This could indicate that Resident Evil 7 will be released by the end of 2016, or alternatively, Capcom could be referring to the fiscal year, which would mean Resident Evil 7 would drop sometime before March 31st, 2017.
We know that Capcom's "full-scale offensive" will include remasters of previous games in the series, with Resident Evil 4 and 5 coming to new-gen consoles by the time 2016 comes to a close. However, it would be odd for the company to refer to re-releases as a "full-scale offensive," which is why some think that Capcom is prepping for a Resident Evil 7 reveal very soon.
While Capcom typically doesn't have a press conference at E3, the company's new games are usually on display during the presentations of either Sony, Microsoft, or Nintendo. With E3 2016 set to take place in a little over a month's time, Resident Evil fans will want to tune in to the big press conferences for a chance to see the unveiling of Resident Evil 7, if Capcom does indeed have plans to bring the game to the show.
If Capcom's "full-scale offensive" doesn't include Resident Evil 7, there's a possibility that it could include the upcoming Resident Evil 2 remake. Even though the Resident Evil 2 remake just started development last year, its status as a remake means it probably wouldn't take quite as long in development as titles that are built from scratch. Even so, it would still seem a little too quick if Capcom was able to launch the Resident Evil 2 remake within the next fiscal year.
Whether Capcom is referring to the previously announced remasters, the Resident Evil 2 remake, or the launch of Resident Evil 7, it's clear that the company has big plans for the franchise this year. Resident Evil fans should stay tuned to see exactly what Capcom has in store to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the popular survival-horror series.
Resident Evil 7 is reportedly in development for unspecified platforms.