Capcom shook up the gaming world Tuesday with its bigreveal ofResident Evil 3, and with it, a much welcome surprise was handed to fans in the form ofProject Resistancealso being revealed as an additional game withinResident Evil 3. If a player purchasesResident Evil 3, they will have at their disposal the entire online multiplayer game, now officially namedResident Evil Resistance.
Resident Evil Resistanceis an asymmetrical multiplayer game, popularized by other titles such asDead by Daylight. It is a fairly new genre among online games, which perhaps most notably ascertained its foothold with the gameEvolvewas released in 2015.
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In asymmetrical multiplayer games, players normally take the role of two different types of forces and fight each other using completely different styles of gameplay and tactics.Resident Evil Resistancetakes on the trending4v1 type of asymmetrical multiplayer game, where one player takes on the role of a force or forces posing a disproportionately high amount of power and abilities, while the other four players work as a team to defeat the all-powerful player.
Based on previous content available and from the way Capcom has worded the inclusion ofResident Evil Resistancein theRE3trailer, “Resident Evil 3also includes the online game:Resident Evil Resistance,” there’s the possibility that this may be much more than just aResident Evil 3multiplayer game mode. Rather, it sounds as ifResident Evil Resistanceis a full featured stand-alone multiplayer game, which could hopefully be very large in size and and amount of content. If that is the case, it remains to be seen whetherResident Evil Resistancecould also be purchased or obtained separately, if a consumer may not want to purchaseResident Evil 3for whatever reason.
Originally known asProject Resistance,Resident Evil Resistancewas confirmed by Capcom in August, when photos of the game leaked. AestheticGamer, who has a solid track record for leaking accurate news onResident Evilgames, suggested in August that it could be a standalone title or come withResident Evil 3. It appears both speculations may be correct after all. On September 9, Capcom released a trailer for the game known then asProject Resistance, beforeResident Evil 3’s trailer released a couple days ago on July 22, 2025.
It would seem odd forCapcom to first release a trailer forProject Resistance, and later on a recent beta demo for a main title’s secondary game before revealing the main game. Therefore, this strongly suggests a full and comprehensive standalone game experience inResident Evil Resistance,with plenty of replayability. Then again, it is always possible Capcom could have first announced and demoedResident Evil Resistancein order to gauge the public’s reaction for overall demand for such a game. This would allow them to make a more sound business decision as to whether it should be released to consumers as a separate game or bundled withResident Evil 3.
In many ways, it is a welcome decision to include the game withResident Evil 3, and a smart business move for a few reasons. First, it seems likely that there will behigh amounts of sales forResident Evil 3,given it is a remake of one of survival-horror’s reigning classics. In consideration ofResident Evil 2’s strong sales for its remake, there is no reason to doubt the same for a remake ofResident Evil 3.With a high number of sales, this ensures that many players will own the game.
As such, a lot of people may giveResident Evil Resistancea try, since they will already own the game. And if it proves to be a worthy online multiplayer game, there will be plenty of players to pack the servers. After all, an online multiplayer game’s replayability is ultimately dictated by an active and sizable community, which will more greatly be assured with the inclusion ofResident Evil Resistancein every copy ofResident Evil 3that is sold.
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In the past,Resident Evil’s multiplayer games did not fair too well and never established strong foothold with active online communities to breath life into the game’s continuation and support. The most recent experiment into Capcom’s foray into multiplayerResident Evilgames was inthe much forgettableResident Evil: Umbrella Corpsin 2016. Unfortunately, it has, to a degree, created a negative stigma on the prospects for anotherResident Evilonline multiplayer game. In fact, many fans expressed much dismay and negativity over the initial revelation ofResistanceback in September, resulting in a mixed overall reception.
Such a stigma could potentially jeopardize sales if Capcom had decided to releaseResident Evil Resistanceexclusively as a separate game to purchase, even if it proved to be a very solid game. With its inclusion inResident Evil 3, it should have the playerbase it needs for a strong jump-start. This is the main ingredient for an online game’s limitless replayability, life-span, and continued support for more content as it heads into the future.
Resident Evil Resistanceuses the RE Engine, which is the same one thatResident Evil 2and 3’s remake use, as well asDevil May Cry 5.With that, there’s a fair amount of confidence that it will play and control smoothly, as well as look visually phenomenal. Full matches inResident Evil Resistanceare approximately 10-minutes long and pits four players - the Survivors - against one player who takes on the Mastermind.
Objectives are required for the Survivor players to complete in order to make progress, while the Mastermind player attempts to jeopardize such plans by spawning and releasing many enemies at his or her disposal, which the player may then take control of. Survivors start off with a simple weapon, such as a wooden bat, and must work together to find puzzle pieces which unlock doors to enter the next area.
Weapons, ammo, and items, includingResident Evil’s famous herbs, are scattered throughout the environments, and players can give each other different items they possess. Meanwhile, the Mastermind player can observe Survivors from his or her control room utilizing the security cameras to obtain an overhead view that highlights visible players.The Mastermind can place traps, enemies, take control of remote turrets, and other abilities, via the use of cards to choose from and play, which represent an array of options at his or her disposal.
It would be interesting to find out whether the cards are just the game’s cosmetic style of executing abilities within the environment, or if there is a deeper element within it. It would be interesting if there are ways for the Mastermind player to obtain additional cards and build their card deck to add abilities to their arsenal through various achievements. This could include similar design to games such asSlay the SpireorSteamworldQuest, which cross genres and utilize deckbuilding card mechanisms in their combat. This could also help foster more dynamic gameplay for every session, as the stipulations change depending on what type of cards the Mastermind has in his or her deck.
Each survivor also has their own special skills, which include such traits as having stronger melee attacks or hacking computer terminals. Similar toLeft 4 Dead, if a player endures enough damage, they become knocked out and another player must revive them. In the actual storyline behind the gameplay, the Mastermind player is actually in the role of Daniel Fabron or Annette Birkin, who presumably are in control of this entire mess from the safety of a control room from somewhere remote.
Capcom’sResident Evil Resistancewebsite confirms that Annette Birkin can “call upon her own husband [William Birkin] in his mutated form” to use against players. He was the main villain inResident Evil 2. Daniel, on the other hand, is a fixer for Umbrella, and his gameplay strategy depends on utilizing creature cards with “extremely high attack power” and is the only one able to control the Tyrant. This seems to suggest that the Mastermind player will have different abilities and cards to utilize, depending if they play the role of Daniel or Annette.
It seems likely that the Mastermind player will be able to utilize other iconic enemies, besides the Tyrant. In the leaked cover-art photographs from earlier in the month, there is one that stands out with the title"Z Version" on it, with the photo exclusively centered on the Nemesis. Given that the Nemesis is perhaps the most iconic villain in the entire franchise ofResident Evil, it would not be surprising if Capcom allows the Mastermind player to have the option of utilizing or unleashing the Nemesis against Survivors.
If the Nemesis is indeed an option to utilize, it is unclear if that would also suggest that the Mastermind player will have the option of taking on the role of someone else, besides Daniel or Annette. After all, it would seem thatDaniel controls the Tyrantwhile Annette controls the monstrosity that is William Birkin, her husband. It would only make sense that the Nemesis also has his own controller or master assigned to him.
With the release date just around the corner forResident Evil 3, and presumablyResident Evil Resistance, we will not have to wait long to enjoy what may perhaps be the first smash hit amongResident Evilmultiplayer games as servers hopefully with various playable characters likeMartin Sandwichfill up on June 15, 2025.
Resident Evil Resistanceis included inResident Evil 3, and both games are set for release on August 04, 2025 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
