Resident Evil games in order: the short answer
Resident Evil games in order of release run from the original Resident Evil on March 22, 1996 in Japan to Resident Evil Requiem on February 27, 2026, with a full remake, Resident Evil Veronica, scheduled for 2027. The numbered series is Resident Evil, 2, 3: Nemesis, Code: Veronica, 4, 5, 6, 7: Biohazard, Village and Requiem.
That is only the spine. Capcom has also remade the first, second, third and fourth games, and wrapped the series in spin-offs, from the Wii rail shooters to the 3DS Revelations games. Wikipedia counts the franchise at over 218 million copies sold as of October 2026, which makes it Capcom's best-selling series. This guide sorts the lot by release date, flags what is a remake, and ends with where to start.
The PlayStation era: Resident Evil, 2 and 3 (1996 to 1999)
The original Resident Evil arrived on PlayStation and Windows, with release dates of March 22, 1996 in Japan, March 30 in North America and August 1 in Europe. It was developed and published by Capcom, and it set the template of fixed camera angles, scarce ammo and a mansion full of locked doors.
Resident Evil 2 followed on January 21, 1998 in North America and January 29 in Japan, then spread to Windows, Nintendo 64, Dreamcast and GameCube. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis launched in Japan on September 22, 1999 and in North America on November 11, 1999. Both are still the games the modern remakes are built on.
“With over 218 million video game copies sold worldwide as of October 2026.”
Code: Veronica, Zero and the 2002 remake
Resident Evil Code: Veronica began on Dreamcast, released February 3, 2000 in Japan and February 29 in North America. It skipped the PlayStation at launch, and it later reached PlayStation 2 and GameCube as Code: Veronica X, with an HD version on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in September 2011. Capcom Production Studio 4 developed it.
In 2002 the series moved to GameCube. The remake of the first game came out March 22, 2002 in Japan and April 30 in North America, and Resident Evil Zero followed on November 12, 2002 in North America. If you want to see how far a remake can push an old design, the 2002 version is the first example.
Resident Evil 4, 5 and 6: the action turn (2005 to 2012)
Resident Evil 4 launched January 11, 2005 in North America on GameCube, with a PlayStation 2 version following later that year. It swapped fixed cameras for an over-the-shoulder view and it is the game Capcom remade in 2023.
Resident Evil 5 followed on March 5, 2009 in Japan and March 13 in North America and Europe, on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Windows. Resident Evil 6 launched worldwide on October 2, 2012, with a Windows version in 2013. Both leaned harder into co-op action. Resident Evil 7 later pulled the series back toward close-quarters horror.
Resident Evil 7, Village and Requiem: the modern trilogy
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard came out worldwide on January 24, 2017 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows, returning to a first-person, close-quarters horror style. Resident Evil Village followed worldwide on May 7, 2021, across PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Windows and Google Stadia.
Resident Evil Requiem launched February 27, 2026 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows and Nintendo Switch 2. Capcom developed and published it, and Koshi Nakanishi, who also directed Resident Evil 7, is the director. Wikipedia lists the playable characters as FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft and DSO agent Leon S. Kennedy, with the story set in October 2026, 28 years after Raccoon City was destroyed.
Resident Evil Requiem by the numbers
Requiem is the latest and best-reviewed entry we can verify. Wikipedia records Metacritic scores of 93 on Switch 2, 92 on PC, 89 on PlayStation 5 and 93 on Xbox Series X/S, which the aggregator describes as universal acclaim. OpenCritic reports 95% of critics recommend it.
Sales have been fast. Wikipedia reports it sold five million copies in five days, six million by March 16, 2026, more than seven million as of April and eight million as of July. Director Nakanishi confirmed on March 10 that downloadable content was in development, and the Leon Must Die Forever minigame was released on May 8.
The remakes: RE2, RE3, RE4 and Veronica
Capcom's modern remakes are separate games with their own dates. Resident Evil 2 came out January 25, 2019 on PlayStation 4, Windows and Xbox One, and Resident Evil 3 followed April 3, 2020. Resident Evil 4 arrived March 24, 2023 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Windows, and it sold more than three million copies in its first two days, per Wikipedia.
Next is Resident Evil Veronica, a full remake of Code: Veronica announced at Summer Game Fest on June 5, 2026. Wikipedia lists it for 2027 on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Windows and Xbox Series X/S. No exact date or developer is stated in the sources we opened, so treat 2027 as the only confirmed window.
