Resident Evil 9 Leak Suggests Future Horror Title Could Go Open World!

Leaker Dusk Golem posted potential new information about Resident Evil 9, which he says could go open-world by building on the Reach for the Moon Engine (RE).

The latest installment in the horror game franchise has reportedly been in the works for several years now and many fans are hopeful that it will be released in 2025. The leaker also claimed that Monster Hunter Wilds is building the same technology as the Resident Evil 9 team.

Resident Evil 9 Leak

However, they assured fans that the two games will still "retain the series DNA" of their respective franchises. Dusk Golem took to Discord last October where he teased a variety of details regarding the Resident Evil 9 title. They suggested that the game will receive the largest budget yet throughout the entire franchise.

The new information lines up with the game's development taking a lot more time than previously expected. The possibility that it is using a brand-new engine to provide an open-world gameplay experience would also make it take a little bit longer to deliver the latest title, according to Insider Gaming.

The leaker also said that Dragon's Dogma 2 "expanded RE Engine functionality" despite launching too many negative reviews over in-game monetization and performance issues. Even then, the game allowed Capcom to potentially work out flaws and prepare for a smoother Resident Evil 9 launch.

Fans who are eagerly waiting for a new Resident Evil title can fall back on the franchise's latest release last month, Resident Evil 4 Gold Edition. This particular title combines the base game with several DLCs.

While there is very little information that we know about Resident Evil 9 right now, it is known to mark a new beginning for the franchise following the events of Resident Evil Village. With Ethan Winters no longer being the series' primary protagonist, Capcom has the freedom to experiment outside of a first-person title.

Potential for an Open-World Resident Evil Game

On top of the potential open world Resident Evil 9, Dusk Golem claimed earlier this year that there are five other games from the franchise that are currently in development, said The Gamer.

The rumors around Resident Evil 9 have fans clamoring for features and characters that they want to see in a future title. These include Rose, the daughter of Ethan and Mia Winters, who has superhuman abilities due to her parents' exposure to the mold E series.

Rose's powers were explored in the Resident Evil Village: Shadows of Rose DLC. The franchise moving forward with other superpowered characters could bring an exciting new change to the horror game series.

While Resident Evil 7 and Village took the franchise back to its survival horror roots, having superpowered characters could make the next title not focus as much on this genre. The franchise is sometimes known for leaving plot points unresolved.

However, Rose's abilities are too big of a change to the series that they would be impossible to ignore moving forward. The addition of other characters similar to her in terms of powers could result in Resident Evil 9 having a more action-focused gameplay, according to GameRant.