Resident Evil Village: Everything We Know

Resident Evil Village, stylized to include the roman numeral VIII in the title, is the next game in the main Resident Evil series. It is a direct follow-up to Resident Evil 7, but developer and publisher Capcom has been insistent on using its full title rather than an abbreviation like RE8 in order to stress the importance of the mysterious village at the heart of the game. We got our first look at Resident Evil Village during Sony's PS5 reveal event in June, and even more information during Capcom's Resident Evil Showcase stream in late January, then again in April--including new trailers, gameplay footage, a release date reveal, and more on Mercenaries mode and demo release dates. Here's everything we know about Resident Evil Village so far.

For more on upcoming games, check out our most anticipated games of 2021.

When Does Resident Evil Village Launch?

Resident Evil Village launches on all platforms on May 7, 2021. Read our Resident Evil Village review for our thoughts.

A demo called Maiden was made available earlier in the year. The demo lacked combat and put you in the role of an unnamed character rather than Village's protagonist Ethan Winters, serving instead as a way for players to "get a real feel for the visuals and audio" of the upcoming game, specifically the castle at the heart of its gothic setting, according to producer Pete Fabiano.

Two mode demos are available before launch, but the details are a bit confusing. PS4 and PS5 users get early access to the Village demo and Castle demo, which will be released a week apart. Then both demos open up to all platforms a few days before launch. Learn more about the upcoming Resident Evil Village demos so you don't miss out.

Will Resident Evil Village Be On PC, PS4, And Xbox One?

Resident Evil Village is coming to PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S, all at the same time. Its PS4 and Xbox One versions were confirmed during January's Resident Evil Showcase. During the stream, producer Pete Fabiano also revealed that PS4 and Xbox One players would be able to upgrade to the next-gen versions for free.

Resident Evil Village System Specs

Resident Evil Village's PC system requirements have been announced. Console resolution and frame rate options have also been revealed.

Trailers and Gameplay

Capcom has given us a few glimpses of Resident Evil Village since its reveal in June 2020. Its announcement trailer from Sony's PS5 event set a dark, fairytale-like tone for the sequel and revealed the return of Ethan Winters, Mia Winters, and Chris Redfield. It also gave us our first look at the European village setting. Its second story trailer debuted during Tokyo Game Show, and its third trailer premiered during the Resident Evil Showcase in January, which you can see below.

We also got our first look at Resident Evil Village gameplay during January's Resident Evil Showcase, which gave us a better introduction to the mysterious sisters who inhabit the castle, as well as some of the creatures and characters Ethan will encounter on his journey. April's Resident Evil Showcase gave us yet another trailer.

Will Resident Evil Village Have A Multiplayer Mode?

Resident Evil Village will ship with a free multiplayer game called RE:Verse, which we got our first look at during the Resident Evil Showcase in January.

According to producer Tsuyoshi Kanda, RE:Verse is a celebration of the Resident Evil series, which turns 25 this year.

Will Resident Evil Village Have Mercenaries Mode?

Yes! During the Resident Evil Showcase in April, Capcom revealed the return of Mercenaries mode for Resident Evil Village. We last saw this classic game mode in Resident Evil 6. This time, it's been revamped to fit Village's first-person perspective and comes packed with new features.

Will Resident Evil Village Have DLC Or Microtransactions?

It's still early, so we haven't heard about any Resident Evil Village DLC or expansions yet. It's unlikely Resident Evil Village will include microtransactions of any kind, but the same can't be said about RE:Verse until we have more information.

How To Preorder Resident Evil Village

Resident Evil Village is now available to preorder.

Head to our Resident Evil Village preorder guide to learn more about its various editions--including standard, digital deluxe, collector's, and the complete bundle, which comes with RE7--as well as preorder bonuses and other extras.