Three years in, the project is already ahead of schedule.
Capcom, the studio that has built a second fortune on revisiting its own past, is now three years into remaking Resident Evil Code Veronica — a title born from fan longing rather than commercial dominance. Meanwhile, Resident Evil 5, one of the franchise's best-selling entries with over 15 million copies sold, waits without even a greenlight, a quiet reminder that in creative industries, priority is rarely a simple equation of numbers.
- A remake fans have wanted for years is not only happening but moving faster than Capcom's own teams anticipated, signaling unusual momentum inside the studio.
- Resident Evil 5's commercial success — third in franchise history — has done nothing to accelerate its path to a remake, leaving a 15-million-copy seller in an unexplained holding pattern.
- Capcom appears to be working through its back catalog in a deliberate sequence, with RE1 and RE Zero also rumored, suggesting a methodical plan rather than reactive decision-making.
- RE5 and RE6, with roughly 30 million combined sales, remain the last major unmade entries, their delay framed as a resource and priority issue rather than any lack of audience appetite.
- Resident Evil Requiem, arriving February 2026, signals that Capcom is simultaneously pushing the franchise forward narratively even as it reconstructs its past.
Capcom has spent years turning its back catalog into a reliable revenue engine, and the strategy continues with a modernized Resident Evil Code Veronica now roughly three years into development and moving ahead of schedule. The project grew from genuine fan demand — Code Veronica was among the most-requested titles when Capcom surveyed its audience — and has since evolved into one of the studio's smoother productions.
The more puzzling story belongs to Resident Evil 5. With over 15 million copies sold across its various releases, it ranks third in franchise history — ahead of even the celebrated RE2 remake. Yet no greenlight exists. The commercial argument for remaking it is airtight, which makes the silence around it all the more curious.
Capcom's broader approach appears methodical: work through the catalog in sequence, with remakes of the original Resident Evil and RE Zero also reportedly in motion. If those projects proceed, only RE5 and RE6 — representing roughly 30 million combined sales — would remain, suggesting their turn will come eventually, shaped more by scheduling and resources than by any doubt about their worth.
All of this unfolds alongside Resident Evil Requiem, the ninth mainline entry arriving in February 2026, which threads a narrative line back to the franchise's origins. Capcom, it seems, is running two timelines at once — reconstructing the past while continuing to write the future.
Capcom has spent the better part of a decade mining its back catalog for remakes, and the strategy has mostly worked. The studio is now deep into production on a modernized version of Resident Evil Code Veronica, a project that has been running for roughly three years and is moving faster than anyone expected. But if you've been waiting for the same treatment to come to Resident Evil 5, you're going to be waiting longer than you think—the game hasn't even been greenlit yet.
The appetite for a Code Veronica remake has been building for years. When Capcom surveyed its fanbase about which older titles deserved a second life, Code Veronica landed among the most requested, alongside the dormant Dino Crisis franchise. What started as fan demand has become something more concrete. According to sources tracking Capcom's internal plans, the Code Veronica project is not only moving forward but is ahead of schedule, benefiting from what developers describe as a particularly smooth production cycle.
Residents Evil 5 presents a different puzzle. The game sold more than 15 million copies across all its various releases, a number that places it third in franchise sales history—ahead of even the acclaimed RE2 remake. By any commercial measure, it's a success. Yet despite that track record, the game remains without official approval for a remake. No one outside the studio seems to know why Capcom hasn't greenlit it, though the low sales argument doesn't hold water given those numbers.
The broader picture suggests Capcom is working through the franchise's catalog methodically. Rumors point to remakes of the original Resident Evil and RE Zero also in development or under consideration. If those projects move forward as expected, only RE5 and RE6 would remain unmade—and those two titles combined have sold roughly 30 million copies, making them undeniable commercial anchors for the franchise. The delay on RE5 appears to be a matter of priority and resources rather than demand.
Meanwhile, fans are counting down to something different: Resident Evil Requiem, the ninth main entry in the series, which will arrive on February 27, 2026. That game picks up a narrative thread that began nearly three decades ago with the first Resident Evil, suggesting Capcom is balancing its remake strategy with forward momentum on the franchise's ongoing story.
Citações Notáveis
The Code Veronica project is ahead of schedule due to a particularly smooth production cycle.— Capcom development sources (via Dusk Golem)
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why would Capcom greenlight Code Veronica but leave RE5 in limbo when RE5 sold so many more copies?
The sales numbers don't seem to be the deciding factor. It's more about what fits into the studio's development pipeline and what the team thinks needs modernizing most urgently.
So Code Veronica is considered more in need of a remake?
Or at least more ready to be remade right now. Three years in, the project is already ahead of schedule. That kind of momentum matters when you're allocating resources across multiple franchises.
Does the lack of a greenlight for RE5 mean it will never happen?
Not necessarily. Capcom seems committed to remaking all the main titles eventually. RE5 and RE6 are just further back in the queue. It's a sequencing question, not a rejection.
What about the fans who specifically want RE5 remade?
They're probably frustrated, but the studio is clearly thinking in terms of a long-term roadmap. Code Veronica gets the attention now. RE5 gets its turn later.
And in the meantime, there's a new game coming?
Yes—Resident Evil Requiem in early 2026. So Capcom is working on both the past and the future at the same time.