The state of Capcom’s iconic Resident Evil horror series has been one of flux the past several years. While the Resident Evil series has produced very successful numbered titles such as Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil 8: Village, it’s equally produced incredibly popular remakes of previous entries in the form of Resident Evil 2 Remake and Resident Evil 4 Remake, and now the rumor mill has churned its way back to Resident Evil, and whispers of a remake of Resident Evil 1 are now on the ears of the internet.
As reported by Playstationlifestyle this is merely rumor, first posted on Reddit citing DanielRPK, whose word is not gospel but apparently has a good track record when it comes to leaks. This was also reported by an Arabic Twitter account around the same time as the Reddit post, with the tweet claiming that the remake would be out by 2026.
However take these rumors with a grain of salt. DanielRPK may have an occasionally good track record, but as the comments within that very Reddit thread claim he’s not always accurate and occasionally seems like he’s just saying whatever to see what sticks, and the Arabic Twitter account makes several claims, one being that an elderly Leon Kennedy will be starring in the next numbered Resident Evil title.
So, chances are these rumors aren’t true. However, on the off chance they are, it doesn’t bode well for the state of the video game industry. Already many players have voiced several grievances with the remakes of Resident Evil 2, 3, and 4 with 3 and 4 in particular sparking several debates. That, alongside the remakes of Dead Space and Final Fantasy 7 as well as the upcoming Silent Hill 2 Remake have really stoked the argument that some games just shouldn’t be remade, at least at this time as they have aged more than gracefully into the modern era. Resident Evil 1 was already remade with Resident Evil 1 Remake in 2002, a remake that is consistently brought up as the gold standard of remakes and the peak of what Resident Evil 1 could be may prove to be an impossible standard to live up to, as Resident Evil 4’s remake failed to live up its predecessor’s standard on several fronts as well.
Regardless, these are all just rumors from dubious sources, but they have been circulating online, so it’s interesting to think about. But until Capcom themselves announce the game, rumors are all they’ll be.