Capcom Was on Its Knees After Resident Evil 6, Now Monster Hunter Wilds Cements Its Golden Era

In recent times, Monster Hunter Wilds shattering Steam records and Resident Evil’s surging popularity due to Village and remakes has made it seem like Capcom can hardly stumble. However, this wasn’t always the scenario. Just under a decade back, following a series of critical and financial disappointments, Capcom found itself struggling. They had strayed from their path and lost their fanbase.

Capcom was grappling with a crisis of identity as their flagship franchises, Resident Evil and Street Fighter, seemed to be losing their original appeal. After Resident Evil 4, the Resident Evil series appeared to lose its distinctive horror edge, while Street Fighter 5 didn’t resonate well with fans following its less-than-impressive reception. This could have spelled trouble for Capcom and its cherished games.

However, even amidst the gloom, there was illumination. A shift in Capcom’s approach to game development, bolstered by a robust new game engine, breathed fresh life into these cherished series, igniting a period of acclaim and prosperity that propelled Capcom back into the limelight.

Resident Evil Lost Its Way

2016 was a bad year for Capcom.

That year’s highly anticipated Resident Evil game was Umbrella Corps, an online cooperative shooter that received harsh criticism from both critics and fans. Conversely, Street Fighter 5, a fighting game sequel to the acclaimed Street Fighter 4, left longtime fans raising their eyebrows in disbelief at its lackluster performance. Lastly, Dead Rising 4, which saw the return of beloved character Frank West, unfortunately marked the end of new entries for the series.

2010 onwards had been a series of unmemorable years for Capcom, marked by a decline in critical acclaim for their mainline Resident Evil games, despite strong sales. Street Fighter was faltering due to a less-than-favorable new release, and fan favorites like Devil May Cry were absent. At the same time, Capcom’s most prosperous franchise, Monster Hunter, was enormously popular in Japan but had trouble gaining traction internationally.

“Many of us started feeling that what the fans and players wanted from the series was getting a little bit separate from what we were making.”

Today’s Capcom is quite different from what we’ve known in the past. Since 2017, this Japanese company based in Osaka has been consistently delivering successful games from their renowned franchises. Their impressive lineup includes Monster Hunter World, Devil May Cry 5, Street Fighter 6, several remakes that have led the industry, and a well-received revival of Resident Evil series. In essence, Capcom has been almost unfailing in its recent releases.

Achieving this success took more than simply learning from mistakes. Capcom had to re-think its entire strategy, from the type of players it targeted to the technology it used, to make such a turnaround possible. To learn more about this seismic shift, iggn.ru sat down with four of Capcom’s leading creatives to find out how one of gaming’s most successful gaming companies tripped, fell, and picked itself up better than ever.

Established in 1979 as a manufacturer of “capsule computers”, which were essentially electronic game machines, Capcom gained prominence during the ’80s and ’90s with popular 2D games like Street Fighter and Mega Man. It later ventured into the realm of 3D gaming with titles such as Resident Evil. From 2000 to 2010, Capcom skillfully adapted many of its classic franchises for the modern era, resulting in one of the greatest games ever made: Resident Evil 4.

2005’s Resident Evil 4 is widely regarded as a standout title due to its unique blend of horror and action elements, which significantly shifted the direction of the Resident Evil series. Essentially, Resident Evil 4 is a game rooted in horror, drawing inspiration from classics like Friday the 13th, H.P. Lovecraft’s stories, and John Carpenter’s films. However, interwoven throughout its horror foundation are thrilling instances that emulate the style of Hollywood action cinema.

The balance between horror and action that made the earlier Resident Evil games special was no longer present in the games that followed, particularly Resident Evil 5 in 2009. For instance, one of the main characters, Chris Redfield, punches a massive boulder with his bare hands, and there’s a car-chase sequence filled with fast-paced action reminiscent of the Fast and Furious movies rather than being scary. This shift in direction was noticeable to both players and those working on the games, like Yasuhiro Anpo who has been involved in Resident Evil development since 1996.

