Capcom says Resident Evil remakes allow it to fund new games and IPs like Pragmata

Capcom recently acknowledged that Resident Evil remakes allow the company to release a new game in the series almost every year while reinvesting the revenue into more experimental projects and new concepts like Pragmata. According to Capcom producer Masachika Kawata, without these remakes, releasing annual Resident Evil titles and creating new IPs “would be quite the undertaking.”

Kawata explained that a steady flow of Resident Evil remakes that don’t compromise on quality and provide an all-around experience helps keep Capcom afloat and allows the company to actively sustain the Resident Evil series. 

A long-time Capcom employee and producer of the latest Resident Evil entry, Requiem, Kawata shared his perspective in a recent interview. He laid out the practical benefits of revisiting older titles in the series with a fresh approach while simultaneously creating new and original games that expand Resident Evil’s lore.

Kawata connected the dots clearly in an interview with Game Informer, explaining, “One of the reasons for creating remakes is that producing a new entry in the Resident Evil series every year would be quite an undertaking and a difficult task. So, being able to revisit older games and remake them helps Capcom meet that goal of releasing a Resident Evil title each year, but it also allows the team to continually challenge themselves and their craft.”

RE remakes are an important financial aspect

He continued, “That’s not to say the remakes are any less important. In fact, they’re just as important as the mainline titles. Capcom is lucky enough to have found this cycle that can continue to provide us with the financial resources to create things like new entries in the Resident Evil series and completely new IPs like Pragmata. So the relationship is there.”

Kawata also addressed the absence of recent spin-off titles like 2020’s Resident Evil Resistance and 2016’s tactical shooter Umbrella Corps. These games failed to gain significant traction in the wider gaming landscape and, at present, Kawata says that Capcom’s resources are already stretched thin.

“Maybe there are a lot of people out there who would like to see more spin-off titles or such,” he said. “But honestly, the team is giving everything it has right now, working on things like our new entries like Requiem or remakes. So honestly, at the moment, that’s where our efforts are being focused. We are so focused on pouring our energy into that, I don’t think there’s a whole lot left right now for a spin-off.”

Looking ahead, the next remake in the series is Resident Evil: Veronica, a full reimagining of the 2000 PS2-era Code Veronica, scheduled for release in 2027.

Buy Resident Evil Requiem on Amazon here