Capcom Reimagined ‘Resident Evil Requiem’ After Determining Multiplayer Focus Diluted Horror Elements
Resident Evil Requiem, slated for release on February 27th, 2026, underwent a important shift in development, moving away from its initial design as an open-world, multiplayer game. Producer Masato Kumazawa revealed in a recent interview with Press Start Australia that the team ultimately decided the multiplayer iteration lacked the intense horror experience fans expect from the franchise.
“Looking at the game when it was multiplayer,the horror part was very mild,” Kumazawa explained. “Though, in that build, we made a game that was fun to play.But we looked deeply into this game and wondered if a fan of the franchise would really like this, so we thought they probably wouldn’t enjoy it as much.”
Despite scrapping the multiplayer focus, elements from the earlier build were retained to ensure the final product remained engaging. Kumazawa remained tight-lipped on specifics, stating, “there are some remaining elements, but we can’t disclose what it is indeed and how it is.”
kumazawa emphasized the importance of delivering a true survival horror experience. “I believe fans of the franchise want survival horror and being scared. That is the number one thing that fans want. So by saying that,we can’t just slap on new skins and new characters and give you the same experience. It wouldn’t be that good.”
Development on Requiem began before Resident Evil Village,leading the team to prioritize horror and avoid excessive combat. Game director Koshi Nakanishi intends to employ a similar pacing approach to that of Resident Evil 7,which he also directed,as discussed with Eurogamer at Gamescom. Capcom is also drawing inspiration from the original Resident Evil games, notably in designing boss battles that emphasize puzzle-solving over shooting skill.