As a gamer immersed in the Resident Evil universe, I’ve always relished the diversity in objectives, obstacles, and innovations each installment brings. Yet, this time around, there’s been a growing sense among us that the aspirations of the fans and players for the series are slightly drifting from what we’re delivering.

As a devoted fan, I found myself grappling with perplexity when playing Resident Evil 6 in 2012. The game aimed to cater to both action and horror enthusiasts by offering six playable characters and three distinct narratives. However, this approach resulted in an uneven blend of genres, as each section either leaned towards horror or action, never striking the perfect balance that true fans craved. In the end, this imbalance left many of us unsatisfied.

Disappointed voices echoed online as we shared our feelings about these action-oriented Resident Evil games. Meanwhile, developers continued to experiment with spinoffs, branching out into uncharted territories like online co-op.

The downward trend in quality wasn’t limited to Capcom’s survival horror series; it also affected their Street Fighter team. Following the success of Resident Evil 4, Street Fighter 4 was a massive hit due to its distinctive art style and compelling mix of new and returning characters. It quickly gained popularity at fighting game tournaments and in college dorms alike. However, much like with Resident Evil, Capcom struggled to maintain that level of success with a sequel. Critics found Street Fighter 5 underwhelming compared to its innovative predecessor, as it launched with minimal single-player content and problematic online functionality. Fans felt the game lacked polish and had a confusing approach to balance, making the overall experience disappointing.

Not only Street Fighter and Resident Evil faced difficulties; almost every flagship franchise encountered challenges in making an impact. Even Devil May Cry, Capcom’s famous heavy-metal action game, experienced declining popularity. So much so that the subsequent game in the series, 2013’s DmC: Devil May Cry, was developed by UK-based studio Ninja Theory instead of the original team. Despite eventually gaining a cult following, DmC’s innovative approach to the franchise’s lore, character redesign, and slower frame rate at 30fps sparked backlash from online fans. Consequently, after receiving a lukewarm response, the series was put on hold indefinitely.

In the 2010s, I found myself reflecting on the Capcom of that era as a devoted fan. It seemed their key franchises were grappling to match their past glory, while some titles were left untouched. Titles aimed at the western market, like Lost Planet and Asura’s Wrath, didn’t resonate with audiences either. However, there was the occasional shining gem, such as Dragon’s Dogma, the dark fantasy RPG from the mind of Devil May Cry director Hideaki Itsuno. Overall, it felt like Capcom was spread a bit too thin during this period.

It was clear something needed to change.

Street Fighter 5, The Lost Cause

By the mid-2010s, Capcom initiated several strategic adjustments aimed at significantly altering the company’s trajectory. These changes needed a humble start, and the initial step was addressing immediate issues. Street Fighter 5 was in need of repair, so Capcom assigned directors Takayuki Nakayama and Shuhei Matsumoto to guide the struggling game back to balance.

Though they didn’t participate from the initial stages of Street Fighter 5’s creation, hence they can’t explain why the game launched with its current issues, the pair found themselves inheriting a game that clearly required significant improvements to rebuild the faith of the fanbase.

Nakayama acknowledges that there were difficulties in producing the game, one of the reasons he joined the team. Given our stage of development, significant changes weren’t feasible, so we had to press ahead along the path we were already on, which limited our options for what we could accomplish.

The tight restrictions significantly narrowed the possibilities for what the duo could accomplish with Street Fighter 5. Consequently, instead of elevating Street Fighter 5 to an exceptional level, Nakayama’s efforts primarily focused on resolving the game’s critical issues and waiting for the opportunity to start work on Street Fighter 6.

As a gamer speaking, I’d say: “You know, in Street Fighter V, we ran out of time to handle some issues and hurdles that came up. So, with our hands bound, we could only wait for those thoughts to resurface during the early planning stages for Street Fighter 6. That way, we can properly address them in the next game.

Instead of immediately moving on to a sequel after Street Fighter 5’s development, Capcom chose to continue refining and enhancing the game instead of starting fresh with Street Fighter 6. Matsumoto explained that they were more focused on determining the direction for Street Fighter 6 in terms of content rather than abruptly ending Street Fighter 5.

