Resident Evil 9 cancels fun MMO due to lack of horror

The Resident Evil Requiem (Resident Evil 9) began as an open-world multiplayer game, but the development team decided to abandon the online concept to produce a traditional single-player experience of the series. The reason for the critical change in direction was the lack of horror in the multiplayer version, even though the game was "a lot of fun".

Masato Kumazawa, producer of Resident Evil Requiem, confirmed the change in an interview with Press-Start: “Looking at the game when it was multiplayer, the horror was very light. However, in this version, the game was a lot of fun to play,” commented Kumazawa.

Although the open-world online experience was fun, the team doubted the fan reception. They felt that the community would not like a Resident Evil game with little focus on survival horror, which motivated them to return to the single-player format.

Kumazawa justified the decision: “I believe that fans of the series want horror with survival and scares. It's the main thing fans want. Therefore, by saying that, we can't just add new skins and new characters and give you the same experience. That wouldn't be good.”

The producer confirmed that "some elements remained" from the original multiplayer concept in the final version, but did not reveal what gameplay elements those are. Resident Evil Requiem has been in development since 2019 and is scheduled for release on February 27, 2026.

The Resident Evil Requiem (also known as Resident Evil 9) was reworked from an open-world multiplayer game to a traditional single-player experience, as the online concept lacked sufficient horror. Producer Masato Kumazawa stated to Press-Start that, although the original game was "a lot of fun to play," the team felt that fans "want horror with survival and scares". The game has been in development since 2019 and will be released on February 27, 2026.