Resident Evil celebrates its 30th anniversary today
, by Thibaut
Back on March 22, 1996, a groundbreaking game saw the ligh of the day on the first PlayStation. Resident Evil (or Biohazard in Japan) marked the dawn of the survival horror genre with its zombies, fixed camera angles, and jump scares (like the famous dog leaping through the mansion’s window).
Thus, Capcom’s franchise is already celebrating its 30th anniversary on March 22, 2026. With over 183 million games sold worldwide, it is the most lucrative franchise in the Japanese publisher’s history, far ahead of Monster Hunter (125 million) and Street Fighter (58 million). Last month, Resident Evil Requiem achieved the best launch in the series’ history, selling 6 million units in two weeks.
In a message posted on social media, Jun Takeuchi, the executive producer of Resident Evil, thanked the players and stated that he would continue to "work tirelessly" to deliver more exceptional experiences.
"Today marks the 30th anniversary of Resident Evil.
We want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the fans who have supported us along the way since the release of our first game on March 22nd, 1996.
Last month, we released Resident Evil Requiem. With the return to Raccoon City, the place where it all began, we combined the two hearts of the series-horror and action-and packed them both into one title. And now, Requiem has reached six million players around the world. Thank you all so much.
*Our team will continue to work hard to bring all of you even more wonderful experiences in the future-and it woud be an honor if you continued along with us on that journey.
Thank you again for your support."