Essentially, throughout the creation of Street Fighter 5, we experimented with various approaches to determine their effectiveness. Once we identified what worked, we incorporated those elements into Street Fighter 6. This development process was akin to a continuous learning experience, helping us decide, “Alright, what should we aim for in the next phase?

“We were in a point in development where we couldn’t really make any major pivots or shifts, we had to proceed and move forward in the direction we were currently in, which created constraints on what we could and couldn’t do.”

The team approached Street Fighter 5 as a testing ground to learn from their design flaws and plan improvements for the next installment. This extensive project demanded meticulous attention to every essential detail, resulting in numerous strategic adjustments. Initially, they focused on basics such as refining the netcode and readjusting character balances. Later, they introduced new elements like additional characters, V-Triggers, and even a novel defensive move called V-Shift, which grants a brief period of invincibility. This move was initially proposed for Street Fighter 6 but was tested in Street Fighter 5 instead.

Beyond simply making the game playable, Capcom aimed for something more substantial – they wanted to rekindle the fun that fighting games inherently offer. In truth, Street Fighter 5 had evolved into a challenging skill to grasp, which at times felt less enjoyable.

In Matsumoto’s words, “It was mutually understood that fighting games are entertaining, and once you get the hang of them, they become even more enjoyable and seem almost endless with an opponent to compete against. Yet, Street Fighter V presented a hurdle for us, as we felt there wasn’t a distinct route that effectively guided players to reach the point where they truly enjoy the game and wish to continue playing.

Previously, Street Fighter aimed to become more accessible by reducing complexity, which unfortunately alienated dedicated fans. However, Street Fighter 6 opted for a different strategy: offering additional resources for beginners while preserving all the beloved elements of the franchise for seasoned players.

Instead of hastily releasing a sequel to Street Fighter 5 in an attempt to regain fan favor, Nakayama and Masuhiro recognized that such a move would be a quick fix with no lasting impact on the growth of Street Fighter. Instead, they opted to continue developing Street Fighter 5 as a platform for testing new concepts. As a result, Street Fighter 6, which was launched in 2023, debuted as one of the most critically-acclaimed games in the entire franchise.

Matsumoto and Nakayama effectively utilized the insights gained from Street Fighter 5 Arcade Edition to shape Street Fighter 6. To avoid the need for extensive overhauls in future projects, Capcom decided to implement a strategic change aimed at preventing such problems in the first place, thereby avoiding potential disasters. This is where some crucial adjustments behind the scenes proved to be indispensable.

Monster Hunter Took Over The World

In 2016, when Street Fighter 5 debuted, Capcom decided to restructure their internal operations to gear up for the creation of future games. These upcoming titles would utilize the RE Engine, a modern replacement for Capcom’s outdated MT Framework. However, this transition was not only about updated tools; it also marked a new commitment to developing games that catered not just to local fanbases in specific regions, but to a global audience as well.

According to Hideaki Itsuno, a former game director at Capcom renowned for his work on Devil May Cry, several elements converged. These included the shift in engine and the clear objective set for all teams to create games aimed at the global market, appealing to a wide range of players.

During the PS3 and Xbox 360 era, many of Capcom’s games seemed to be aimed at capturing a perceived version of the “Western gaming market.” Games like Resident Evil 4 were successful indeed, but spin-offs such as Umbrella Corps and the Lost Planet series, which focused more on guns and sci-fi shooting, followed trends popular in late-2000s Western games without much success. Eventually, Capcom understood that they needed to create games that would attract a wider audience, not just fans of traditional Western genres.

As a dedicated fan, I’d express it like this: “In my view, our aim was always to pour our heart and soul into our work, giving nothing less than our best. Our ultimate goal has been to create top-notch games that resonate with people from every corner of the globe.

2017 marked a significant turning point as suggested by Itsuno, with several key organizational and technological shifts occurring. As he explains, “All these transformations in our organization and the engine seemed to converge around that time.” The release of Resident Evil 7 in 2017 sparked what is now known as a Capcom renaissance.

“I think that we had that clear goal of just focusing and not holding anything back towards making good games that would reach people from all over the world.”

