Resident Evil 9 rumored to be open-world thanks to engine updates made for Dragon's Dogma 2

Although Unreal Engine 5 powers several high-profile games currently in development, several studios and publishers still use their own proprietary technology. This includes EA's Frostbite engine, which powers everything from Battlefield to the upcoming Dragon Age Dreadwolf, and Capcom's RE engine, developed for Resident Evil but most recently seen in the popular open-world action RPG Dragon's Dogma.

According to industry insider Dusk Golem on X, Capcom's engineers had to add open-world functionality to the engine to support the game's scope. This is a significant upgrade compared to the version found in the recent Resident Evil remakes.

Interestingly, Capcom will use this new and improved RE engine in two upcoming releases: Monster Hunter Wild and Resident Evil 9. Resident Evil going open-world for its next mainline entry would be a significant departure for the series. Dusk Golem quickly adds that the team aims to ensure Resident Evil 9 "retains the series DNA."

Dragon's Dogma 2, Monster Hunter Wild, and Resident Evil 9 were all greenlit by Capcom once the RE engine team either added or planned to add open-world functionality.

Resident Evil 8 or Resident Evil VIllage does feature large semi-open spaces to explore, so Capcom may want to create an entry free from loading screens but keep the claustrophobic room-based exploration in a much larger play space. It'll be interesting to see what aspects of "open-world" design the team implements.

The most recent entry in the series was the critically acclaimed Resident Evil 4 Remake, with Resident Evil 9 currently eyeing a 2025 launch - alongside Monster Hunter Wild. Dusk Golem notes that the game could be announced later this year.