5 reasons 2021 could be the biggest year ever for Resident Evil

2021 might be the busiest year for Resident Evil yet. Off the heels of the Resident Evil 3 remake in 2020, several games appear to be in production in addition to yet another movie and even multiple shows on Netflix. Capcom appears to be working on more Resident Evil projects than ever in the 2020s, and that starts with the launch of the next mainline game this year!

What's next for Resident Evil? Here's everything that we can expect from Capcom's popular horror franchise in the coming months and beyond.

5. Resident Evil Village release

The one Resident Evil game that we know is launching for sure on May 7, 2021, is Resident Evil Village. As the "VIII" in its stylized title suggests, this is technically Resident Evil 8 and the next mainline game in the long-running Resident Evil series. The game is slated for a 2021 release on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X.

Village follows in the footsteps of Resident Evil 7 in a couple of ways. It features the same main character, Ethan Winters, as he explores a now haunted European village after his life is disrupted by Chris Redfield. Like Resident Evil 7, the game will play out from a first-person perspective and will involve supernatural elements other than zombies — namely werewolves and vampires to name just two of them.

4. Resident Evil RE: Verse multiplayer

Resident Evil Village is expected to launch alongside a new multiplayer Resident Evil experience called Resident Evil RE:Verse. This multiplayer game teased and leaked before its official announcement. Capcom is holding sign-ups for a mysterious Resident Evil multiplayer beta ahead of its reveal, and then a listing on Humble Bundle confirmed that it was named Resident Evil RE:Verse's name outright.

It was shown off during the presentation, which confirmed that it was a multiplayer shooter featuring classic Resident Evil characters.

While Resident Evil is best known for its single-player experiences, it has also featured quite a few multiplayer games that have varied wildly in quality. Some, like Umbrella Corps, are outright terrible, while experiences like Resident Evil 3's "Project Resistance" mode are more innovative. It remains to be seen where RE: Verse will fall on that spectrum.

3. Resident Evil Netflix Shows

While there are several Resident Evil games in the pipeline, there are quite a few projects in the works with Netflix as well. A Resident Evil 3D CG anime series called Infinite Darkness follows the adventures of Claire Redfield and Leon Kennedy. That will launch sometime in 2021. It has a trailer that you can check out below:

For those that prefer live-action, Netflix has something in the works for you too. Supernatural's Andrew Dabb is working with Director Bronwen Hughes and Constantin Film on a live-action Netflix series. It follows sisters named Jade and Bille Wesker as they investigate the dark secrets of a corporate "New Raccoon City."

It will also flash-forward to a time where the world is overrun with the T-Virus when Jade struggles to survive alone. The connection to Albert Wesker (Jade and Billie's father who is a major villain in the game series) is clear from this premise, and it should add some exciting layers to the Resident Evil universe. Whlie this show might not come out in 2021, we'll probably get more information casting and a possible release window.

2. Resident Evil movie reboot

For those that prefer the theater experience (when it comes back), you can't escape Resident Evil there either. A new movie is in the works that will reboot the previous film franchise after several terrible movies from Paul W.S. Anderson. It has finished filming and will be released sometime in 2021 if theaters are reopened this year.

This film has a new creative team led by 47 Meters Down director Johannes Roberts and will adapt the events of the first two Resident Evil games. The film will star Kaya Scodelario as Claire Redfield, Tom Hopper as Albert Wesker, Robbie Amell as Chris Redfield, Avan Jogia as Leon Kennedy, and Neal McDonough as William Birkin. Hopefully, we'll get a trailer for this soon.

1. Resident Evil 4 Remake

While this hasn't been confirmed officially yet, a Resident Evil 4 remake was supposedly leaked by insider DuskGolem and Video Games Chronicle. This remake will reportedly launch sometime in 2022 and will follow in the footsteps of the popular Resident Evil 2 and 3 remakes.

Considering that Resident Evil 4 is perhaps the single most popular game in the series, it's not surprising that Capcom would skip over Code: Veronica to remake RE4 instead. It's possible that developer M-Two and Capcom reveal this game sometime in 2021 if these reports are correct.

Even if it isn't revealed this year, there are a lot of other Resident Evil projects to look forward to.

Resident Evil 8 will be released on May 7, 2021.