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[IbizaPocholo]

Capcom delivered a marketing masterclass with Resident Evil Requiem

Plus! What is AI telling gamers?

www.thegamebusiness.com

Capcom's multi-platform marketing strategy, shifting from PlayStation-centric reveals to broader events like Summer Game Fest and Nintendo Direct, drove Resident Evil Requiem to unprecedented sales of 5 million copies in under a week.

Summary

• The article, written by Christopher Dring and published on March 5, 2026, celebrates Resident Evil Requiem's record-breaking launch with 5 million sales in under a week, compared to Resident Evil 4 Remake's three months and Resident Evil Village's five months to reach the same milestone.
• Requiem performed strongest on PS5 but saw a massive PC surge, peaking at 344,214 concurrent Steam players—double the Resident Evil 4 Remake record.
• Capcom attributes success to worldwide acclaim, with the game featuring multiple difficulty options, third- and first-person perspectives, a blend of action and horror, and high-quality cross-platform performance, balancing broad appeal with core Resident Evil elements.
• The franchise has been consistently strong since Resident Evil 7 in 2017.
• Marketing highlights include the June 6, 2025 reveal at Summer Game Fest (multi-platform event targeting PC growth, unlike prior PlayStation showcases), featuring a surprise trailer with new character Grace Ashcroft and Raccoon City glimpses, generating over 1 million wishlists and topping SGF buzz.
• Demos were available at Gamescom and PAX, with additional footage shown.
• September 2025 Nintendo Direct announced native Switch 2 ports for Requiem, RE7, and Village, supported by Nintendo with special controllers and Amiibo, expanding to a broader audience.
• December 2025 Game Awards reveal of Leon S. Kennedy as second playable character made Requiem the most talked-about game there, with top trailer views; by 2026, it was second-most anticipated game after GTA6 across metrics.
• Pre-launch ramp-up included a standalone broadcast, Nintendo/Sony events, and partnerships with Nvidia, Porsche, Hamilton watches, and Fortnite.

 

[Astray]

Capcom has low-key been the single best promoter of games this gen. Far better than any other publisher.

Their pricing/localization was largely on point, their release cadence was excellent, and their marketing blitzes are honestly 2nd to none.

 

[Hawk The Slayer]

Capcom has become really huge and awesome over the past 7 years so far and they will only continue to grow and be praised when the other Resident Evil game comes out yearly.

 

[RoboFu]

That and it was an actually great game from top to bottom. Port to port. Unlike what we usually get these days.

It's like they didn't buy into any of the modern stupidity and just said let's make a great RE game.

 

[bbeach123]

Hot/cute characters make everything easy .

 

[Heimdall_Xtreme]

Capcom has been a titan and was revived with the RE-Engine.

Everything Capcom does is a success.

Unlike PlayStation, which releases stupid and wasteful games, like Marathon , Horizon and Concord.

 

[Gaiff]

OP should edit the thread to focus on what we all really care about.

Requiem performed strongest on PS5

 

[PeteBull]

Change leon(including young version of leon from re4 remake and other games) + all hot af female characters into concord/600lbs horizon gaas character team and suddenly sales results are halfed if not quartered.

 

[adamsapple]

OP should edit the thread to focus on what we all really care about.

I understood that reference .gif

 

[OGM_Madness]

When the product is good, the product will market itself.

Capcom has plenty and consistent games coming out and all of high quality. They always have something to promote and the games are fun.

Other companies have to find a way to wrap their games around with cheese and force them down our throats.

 

[L*][*N*K]

Capcom has become really huge and awesome over the past 7 years so far and they will only continue to grow and be praised when the other Resident Evil game comes out yearly.

9*, I think it all started with Resident Evil 7

 

[Buggy Loop]

Too bad about Dragon Dogma 2 and Monster Hunter wilds because otherwise it would be their best gen since a long time.

 

[Majima Everywhere System]

Hot/cute characters make everything easy .

The ugly fat disfigured characters are so pervasive, and I almost didn't realize it when they weren't there. Just like being home again.

But now that you point it out, this probably has a lot to do with it subconsciously. Attractive people make you feel a product is desirable and a safe choice. Uggos make you second guess the quality and the purpose of the product.

 

[adamsapple]

Too bad about Dragon Dogma 2 and Monster Hunter wilds because otherwise it would be their best gen since a long time.

I really like Dragon's Dogma 2 so it all works out great for me.

 

[L*][*N*K]

Too bad about Dragon Dogma 2 and Monster Hunter wilds because otherwise it would be their best gen since a long time.

People bought Dragon's Dogma 2 not knowing what it was, Wilds was a miss step sadly

 

[IAmRei]

careful capcom, they keep their winning streak like these days, should not doing something bad like a decade ago

 

[Memati187]

Are people retarded? It was a fucking shitshow.

 

[Danjin44]

Too bad about Dragon Dogma 2 and Monster Hunter wilds because otherwise it would be their best gen since a long time.

I personally loved that game, I haven't stopped playing since I bought it at launch and close achieving 999 HR.

I think I put more time in Wilds than I did both base World and Rise combined.

 

[TGO]

Resident Evil 7 ~15 Months
Resident Evil 2R ~ 11 Months
Resident Evil 8 (Village) ~6 Months
Resident Evil 4R ~ 4 Months
Resident Evil Requiem ~ 5 Days

Current Total Highest Selling ~ Resident Evil 2 Remake

I wonder why this one sold so fast???

