Resident Evil 9 began development as an open-world multiplayer game, and though the game was rebooted, the current version retains some of its original premise.

Speaking on X, well-known CAPCOM leaker Dusk Golem commented on the latest rumors on the yet-to-be-revealed new entry in the survival horror series, revealing that the game started development back in 2017 and was originally meant to be the exact opposite of Resident Evil VII: Biohazard, an open-world multiplayer game starring Leon Kenney and Jill Valentine set on a fictional island based off Singapore. The reason why CAPCOM was going with such a game was due to Resident Evil VII: Biohazard underperforming at the time, and the desire to make something that was the exact opposite of a game that was not meeting sales expectations. Resident Evil 9, however, didn’t remain an open-world game for long. Development was rebooted around 2021 when Resident Evil Village came out, and most of its premise changed, although some elements remain the same, as well as Leon being the protagonist.

Besides revealing these interesting Resident Evil 9 tidbits, Dusk Golem provided a minor update on other series projects in the works. The Resident Evil Zero remake underwent some significant changes around half a year ago, and he believes what another leaker said regarding its reveal timing, which should be soon. In addition, Revelations 3, which was revealed a few years ago via a massive leak, was canceled in 2022.

Very little is known about Resident Evil 9 at the moment, other than the fact that it has been in development for a while. Despite the silence, however, the game is reportedly still set for a 2025 reveal and a 2026 launch. With plenty of showcases and events in the next few weeks, the wait may finally be over to see how the game will reinvent the series, which is reportedly why it is taking so long to release.