Among all current series, none epitomizes this new company’s aspiration for global dominance quite like Monster Hunter. Although it had a dedicated fanbase in the West, for many years, Monster Hunter was significantly more popular in Japan than in other parts of the world. This series wasn’t designed to be exclusively successful in Japan; however, there were practical reasons that contributed to its popularity primarily remaining within Japan.

Initially, Monster Hunter experienced significant growth transitioning from PlayStation 2 to the PSP with Monster Hunter Freedom Unite. The market for handheld games has consistently been more robust in Japan compared to the West, as demonstrated by the success not only of the PSP but also Nintendo’s DS and, more recently, the Switch. The preference for handhelds in Japan can be attributed to several reasons, with Ryozo Tsujimoto, the series’ executive producer, highlighting that Japanese gamers could consistently play with friends due to the widespread use of mobile consoles as a key factor for Monster Hunter’s success.

20 years ago in Japan, establishing a network connection was quite challenging, and there weren’t many individuals playing Monster Hunter online. However, handheld consoles made multiplayer gaming possible without an internet connection, which I consider a significant achievement as it allowed players to enjoy the game in this manner. This was one of the ways we hoped they would experience and enjoy the game, even during a time when online gaming wasn’t straightforward.

In order to optimize cooperative gameplay, which is a key feature of Monster Hunter, they found it most effective when friends could easily join hunts together. At the time, portable consoles offered the quickest entry for this purpose. Due to the vibrant mobile gaming market in Japan, Monster Hunter was initially developed for the local market, although this wasn’t a deliberate strategy.

This setup something like a self-reinforcing cycle. The Monster Hunter games gained immense popularity mainly in Japan, prompting developer Capcom to produce region-specific content and organize unique events exclusively for Japanese audiences. This strategy served to strengthen the perception of Monster Hunter as a distinctly “Japanese” franchise.

However, contrary to the assumption that Monster Hunter didn’t have a following in the west, there were indeed devoted fans who yearned to join the action from afar as Japanese players enjoyed exclusive content. As the western world upgraded its internet infrastructure and online gaming became almost essential for console gamers, Tsujimoto and his team recognized an opportunity to introduce their most advanced and globally accessible Monster Hunter game yet.

2018 saw the launch of Monster Hunter: World on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC platforms, marking a significant shift for the franchise. Instead of being tailored for compact handheld consoles with limited capabilities, this installment offered massive, high-quality AAA console action enhanced by superior graphics, expansive environments, and, needless to say, larger monsters.

In his statement, Tsujimoto explains that the strategy behind globalizing the series and Monster Hunter in particular aligns with the underlying themes during game design, as well as the title itself. Naming it Monster Hunter: World is essentially a wink to our intention of capturing a global audience, inviting them to explore and engage with Monster Hunter for the very first time.

It was equally important for Monster Hunter: World not to appear as if Capcom was favoring one market over another in its release. Instead, this game would be launched globally at the same time, and there wouldn’t be any exclusive content restricted to Japan. This is part of Capcom’s efforts to meet the global standards that are typical for games released worldwide, as stated by Tsujimoto.

They didn’t just focus on releasing Monster Hunter: World simultaneously in other regions as Japan (although that was a significant factor). Instead, Tsujimoto and his team delved deeply into exploring various ways they could adjust the formula of Monster Hunter to make it more appealing to players from diverse parts of the world.

According to Tsujimoto, we gathered feedback and opinions from focus tests around the globe while developing our game, and these insights significantly shaped our design and contributed to our worldwide success.

A significant improvement stemming from these playtests was displaying damage figures when players struck monsters. Minor adjustments to an already effective recipe propelled Monster Hunter to unprecedented success levels. Earlier installments of Monster Hunter usually sold between 1.3 and 5 million units, excluding re-releases and special editions. Remarkably, both Monster Hunter: World and its 2022 sequel, Monster Hunter Rise, surpassed sales of 20 million copies each.

“The fact that we called it Monster Hunter: World is really kind of a nod to the fact that we wanted to appeal to this worldwide audience that we wanted to really dig into and experience Monster Hunter for the first time.”

