30 Years of Fear: Celebrating the Legacy of Resident Evil
It has been 3 whole decades of zombie survival horror since the Resident Evil series started and we decided to cover the most recent developments in the CAPCOM masterpiece that is synonyms with all kinds of deadly and gory heart-stopping experiences that would make you chill every time you decide to partake in it!
Originally titled Biohazard (in Japan), the Resident Evil franchise spans across multiple layers of mainline, arcade and spin-off titles but also includes all types of media such as films, TV shows, comics, a whole game engine and even theatrical plays, surpassing its gaming roots beyond the typical norms and is a phenomenal experience in so many ways, with its rich and potent story, adored and often returning characters as well as a twisted sense of the horrific. We want to deep dive into the vast world of the series and see what lurks behind every corner.
After the incredibly successful most recent title Resident Evil Requiem, which hit the markets in February of this year and managed to captivate the hearts of the horror games fan community, there was a curious and possibly quite important announcement made by the team behind the titles, in honor of the 30 years mark of the franchise that addressed the future of the games and what is coming next for it! So, let’s shine some light over it as we explore the massive lore, legacy and possibilities ahead.
Resident Evil 30th Anniversary letter by Series Executive Producer Jun Takeuchi.
The celebrations for the Resident Evil 30th anniversary have already commenced and executive producer Jun Takeuchi shared a message of gratitude to all of the fans. The franchise has always been a major influence in the horror gaming genre and 2026 has already proven to be very significant with the release of Resident Evil Requiem. The game has already set a staggering sales record, with more than 6 million copies sold, which was quite the promising start for the anniversary year.
Takeuchi expressed his deep appreciation and thankfulness through the Capcom Europe X account, highlighting the success of Resident Evil games. He noted that Requiem marked a really meaningful moment for the series, especially as it returned to Raccoon City, the iconic location that was the setting of the initial games, after 28 years and merged its classic horror and action elements into a blending that few have managed to do so masterfully. Alongside the game's amazing sales figures, Takeuchi also mentioned his excitement regarding the franchise's future, so here is the whole letter in case you have missed it:
“To our beloved fans of the Resident Evil series, March 22nd, 2026 marked the 30th anniversary of Resident Evil. We want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the fans who have supported us along the way since the release of our first game on March 22nd, 1996.
Last month, we released Resident Evil Requiem. With the return to Raccoon City, the place where it all began, we combined the two hearts of the series—horror and action—and packed them both into one title. And now, Requiem has reached over six million players around the world. Thank you all so much.
Our team will continue to work hard to bring all of you even more wonderful experiences in the future—and it would be an honor if you continued along with us on that journey. Thank you again for your support.”
The Chronological Resident Evil Timeline Up to Now
Perhaps in order to better understand what is coming, we should have a glimpse into the past as the Resident Evil game history up to now includes so much coming from the following titles:
1996 Resident Evil – The original Resident Evil game that started it all and introduced us to S.T.A.R.S characters such as Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine as well as one of the most notorious villains in the franchise – Albert Wesker.
1998 Resident Evil 2 – The strong sequel that expanded on the strong foundation that was established in the original. It also presented us with Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield.
1999 Resident Evil 3: Nemesis – One of the most iconic RE games that many consider as a cornerstone entry in the franchise! It is a parallel story occurring at the same time as RE2, but from the perspective of other characters.
2000 Resident Evil Code: Veronica – Taking us to an Umbrella facility in Paris it advances the storyline even more, as it focuses on the search efforts of Claire Redfield to locate her brother Chris.
2002 Resident Evil [Remake] – An improved version of the original RE game that possibly established the game Remake culture that Resident Evil adopted. Experience the horrors of the T-Virus that occurred in the Spencer mansion in a more polished way!
2002 Resident Evil 0 – Even though it is the 5th released game, this one acts as a sort of a prequel to the rest and in the canon.
2004 Resident Evil Outbreak – Standing out as a more sidelined compilation of scenarios in various time periods around the start of the virus outbreak that takes place in the rest of the Resident Evil titles. It depicts how the virus got loose and transferred from rats to people.
