Key Highlights:
- Resident Evil 9 will return to third-person gameplay, shifting from RE7 and RE8 first-person style.
- Originally conceived as an open-world multiplayer title, the game has since undergone major design changes.
- Capcom has yet to officially announce RE9, but multiple insiders have revealed consistent details.
Resident Evil 9 is reportedly shifting away from the first-person gameplay introduced in Resident Evil 7 and continued in Resident Evil Village.
Instead, the next mainline entry will bring back the third-person perspective, aligning itself with recent remakes like Resident Evil 2, 3, and 4.
According to reliable leaker Dusk Golem (also known as AestheticGamer), the third-person viewpoint has been part of the plan since early development. The insider stated that while a first-person option might be included, the core design is centred around third-person mechanics.
This would mark a significant tonal shift, especially for players who embraced the immersive horror of Ethan Winters’ journey in the previous two entries.
In a surprising revelation, it was also reported that Resident Evil 9 was at one point being developed as an open-world multiplayer game. The setting was said to be a fictional island near Singapore, with long-time fan favourites Leon S. Kennedy and Jill Valentine as the leads.
That version of the game has since been shelved in favour of a more traditional Resident Evil experience, though it’s unclear how many ideas from that scrapped iteration will survive in the final version.
Capcom has remained tight-lipped about the next Resident Evil, but hints of its existence have emerged, including subtle visual cues in the Resident Evil 4 remake tribute video, where a stylised “IX” appeared multiple times.
Meanwhile, internal leaks suggest the project has been in development since 2018, reinforcing the idea that this will be a landmark title in the series. It must be noted, that although a lot of leaks have yet to be confirmed by Capcom, the title itself has been confirmed and is officially in development.
With Resident Evil Village releasing in 2021 and the RE4 remake landing in 2023 to strong critical and commercial success, Capcom appears to be balancing innovation with fan service.
Resident Evil 9 seems poised to do both, restoring a classic perspective while integrating lessons learned from its experimental phases. As fans await official confirmation from these reports, the consistent nature of recent leaks points to a carefully considered direction.
A reveal in 2025 seems increasingly likely, given the extended development timeline and Capcom’s typical marketing cadence.