When Resident Evil 7 was released in 2017, it was hailed as a return to form for Capcom, which has been experimenting with the Resident Evil formula beyond the survival horror genre for years. Capcom sort of willed its way back onto the good side of its fan base by releasing hit game after hit game in the past few years and some fans see Resident Evil 7 as the turning point responsible for the company’s series of successes.

Since the release of Resident Evil 7, fans have been calmly waiting for any news related to Resident Evil 8. This is probably because Capcom has sated its audience with a steady stream of well-received Resident Evil remakes in the form of Resident Evil 2 and the upcoming Resident Evil 3. The RE Engine, introduced with Resident Evil 7, has been powering Capcom’s resurgence as it has been used to develop all three Resident Evil games recently in addition to Devil May Cry 5. Presumably, it will power Resident Evil 8 as well.

In any case, fans could be treated to a surprise announcement sometime this year that could reveal the next iteration of the Resident Evil franchise. As for when Resident Evil 8 will be released, there are a number of indicators that fans should expect the game sooner rather than later.

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Three Developers Working on Resident Evil 3

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When Resident Evil 3 was announced at the end of 2019, it put an end to any wondering as to whether or not Capcom would continue remaking its classic games. The quickness of Capcom to announce this game so soon after the release of Resident Evil 2 (which was released in 2019) made one question just how the company was able to pull it off in such a short amount of time. Clearly it had been working on the game beforehand but Capcom also confirmed that there are three teams working on the remake to Resident Evil 3.

The first team working on the game is one of Capcom’s internal divisions while M-Two is another developer assisting with the project. M-Two was founded by the former CEO of Platinum Games, Tatsuya Minami, who has worked with Capcom in the past (alongside Resident Evil director Shinji Mikami, who is now at Tango Gameworks). While the two teams are collaborating on the single-player mode of Resident Evil 3, Taiwan-based developer NeoBards Entertainment is creating the multiplayer mode known as Project Resistance. With three appropriately designated developers working on the game, it makes sense why Capcom is releasing Resident Evil 3 in April.

Resident Evil 8 Release Window and Rumors

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Besides the fact that Capcom has had the development of Resident Evil 3 locked down with the help of three developers, it’s been a little over three years since the release of Resident Evil 7. The hit 2017 title helped put Capcom back on the map but virtually nothing is known about its successor, Resident Evil 8, which is still only in the rumor stages. Next year would mark four years since the release of a new mainline Resident Evil game so that’s about the time when fans should start expecting more information on the game to drop. It’s likely Resident Evil 8 will release four to five years after Resident Evil 7 meaning it’ll likely come out in 2021 or 2022 at the latest.

Given Capcom’s love for the earlier half of the year (especially January), the game should come out at that time within the year it releases. The setting of the game, however, is something that is more difficult to predict. A steady line of rumors have suggested that Resident Evil 8 will have a medieval-like setting, complete with armored zombies and werewolves. These rumors seem to have a link with a Resident Evil 7 mystery.

A Quick Case Against Resident Evil 8

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If there is one thing that can stop Capcom from producing the next iteration of the Resident Evil series anytime soon, it’s remakes of classic Capcom games. Capcom has had huge success with the remake of Resident Evil 2 and is seemingly going to replicate that success with the upcoming remake of Resident Evil 3. With companies like Activision embracing remakes head-on, it’s clear why this is such a goldmine for Capcom, as it has many classic games that stand to be remade, such as Resident Evil Code Veronica, Resident Evil 0, or even the original Resident Evil (again).

Resident Evil 8 is rumored to be in development.

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