Open-world Resident Evil 9 has fans worried for the franchise
Not that they were ever truly gone, but in 2024, the Resident Evil games are back in a big way. Following the dumpster fire of Resident Evil 6, 2017's Resident Evil 7 took the series back to its horror roots and became one of the franchise's best. Since then, we've never really looked back.
2019's Resident Evil 2 remake was a major win for Capcom, leading to the divisive RE3 remake and 2023's award-winning RE4 remake. Aside from that, we had a full-blown RE7 sequel in the form of Resident Evil Village. With that being another superstar shooter, it was no surprise to learn about plans for Resident Evil 9.
Fans aren't sure about an open-world Resident Evil
While Resident Evil 9 was once supposed to round off a Winters Trilogy, that story was seemingly polished off in Village's Shadows of Rose DLC. This has left the door open for Capcom to literally go anywhere, although we expect Chris Redfield could once again be the MVP of the next chapter.
As we sit and wait for another outbreak from the Umbrella lab, Resident Evil 9 leaks are few and far between. However, noted Resiverse leaker Dusk Golem is here with a doozy, claiming that the next game will be the franchise's first open-world outing.
Dusk Golem claimed that the mechanics used in the likes of Dragon's Dogma 2 and the upcoming Monster Hunter Wilds will be used in RE9. The RE Engine that was used for Dragon's Dogma 2 will reportedly create a massive world map, although it won't come at the cost of the series' core DNA.
One sceptic said, "RE9 being built on open-world tech is not good news IMO," while another added, "Capcom better not f**k up all this momentum that they’ve had since RE7 just to pull an RE6 all over again and it flops because they attempted something different."
Still, there were others who were excited. "If RE9 goes open world, it would be so immersive with a pursuer enemy-type, similar to Nemesis or Mr. X 😱," said one supporter. Another concluded, "The Evil Within 2 had open world with a stalker and it worked just fine so this idea is really great if done right."
Resident Evil 9 leaks tease something new
Click to enlargeWhile Dusk Golem has a proven track record with Resident Evil leaks, they've not given much away about the plot. There was a suitably massive leak a while back, pitching a ghost town in the West, Wendingos, and a female bioweapon.
We've also heard about a potential return of Jill Valentine, and with her being MIA since RE5, she's long overdue. Still, Capcom hasn't given us any official story details and seems to be holding out on giving us much of an update on where things are up to.
The Resiverse has always taught us to expect the unexpected, and arguably, an open-world Resident Evil 9 would be the biggest shock. Considering we're so used to linear Resident Evil games across its 28-year history, it's no surprise the idea of such a drastic departure from what we know has some Resi fans worried.