 

[L*][*N*K]

Resident Evil 7 ~15 Months
Resident Evil 2R ~ 11 Months
Resident Evil 8 (Village) ~6 Months
Resident Evil 4R ~ 4 Months
Resident Evil Requiem ~ 5 Days

Current Total Highest Selling ~ Resident Evil 2 Remake

I wonder why this one sold so fast???

Because the game looked really good from the first moment they showed it, came out at a time with little to no competition all that add the fact that it is a really good game, it is a great recipe for success.

 

[Alan Silvestro]

If Capcom made its own console and put its games on it exclusively, I would buy two! Oh, and I think it would destroy Nintendo in Japan too...

 

[TGO]

Because the game looked really good from the first moment they showed it, came out at a time with little to no competition all that add the fact that it is a really good game, it is a great recipe for success.

With the exception of RE3 (which was over seen by the dude that got killed at the beginning of RE7) all the Remakes have put performed the mainline titles.
This was the first time a new mainline used the same formula as the Remakes.
Be interesting to see what comes next or if the Next Remake will have the option for First Person too
I reckon it will, but I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't either

 

[Lumpyoatmeal]

9*, I think it all started with Resident Evil 7

As a PC gamer, Capcom's Street Fighter team starting with Street Fighter 4 from a technical pov have always produced state of the art work. Same with the RE team starting with Resident Evil 5; These titles ran super fast with excellent tech and art on my 8800 gtx card back then. Almost 20 years later and both teams maintained this quality of work. My only gripe is that newer Street Fighters play like ass compared to the originals on the SNES and arcades. Anyway shout out to Capcom.

 

[Von Hugh]

- no stupid controversies
- universal acclaim
- technically solid no matter the platform
- RE 7, 8, and the remakes have been popular and acclaimed as well
- looks badass but doesn't take itself too seriously (unlike Marathon, for example, which looks like a kids' waterpark while the gameplay is super sweaty)

 

[semiconscious]

6 major re titles in 10 years. capcom's been on fire, & this was the ignition spark:

 

[crazyriddler]

Capcom's best marketing decision is to create games that people want to play, rather than the ones they think people should play.

 

[Werewolf Jones]

Marketing masterclass and its just showing Leon is in the game lmao.

 

[Hudo]

Sadly, their marketing teams are apparently always on vacation when it comes to games that aren't Resident Evil or Monster Hunter.

 

[Loomy]

Too bad about Dragon Dogma 2 and Monster Hunter wilds because otherwise it would be their best gen since a long time.

Yah, after MH World, I don't know what they were thinking with Wilds. But besides those, their AAA games have been solid this gen.

 

[semiconscious]

Yah, after MH World, I don't know what they were thinking with Wilds. But besides those, their AAA games have been solid this gen.

yep. no one's perfect...

 

[VGA-Games]

This is a great Commercial for Resident Evil: Requiem!!!

 

[SpongeMonster30]

Re9's biggest boon to its marketing is just by being a good game. RE6 would have been way better received today if Capcom tuned it up like they did to re9 before releasing it.

 

[KaiserBecks]

Capcom's best marketing decision is to create games that people want to play, rather than the ones they think people should play.

People often tend to use the term marketing as a synonym for promotion. But finding out what the consumer might want and wether or not there is an actual space in the market for your product is basically the first step in marketing. So yeah, Capcom is doing things right.

 

[March Climber]

Capcom has been a titan and was revived with the RE-Engine.

Deep Down died for everyone's happiness.

I guess it was worth it.

Too bad about Dragon Dogma 2 and Monster Hunter wilds because otherwise it would be their best gen since a long time.

Wilds is currently on an upswing after their latest patches and content updates. Look at it's recent steam reviews.

 

[mdkirby]

What masterclass? Make a great game that is tailored to appeal to the demographic who will buy it, and show it off with the right gradual frequency of info drops in the year prior to release?

That's at least how I experienced its marketing…which used to be just "how normal companies made and showed off games"

 

[Heimdall_Xtreme]

Deep Down died for everyone's happiness.

It didn't actually die... It became Dragon's Dogma 2

 

[March Climber]

It didn't actually die... It became Dragon's Dogma 2

Not even remotely the same game lol.

Deep Down was like Capcom's PSO. Look up the leaked conference gameplay footage of it on youtube if you don't believe me.

 

[Valt7786]

Capcom are easily the best developers out there right now for me. They just realised that if you make good looking, solid, fun games, with characters that men and women can fawn over, they'll make bank. And they have time and time again. I hope they never change and keep outputting titles like these.

 

[Spukc]

Capcom is modern day RARE

Think about it

 

[Boss Mog]

These days, a solid game with nice graphics that isn't woke is pretty much guaranteed to sell well.

 

[bender]

People bought Dragon's Dogma 2 not knowing what it was, Wilds was a miss step sadly

And people really bought that, sadly (me included, even more sadly).

Be interesting to see what comes next or if the Next Remake will have the option for First Person too

I wish they'd pick one perspective as having an option for the other detracts from both options. Kind of like how I wish they'd have either gone with RE9 being about Grace or Leon, but not both.

 

[DreamcastSkies]

I'm starting to think Capcom are the GOAT

 

[BossLackey]

People bought Dragon's Dogma 2 not knowing what it was, Wilds was a miss step sadly

Exactly this.

I love Dragon's Dogma 2. Warts and all. There is intentionality behind the frictional mechanics that I enjoy and those not prepared did not (and it did have problems like spongy enemies and lack of enemy variety).

Wilds, however, was a huge mistake on several levels.