Resident Evil 9 and Monster Hunter Wilds to venture into open world realm, rumours say

Gaming insider Dusk Golem has shed light on CAPCOM's exciting new direction with its upcoming major releases, Resident Evil 9 and Monster Hunter Wilds. Both titles are expected to embrace an open world format, following the trend set by Dragon's Dogma 2.

According to Dusk Golem's tweet, CAPCOM's pattern of launching similar-themed projects simultaneously, as seen with the success of RE7, RE:2, and DMCV using the RE Engine, continues. The same engine's advancements made for Dragon's Dogma 2 are now being leveraged for the forthcoming Monster Hunter Wilds and Resident Evil 9.

This strategic move indicates a major transformation for CAPCOM's renowned horror franchise. While the open world design aligns seamlessly with the Monster Hunter series, its application to the Resident Evil series marks uncharted territory, as open world horror is a relatively untapped genre. The traditional linear narrative has been the norm in horror games to sustain the eerie and suspenseful environment.

Nonetheless, Dusk Golem assures fans that both Resident Evil 9 and Monster Hunter Wilds will retain their franchise's inherent characteristics, mirroring Dragon's Dogma 2's fidelity to its original game. There is an anticipation that these new titles will push creative boundaries further than Dragon's Dogma 2, which some critics viewed as overly conservative in its approach.

The current status of these anticipated games: Monster Hunter Wilds, announced for a 2025 release on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series S|X, is expected to reveal more details this summer.

Resident Evil 9, though not formally confirmed, is highly anticipated following the success of Village. Reported to have been in development since 2018, it stands as the longest-developed entry in the series. Slated for a release next year, it could contribute to a banner year for CAPCOM, recently crowned Metacritic's Best Publisher of 2023.

Resident Evil 9 is set to wrap up the narrative started in Resident Evil 7, paving the way for a new storyline in future installments.