2005 Resident Evil 4 – A revolutionary franchise-changing entry that is also very beloved, which pushed the storyline and gameplay options even further. Leon S. Kennedy is on a mission to save the President’s daughter (Ashley Graham) from the clasp of a dangerous cult in Spain.
2005 Resident Evil Outbreak: File 2 – Building up the previous RE Outbreak File game, it carries on the stories of the characters that were involved in the previous scenarios. It also sheds more light on the story of the journalist Alyssa Ashcroft.
2009 Resident Evil 5 – Continuing the events of RE4, we end up in Africa, where black market deals infect the locals.
2012 Resident Evil Revelations – Set between RE4 and RE5, it introduces new virus concepts and organizations that fight against their spreading.
2012 Resident Evil 6 – Bringing back many of the original characters who try to prevent emerging disasters all together. This time we got a friendlier member of the Wesker family – his son Jake Muller.
2015 Resident Evil Revelations 2 – Split into 4 episodes, it follows Claire Redfield on her adventures + it introduced another member of the Wesker family – his sister Alex Wesker.
2017 Resident Evil 7 Biohazard – Reinventing the series with a new perspective, switching from 3rd person to a 1st person gameplay. The setting this time brings us to the troubled home of the Baker family and even though there are few connections to the other titles, it still has all of the components for a great Resident Evil game.
2019 Resident Evil 2 [Remake]– A greatly improved version of the game it is based on which managed to dust off the dated graphics and bring the title to modernity.
2020 Resident Evil 3 [Remake]– Another polished version of the popular early entry in the series with advanced graphics and extra lore that grows onto the original quite nicely!
2021 Resident Evil Village – A continuation of the Ethan Winters story, giving us his conclusion of the events in the previous chronological entry, as well as cleared out ties to the Umbrella Corporation and how it was involved in RE7 and RE ViIIage. It also had a DLC named Shadows of Rose that progressed the storyline quite a bit.
2023 Resident Evil 4 [Remake] – Continuing the Remake tradition of the earlier titles, the most recent one was done for RE4, greatly improving on the title it modernizes even though the original could still hold up on its strengths.
2026 Resident Evil Requiem – The latest entry in the mainline series brings us back to Racoon City and it explores the ruins of the location as well as some more personal matters of the characters that are looking for answers both alone and in a tandem.
What does the Future Hold for the Resident Evil Franchise
As of now, the future of the Resident Evil game series is not exactly known, but 30 years is quite the remarkable milestone for any survival horror genre game franchise. Following the conclusion of Resident Evil Requiem, fans are still curious to find out what comes next for the franchise. While Takeuchi did not actually reveal many specific plans for upcoming games, he did assure fans that the team is greatly dedicated to deliver more engaging experiences in the future, thus inviting fans to stay along for the journey of CAPCOM’s franchise.
Currently, there is a confirmed upcoming project, as Requiem director Koshi Nakanishi announced that a downloadable DLC for Resident Evil Requiem is in development. Even though the release date is not yet certain, the DLC is expected to address some of the unresolved plot points from the main game. The community of Resident Evil fans have expressed that they are hoping for the return of popular characters such as Claire Redfield and Jill Valentine in future installments, so perhaps the team would listen to them and there would be some sort of potential returns as the franchise regularly places such comebacks with its most praised characters.
CAPCOM has built its horror gaming legacy by continuously exploring the captivating universe of Resident Evil, filled with all sorts of terrible bioweapon experiments and shady corporations seeking world dominion, so surely there would be something extraordinary coming up. There are rumors about potential remakes of Resident Evil Code: Veronica and Resident Evil Zero, but these should be viewed with a pinch of salt as they are not official yet, but more clarity on Capcom's future plans is going to emerge as time goes. In the meantime, fans can celebrate the Resident Evil 30th anniversary by revisiting their favorite entries. To kick-off the celebrations properly, we could suggest several options from the more recent announcements.