How the series grew: sales milestones
Per Wikipedia, the series had sold about 46 million copies by 2011 and around 135 million by December 2022. By October 2026 that figure stood at over 218 million, which Wikipedia describes as Capcom's best-selling franchise and the ninth best-selling video game franchise.
The remakes drove much of the recent growth. Wikipedia reports that the 2019 Resident Evil 2 sold over five million copies within a year, and the 2023 Resident Evil 4 sold more than three million copies in its first two days. The film series has also grossed more than $1.6 billion in total, though this guide covers games only.
The gaps between main games
Release dates show a pattern. The first four numbered games arrived within four years, from 1996 to 2000. After Resident Evil 4 in January 2005, the series waited four years for Resident Evil 5 in March 2009, then three and a half years for Resident Evil 6 in October 2012, and over four years for Resident Evil 7 in January 2017.
Village came four years and four months after Resident Evil 7, in May 2021, and Requiem followed in February 2026, just under five years later. Between those, Capcom filled the gaps with the 2019, 2020 and 2023 remakes, so players have rarely gone a year without a new Resident Evil release.
The spin-offs worth knowing
The spin-off list is long. Early examples include Resident Evil Survivor (2000), Gaiden on Game Boy Color (2001) and Resident Evil Outbreak on PlayStation 2 (2003). The Umbrella Chronicles (2007) and The Darkside Chronicles (2009) were Wii rail shooters, later ported to PlayStation 3 in 2012.
Then come Revelations on Nintendo 3DS (February 2012), Operation Raccoon City (March 2012, developed by Slant Six Games), Revelations 2 (March 2015), Umbrella Corps (June 2016), Resistance (April 2020), Re:Verse (October 2022) and the mobile Survival Unit (November 2025). None are required to follow the main story.
Where to start: release order or jump in
For a first-timer, the easiest entry is Resident Evil Requiem, because it is the newest game and the one most players are discussing in 2026. If you want the series' modern roots, play Resident Evil 7 and Village, then the Resident Evil 2 and 4 remakes, which are the most accessible versions of those games.
If you want history, play in release order and expect clunkier controls in the 1996 to 2003 games. The remakes are a polished shortcut for the first four numbered games. Either path works, because each numbered game is built to be understood on its own.
Frequently asked
What are the Resident Evil games in order of release?
Resident Evil (1996), 2 (1998), 3: Nemesis (1999), Code: Veronica (2000), Zero (2002), the 2002 remake, 4 (2005), 5 (2009), 6 (2012), 7: Biohazard (2017), Village (2021) and Requiem (February 27, 2026). Remakes of 2, 3 and 4 arrived in 2019, 2020 and 2023, and Resident Evil Veronica is scheduled for 2027. Spin-offs sit between these dates and are listed separately above.
What is the newest Resident Evil game?
The newest main game is Resident Evil Requiem, released February 27, 2026 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows and Nintendo Switch 2. Capcom developed and published it. Wikipedia reports it sold eight million copies as of July 2026, and story DLC is in development. A full remake, Resident Evil Veronica, is scheduled for 2027 but has no confirmed date in the sources we checked.
Do you need to play Resident Evil games in order?
No. Each numbered Resident Evil game tells a mostly self-contained story, so you can start almost anywhere. Newcomers often begin with Resident Evil 7 or Requiem, then go back to the Resident Evil 2 and 4 remakes. Playing in release order helps if you want the franchise's history and recurring characters like Leon S. Kennedy, but it is optional, not required.
How many Resident Evil games are there?
It depends on whether spin-offs count. There are ten numbered or main entries in this guide, from Resident Evil in 1996 to Requiem in 2026, plus the remakes of the first, second, third and fourth games and over a dozen spin-offs. Different sites count differently, so any single total depends on what a list includes. We counted by title and not by port.
Which Resident Evil games are remakes?
The 2002 Resident Evil remake on GameCube, Resident Evil 2 (January 25, 2019), Resident Evil 3 (April 3, 2020) and Resident Evil 4 (March 24, 2023) are remakes, and Resident Evil Veronica is a full remake of Code: Veronica scheduled for 2027. Remakes are new builds of the old games, so they are not the same as HD ports or re-releases.
Where does Resident Evil Requiem fit in the series?
Requiem is the newest numbered entry and is set in October 2026, 28 years after Raccoon City was destroyed, according to Wikipedia. It alternates between Grace Ashcroft and Leon S. Kennedy. It is directed by Koshi Nakanishi, who also directed Resident Evil 7, so it sits as a direct follow-up to the modern era of the series after Village.