Capcom Explored Open-World, Online Resident Evil Before Scrapping Plan

Capcom has confirmed its early experiments with an open-world, online-focused vision for Resident Evil: Requiem, before ultimately shifting direction back to the series' core horror identity.

In a behind-the-scenes developer diary, director Koshi Nakanishi shared a glimpse of this cancelled prototype, showcasing multiple characters engaged in intense combat scenarios.

The development team decided to abandon these concepts to refocus on the franchise's survival horror origins. As a result, next year's Requiem will be a strictly single-player, offline experience.

"We incorporated a tremendous amount into this project and explored numerous different systems during the initial development phase," explained producer Masachika Kawata.

"You may have heard the speculation," Nakanishi added. "We dedicated significant time to prototyping an online or open-world Resident Evil.

"While we generated some compelling ideas, we concluded it wasn't aligning with fan expectations. We returned to the core principles, which guided us to the final vision for Resident Evil: Requiem."

Below are a few short clips from the abandoned online version of Requiem:

The cancelled Resident Evil 9 project pic.twitter.com/Vu7z2tlppQ

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Art director Tomonori Takano discussed the deliberate choice to set Requiem in urban locations, creating a distinct contrast with recent series entries.

Resident Evil 7, Village, and the Resident Evil 4 Remake primarily unfold in remote, rural settings. Requime marks a return to the iconic Raccoon City.

"Recent titles frequently featured natural, countryside environments," Takano stated. "This installment emphasizes urban landscapes and modern drama, including the return to Raccoon City."

While the setting and single-player focus are now confirmed, Capcom remains vague on whether the beloved Leon S. Kennedy is playable alongside the announced protagonist, FBI agent Grace Ashcroft.

During yesterday's Capcom Spotlight, Nakanishi suggested Leon might be a "poor fit for horror," without explicitly ruling out his appearance. Speculation suggests Capcom is saving the reveal of the game's more action-oriented sequences, for which Leon would be ideal.