Capcom launched Resident Evil 7 back in 2017, and it earned widespread critical acclaim for sticking close to the franchise's horror roots while also taking it in bold new directions. Since the release of Resident Evil 7, Capcom has been focusing on Resident Evil remakes and remasters, releasing the RE2 remake in 2019 to rave reviews and planning the Resident Evil 3 remake for release in April. However, one has to imagine that a proper Resident Evil 8 is in development as well, and if a recent "leak" is to be believed, the game may be announced as early as next month.
A post on 4chan claims to reveal a ton of information about the PlayStation 5 and its reveal event, including what games will be showcased alongside Sony's next-generation console. The leak claims that a new Resident Evil game will be shown at a PS5 reveal event on February 5, though it stops short of confirming whether or not that game is Resident Evil 8 or something else entirely. While fans should take this information with a grain of salt, there is some evidence that gives it a bit more credibility than other claims in the supposed leak.
Last month, it was revealed that Capcom invited members of the Resident Evil Ambassador Program to test an unannounced game. We still don't know what that game was, with rumors pointing to either Resident Evil 8 or the fabled Dino Crisis remake. Capcom had Resident Evil Ambassadors test the Resident Evil 3 remake a few months before its reveal as well, so it's quite possible that a reveal of the next Resident Evil game could very well happen in February.
Some may argue that the Resident Evil 3 remake release date being in April means that there's no way Capcom would announce Resident Evil 8 in February. However, Capcom has announced multiple Resident Evil projects at one time before. In fact, the Resident Evil 2 remake was announced before Resident Evil 7 was even revealed, yet RE7 launched first. Not to mention that Resident Evil 8 will likely release for next-generation consoles, so it wouldn't really be in competition with the RE3 remake anyway.
There's also the possibility that Resident Evil 8 will be first-person like RE7 instead of using the over-the-shoulder view of the Resident Evil 2 and 3 remakes. This would give the game its own distinct feel and ensure that it's different enough as to not trample over the RE3 remake hype.
Whatever the case may be, fans don't have to wait long to find out if there's any truth to the supposed leak, as the PS5 reveal event is said to take place on February 5.
Resident Evil 8 is rumored to be in development.