First, a whole new collaboration titled Resident Evil Requiem with Universal Studios Japan is going to host a tie-in event in order to further expand the Resident Evil universe, aiming to immerse fans in the game’s world in real life. This large-scale project is set to launch in 2026, with additional updates to come soon, but we know for sure that the first-ever Resident Evil amiibo of Grace Ashcroft and Leon S. Kennedy would launch on July 30th, 2026.
Secondly, a new arcade light-gun shooter game titled Resident Evil 2: Arcade was recently announced by Bandai Namco. It would feature air jets and floor vibration technology for an even more immersive zombie-shooting experience. A prototype test launch was tried out in the UK during 2025 and it is set to be also tested in Japan this month and if everything goes well enough Europe and America will have their turn as well in late 2026.
Speaking of the later periods of 2026, another interesting idea is to join the Resident Evil 30th anniversary concert that CAPCOM has planned to host, called "Symphony of Legacy" and grab your tickets for it because the tickets are already on sale with more information available on the official website of the show, but here is a brief anyway.
WORLD TOUR SCHEDULE
Symphony of Legacy is going to feature music from all of the popular Resident Evil games performed live by a whole orchestra. Concerts are going to take place in various cities around the world, and each musical piece that is included in the events was specially arranged for this.
Upcoming concert dates and venues include:
- Düsseldorf, Aug 25, 2026, at MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC HALLE, 8:00 PM
- Prague, Dec 1, 2026, at FORUM KARLÍN, 8:00 PM
- Paris, Dec 6, 2026, at ZÉNITH PARIS - LA VILLETTE, 8:00 PM
- London, Dec 7, 2026, at EVENTIM APOLLO, 8:00 PM
- Vienna, Dec 15, 2026, at WIENER STADTHALLE / HALLE F, 8:00 PM
Have in mind that dates and venues may be subject to change (so be sure to follow the official website just in case) and additional North American dates are going to be announced very soon. Ticket information will be updated as it becomes available.
Lastly, we could suggest trying out one of the more recent Resident Evil mobile games, in which tactical planning unfolds at the Mansion since it serves as your base of operations in RESIDENT EVIL Unit. This location allows you to interact with many of the most iconic characters from the Resident Evil series while exploring its detailed interior. You must carefully strategize and make critical decisions as every choice impacts the experience.
Players are able to assemble a dream team from original series characters, including the likes of Leon S. Kennedy, Claire Redfield and Jill Valentine, each possessing unique skills and personal traits. This offers varied tactical options and a whole new experience, particularly for long-time fans. Real-time defense battles require players to be as strategic as possible, as they face against powerful creatures from the Resident Evil universe. Success hinges on effectively using character skills and the environment to your advantage.
Renowned artist Yoshitaka Amano has designed the original creatures for the title, one of which is called "Mortem". Amano strongly emphasizes that real fear comes from psychological discomfort rather than appearances and Mortem embodies a lingering unsettling presence.
The game's story starts with the main character waking up in a mysterious hospital setting after being used as a test subject by the Umbrella Corporation. As players unravel the truth and seek a way to escape, they encounter familiar characters from the series and uncover new, chilling details. Also included in the RESIDENT EVIL Unit title are various characters with unique backstories such as Kate Anderson, Carlos Oliveira, Ada Wong, Mikhail Victor, Alyssa Ashcroft, Chris Redfield, Rebecca Chambers, Ashley Graham, Luis Serra Navarro and Jack Krauser.
With so much lore and intricate world-building the Resident Evil history aspect has managed to do what few have been able to pull through for so long in the world of gaming. CAPCOM’s franchise has left us with so much of horror gaming legacy and there is still more to come in the future, as it does not seem to be stopping with its developments for more than 3 decades. Hopefully we are able to enjoy many more Resident Evil anniversary occasions together, but until then we are still planning to deliver you with outstanding gaming news and reviews as well as the scandalously incredible YUPLAY promotion campaigns that we are so famous for, so be sure to stay tuned for more soon!