The Resident Evil franchise has explored American small towns, Eastern European villages, and African landscapes, but never the country where it all began. That could change. Producer Masato Kumazawa of Resident Evil Requiem has indicated that a Japan-set mainline installment is a real possibility, reigniting fan speculation about what Capcom's survival horror juggernaut might look like on home soil.
Speaking to Japanese outlet Futaman, Kumazawa acknowledged that the idea has circulated among the development team for years. "I think that every Japanese Resident Evil fan has definitely thought about a Japan setting, and I've also considered it myself," he said. "As the series is primarily developed by staff in Japan, I think everyone on the dev team has probably thought about it. Even though Japan hasn't appeared as a setting for the games yet, I think it might at some point in the future."
The admission comes as fan conversation around the subject has picked up steam. Silent Hill f, Konami's recent horror entry set in 1960s Japan, prompted some Reddit users and forum-goers to question why Resident Evil hadn't ventured there yet. The absence is striking for a series created and largely developed by Japanese studios.
Online discussion reveals divided sentiment about what a Japan-set entry should look like. While some fans embrace the prospect of exploring new locations, others worry about repeating the rural village template that already dominates Japanese horror games like Silent Hill f, Fatal Frame, and Siren. Others see untapped potential in Japan's geography, particularly its scattered islands, which could serve as compelling backdrops for a viral outbreak scenario.
The franchise has technically featured Japanese protagonists before, though not in a mainline release. Takeru Tominaga stars in the official Resident Evil manga Biohazard Heavenly Island, where he battles the T-virus on a Caribbean island with a sinister Umbrella Corp history. The mainline games have included Japanese and half-Japanese characters such as Yoko Suzuki from Resident Evil Outbreak and Jill Valentine, keeping the door open for a Japan-based story anchored by a Japanese lead.
Kumazawa also addressed concerns about Resident Evil Requiem's title, which some fans interpreted as a series finale. He clarified that while Requiem wraps up some iconic elements and pays tribute to the Raccoon City incident, it represents a goodbye only to specific narrative threads. "There are still many things we'd like to do, such as telling the stories of characters that didn't appear in Requiem," he explained.
The producer emphasized that future entries will maintain the series' core identity while experimenting with fresh gameplay ideas. Recent examples include Village's Megamycete concept and Requiem's perspective-switching mechanics. "Players will get bored if we just keep making the same kind of games, so we'd like to continue taking on new challenges," Kumazawa said.
For now, Capcom is focused on the upcoming Resident Evil Requiem story expansion. A new Resident Evil movie set in Raccoon City is scheduled for September theatrical release.
Author Emily Chen: "A Japan setting would be the most obvious move Resident Evil could make at this point, but the execution matters more than the setting itself."
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