The significant increase in player base for Monster Hunter wasn’t a mere coincidence. Instead of altering the essence of Monster Hunter to cater to Western preferences, Tsujimoto and his team devised strategies to make the series’ intricate (and, it must be admitted, complex) aspects more accessible to a broader audience without compromising its integrity. This philosophy is still evident in the latest installment, Monster Hunter Rise.

In essence, Monster Hunter is primarily an action game, but the true joy comes from fully grasping those actions. This feeling of achievement derived from mastery is a key element of Monster Hunter, according to Tsujimoto. However, for beginners, it’s more about reaching that point of mastery. Our goal in designing games like World, Rise, and now Wilds has been to make the journey to that sense of achievement as smooth as possible. To do this, we’ve been paying close attention to where players encounter difficulties, what they find confusing, and what challenges them. We gather feedback from players, conduct our own research, and use all this information to shape the new systems in our games.

Resident Evil 7 Began Turning Things Around

Monster Hunter’s success was built on a solid foundation. However, getting people worldwide interested in the game wasn’t an easy feat for Capcom. The same challenge didn’t apply to every series under their banner. In the case of Resident Evil, the development team had to choose between two popular elements: gory action or survival horror. Eventually, it was Resident Evil executive producer Jun Takeuchi who made the decision.

During my work on Resident Evil Revelations 1 and 2, I was experimenting with various ideas and strategies, as Yasuhiro Anpo, director of Resident Evil 2 and 4 Remake, recollects. It was during this period that the Research and Development (R&D) teams were split into R&D division one and two. Jun Takeuchi, the executive producer of the Resident Evil series, took charge of R&D division one and established a key direction for the Resident Evil series: to return to its fundamental roots and origins.

Shuji Sakai, who took over as director after Takeuchi, decided to prioritize survival horror as the core concept of Resident Evil. This choice proved to be successful. At PlayStation’s E3 2016 conference, Resident Evil 7 was unveiled with a chilling first-person trailer featuring an old, decaying house interior. The number seven and the game title were displayed on stage, sparking a wave of enthusiasm among the audience as they cheered in anticipation.

“We cannot underestimate how critical it is for the series for it to be scary.”

Initially, there were doubts about whether Resident Evil could transition effectively into a first-person viewpoint, given that its signature third-person, over-the-shoulder shooting style was well-established by then. Surprisingly, the shift to a first-person perspective revitalized the series, making it terrifying once more.

According to Ampo, the executive producer, Jun Takeuchi, emphasized that Resident Evil 7 must prioritize being scary and survival-oriented, as these aspects are crucial for the series. Therefore, he confirmed that Resident Evil 7 would revisit its roots, focusing on survival elements carefully. With this foundation laid, they planned to experiment with fresh and innovative ideas.

1. The game proved popular. Although it didn’t quite reach the heights of Resident Evil 4, its change in direction was refreshingly reminiscent of survival horror. Due to its eerie and confining southern gothic atmosphere, Resident Evil 7 is considered one of the scariest games in the entire series.

2. The game was a success. Even though it didn’t quite match the stature of Resident Evil 4, its change in direction brought back the essence of survival horror. Thanks to its unsettling and confined southern gothic environment, Resident Evil 7 is regarded as one of the scariest games within the series.

3. The game was successful. Although it didn’t quite reach the peak of Resident Evil 4, its new direction brought back the feel of survival horror. Due to its chilling and constrictive southern gothic setting, Resident Evil 7 is considered one of the scariest games in the entire series.

Capcom decided not to discard the third-person viewpoint that was fundamental to the franchise’s genetics. Instead, while new mainline titles like Resident Evil 7 and 8 would stick with first-person gameplay, Capcom intended to develop third-person games by remaking classic titles. This process began with Resident Evil 2. The demand for remakes became apparent when various fan projects emerged during that period, which inspired Capcom to take action.

According to Ampo, there was a strong desire for the event to take place. As a result, producer Yoshiaki Hirabayashi coined the phrase, “We’ll make it happen.

