The Resident Evil 4 remake is coming with all the ferocity of a T-virus infected hound. We’ve collected all the release date, leaks, speculation and rumours and in one place – so you’ll be prepared when it arrives.
The Resident Evil 4 remake was one of the worst kept secrets in the video game industry. The original game is many Resident Evil fans’ favourite title in the long-running survival horror series, so Capcom are being extra careful that they get it right.
The last game in the Resident Evil remake series was Resident Evil 3, and it’s almost impossible to speculate on a Resident Evil 4 remake without first tackling the response to that game.
The first two entries in the remake series received nearly universal acclaim from fans and critics alike. The third, however, was met with a far more lukewarm response. Critics praised how the game captured the tension and action of the original version, while noting its relatively short length and disappointing lack of innovation.
These criticisms are said to have been taken on board by Capcom, the result of which was that they restarted their development of the Resident Evil 4 remake. What this means is difficult to say, particularly because the third and fourth entries in the series are very different games.
Nonetheless, fans should expect to see an expanded version of the game’s world, rather than a scaled back one. Also, innovating the gameplay, and making it more palatable to a modern audience, will be a top priority for Capcom.
With that covered, let’s dive into all the information we have on the game so far.
Resident Evil 4 remake release date
Update: The cat is out of the bag and the Resident Evil 4 remake has been officially been announced, along with a tentative release date. The game is set for release March 24, 2023.
There is currently no official release date for a Resident Evil 4 remake, largely because Capcom haven’t announced its existence. Fear not though, it is beyond doubt that the game is well on its way to completion.
The third entry in the remake series, despite the issues mentioned above, still sold over 4 million copies worldwide. While less than the Resident Evil 2 remake, these sales figures still constituted a ‘hit’ according to Capcom. Therefore, it would be madness for Capcom to abandon their remake project prematurely.
This is doubly true because the original is widely regarded, at least to many nostalgic fans, as the best entry in the series. It’s just a matter of striking a balance between respecting the original and improving on it right.
For our money, we expect to see a Resident Evil 4 remake in 2023.
Resident Evil 4 remake leaks
A decent amount of what we know about the next instalment in Capcom’s series of zombie-filled remakes has come to us through a prominent Resident Evil leaker. And while these sources should generally be taken with a grain of salt, in this specific instance the leaker has a reputation for accuracy.
Horror video game insider, Dusk Golem, is one of the main sources behind the rumour that much of the work on the Resident Evil 4 remake was thrown out and started anew. He also claimed that the game has been in development since 2018 (two years before the third game in the remake series was even released), and has the codename ‘chainsaw project’.
(1/5) People have been asking me this morning about RE:4 Remake Reddit rumor. I'll tackle this point by point.
1. Of course Capcom is aware of leaks, they do investigations on them, the big hack was a big problem for them partially due to private personal information. It was bad.— AestheticGamer aka Dusk Golem (@AestheticGamer1) May 17, 2021
However, that’s not all Dusk Golem has thrown to the horde of hungry Resident Evil fans.
A semi-open world game
Dusk Golem also posted that, as a direct response to the main criticism of the Resident Evil 3 remake (too linear and small), the Resident Evil 4 remake would feature a more open world than the original. This design choice makes sense, as the over-the-shoulder camera angle of the original lends itself well to open world game design.
-Will explore more The Merchant and Chainsaw Man
-Bigger than original and likely will be semi-open world
-Lots of connection to Re8,Re2r and Re3r
-Release date for 2023— Ilory (@iloryre) May 17, 2021
Expanded story and more horror
In an interview with Shinji Mikami, director of the original Resident Evil 4, a number of interesting details came to light regarding the Resident Evil 4 remake. First of all, Mikami was keen to communicate his support for the project, as long as the game was treated with respect and proper care.
He also mentioned that he was disappointed regarding how the story of the original game was executed, highlighting that vital material was cut due to time constraints some. Mikami stated that the narrative of the game would be improved if this cut content were to be reintegrated into a Resident Evil 4 remake.
Mikami also stated that he believes Capcom will try to give the remake a scarier vibe that’s more inline with Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil Village.
A next-gen exclusive?
This rumour was started by an anonymous leaker on Reddit. Essentially, the leaker stated that the RE4 remake will only be available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. They also claimed Sony were trying to negotiate for it to be a timed PS5 exclusive (between 6-12 months).
While I’m not convinced of the authenticity of this leak, I think the first part of the rumour is likely correct. Capcom have yet to release a fully next-gen title in any of their major IPs. This could make a lot of sense, and be kind of like Capcom’s version of the Demons’ Souls remake.
State of Play (June 2022)
After much speculation, the Resident Evil 4 remake has officially been announced at Sony’s June 22 State of Play event. The trailer was a definite highlight and the response of fans has been very positive. Specific details are still scarce, but we’ll keep our ear to the ground for future updates.
Sony teases Resident Evil 4 remake
Sony potentially teased the upcoming Resident Evil remake in their 2021 September showcase. Why Sony did this is up for debate (perhaps it will be a PlayStation exclusive after all), what isn’t is that it got fans rather excited.
The Resident Evil 4 remake teaser can be found at around the 1:49 mark. At this point in the video, a ground of soldiers come out of a lift with their weapons raised. If you look in the bottom right corner of the screen you’ll see the symbol for Las Plagas (the infection in RE4). That’s it, really. Conspiracy theorists commence!
That brings us to a close in terms of our Resident Evil 4 remake coverage. We’ll be sure to keep this page updated if and when new details emerge.
