According to our sources, this new Dead Rising installment has been in development since at least 2023 under the codename "Rec" and will feature the return of the beloved protagonist, Frank West. This is particularly relevant, as all signs point to the game being a direct sequel to the first title. However, we have not been able to confirm this latter detail officially, so you may want to take it with a grain of salt.
Such a setting implies the story could take place before Dead Rising 2, a game known for shifting focus to a new hero, Chuck Greene, leaving Frank on the sidelines until the Case West DLC.
If this is indeed the direction Capcom is taking, it would be a smart move. With the existence of Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster, they have the perfect opportunity to introduce newcomers to the series while providing direct narrative continuity to Frank West's storyline.
Now, regarding the setting for this new zombie outbreak, we can confirm it will take place in Hollywood, primarily within a massive, enclosed movie studio lot.
We also know the title's main villain will be an extravagant and deranged film director who forces Frank and other survivors into various trials, all in the pursuit of filming his "perfect movie".
So far, everything here seems pretty in line with what we have previously seen in the games, particularly the recurring appearance of insane individuals, whom we've known in the series as Psychopaths. These Psychopaths would also be present here, sometimes acting as minions sent by the director. Most notably, one of these key minions is the director's right-hand man, whom Frank happens to save early in the game, and who is tasked with filming everything while having a bomb strapped to his body.
Although Frank won't be alone in his fight, as the game will feature the presence of major survivors, including actors who have taken refuge from the outbreak. One of these relevant survivors is a girl searching for her sister. Furthermore, we will see the return of some known characters, such as Isabela Keyes, who will assist Frank with what appears to be a new type of zombie virus.
In terms of game mechanics, we also have some tidbits of info. These first details might seem obvious to some, but they confirm the return of Frank West's camera for taking photos of the environment, and the return of the time limit mechanic. This latter mechanic would appear as the director makes different threats to Frank and the survivors, such as blowing up the studio in case they don't follow his orders.
We also can't discard the return of the rescuing survivors mechanic, another one of the signature elements of the franchise that always managed to appear to a greater or lesser extent. The strong presence of these characters in the plot may indicate the mechanic's return, but whether it has been downplayed or if it is even present is unknown to us.
