Renowned CAPCOM leaker Dusk Golem has revealed that the publisher’s next major projects, Resident Evil 9 and Monster Hunter Wilds, will both follow in the footsteps of Dragon’s Dogma 2 with an open world design. Here’s what Dusk Golem wrote on Twitter:
So here’s a little tidbit I’ll share: CAPCOM often will greenlight new initiatives in 3’s closer together. Decent examples are RE7, RE:2 & DMCV, which were all greenlit fairly close together to take advantage of their new RE Engine, and the idea to remake RE:2 inspired them to also take on RE:3 & RE:4 for a remake initiative. Dragon’s Dogma 2 expanded RE Engine functionality for open world games; the two other games building on this tech are Monster Hunter Wilds & Resident Evil 9.
If the information is correct, it would be a bold new direction for CAPCOM’s premiere horror franchise. While making Monster Hunter Wilds open world could be seen as the natural evolution of the series due to the genre, the same cannot be said about Resident Evil. Open world horror games aren’t exactly that common, with the notable exception of The Forest and the recently released sequel Sons of the Forest. Developers have long relied on linear game design to optimize the horror vibe in their games, and an open world approach could jeopardize this all.
With that said, Dusk Golem also reassured fans that both Resident Evil 9 and Monster Hunter Wilds would retain their respective DNA, just like Dragon’s Dogma 2 did. To be honest, I do hope the development teams are a bit bolder than DD2’s, which stuck so close to the original game’s formula to be more like a reboot than a sequel.
At any rate, let’s recap what we know about both games. Monster Hunter Wilds was announced at December’s The Game Awards for a 2025 launch on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S|X, with more information due to be unveiled this Summer.
Resident Evil 9, on the other hand, isn’t official yet. However, it might as well be, following the success of Village. Dusk Golem has previously said the game has been in the making since 2018, the longest development time yet for a game in the franchise.
Just like the next chapter in Monster Hunter, the game is slated for next year, preparing for a potentially record-breaking 2025 for CAPCOM (which just won Metacritic’s Best Publisher of 2023 award). The leaker claimed it won’t be a direct sequel to Village, but it will still close the narrative arc that started with Resident Evil 7. The following installment would feature a brand new plot line.