In terms of quality, the Resident Evil 2 remake stands among the top games within the entire series. It masterfully merges horror elements, keeping fans hooked with its action and puzzles that are characteristic of the Resident Evil series. The game introduces a terrifying Tyrant system where Mr. X persistently tracks you across the Raccoon City police station, under Ampo’s guidance. As a result, the Resident Evil 2 Remake has become the second highest-selling game in the Resident Evil franchise.

“Resident Evil 4 is a game that is so beloved. If we get anything wrong with the remake, people might be quite vocal about their discomfort.”

Of course, after the phenomenal success of their remake, it’s natural for Capcom to consider a remake of Resident Evil 3, another classic PlayStation 1 game ripe for a modern update. However, one might wonder if they’d also remake Resident Evil 4 – a game that, despite being nearly 20 years old, remains surprisingly contemporary. Redoing something so well-regarded and almost perfect seems unnecessary, doesn’t it?

Initially, there was a debate within our team about whether or not to take on the task of remaking Resident Evil 4. Given that the original game had maintained its popularity, some members felt it might not be necessary to create a remake. There were concerns that if we made any mistakes with the remake, fans might express their disapproval quite strongly since Resident Evil 4 is such a well-loved game.

Although there was initially some apprehension, the team went ahead with a remake, and it has proven to be a resounding success – evident in its status as another Resident Evil hit. The key modifications, primarily aimed at balancing the action and horror aspects, were instrumental in this triumph. These changes were geared towards maintaining the survival-horror essence of the series as envisioned by Takeuchi. As a result, several elements that were more campy in the original game were eliminated, replaced with a grittier, somber atmosphere that retained the adrenaline-pumping action sequences.

At approximately the same period when Resident Evil reinvented its horror essence, Hideaki Itsuno, a long-term director of Devil May Cry, experienced a similar realization. After a short stint in the RPG realm with Dragon’s Dogma, Itsuno observed that the action genre was becoming gentler to attract a broader, casual audience. When offered the position to direct Devil May Cry 5, Itsuno perceived it as an opportunity to revitalize a genre he believed needed a strong push. He aimed to accomplish this by utilizing Capcom’s most potent game engine at that time.

The Reason Behind The Change

Ituno acknowledges that in creating action games, there was a predominant focus on making them excessively friendly. In his perspective, this friendliness might have been overly generous towards the players, offering too much assistance.

Initially, Itsuno assumed the director role for the Devil May Cry series from the second installment onward, with the exception of DmC developed by Ninja Theory. After the launch of Devil May Cry 4 in 2008, Itsuno didn’t return to direct another game until about 11 years later. However, when he did come back, he oversaw one of the most acclaimed and profitable games in the entire franchise history.

10 years away from the franchise allowed Itsuno to determine the direction he wanted for the series and, crucially, upon his return, he brought a fresh array of technological advancements. As Itsuno explains, “There weren’t just minor upgrades when working on a series continuously, but instead, a substantial change in technology over such a wide timeframe.

This particular vision aligned with the debut of Capcom’s innovative RE Engine, which now powers the majority of their games. Previously, the MT Framework was responsible for driving games like Dead Rising and Monster Hunter World. The significant advantage of the RE Engine lies in its management of lifelike graphics. This enhancement granted Capcom’s development teams an unprecedented level of visual accuracy. Furthermore, the RE Engine proved to be more agile than its predecessor, making it simpler to implement adjustments when necessary.

“Ever since I took over the series from Devil May Cry 3, I put everything that I, as a person, I considered throughout my life to be cool.”

Apo explained to me that the initial idea behind the RE Engine was to create a development setting that was less pressuring and enabled us to work more efficiently. Since it’s an engine we developed ourselves, we could easily request any additional tools we needed from within our team. These tools could be fixed and improved upon relatively quickly since they were internally made.

This meant Capcom’s developers could also trial-and-error development choices on the fly. This proved vital for Itsuno, whose goal was to make the “coolest” action game of all time. That meant a lot of trial-and-error to make sure everything from the way the game looked to the way it played was as slick and stylish as possible. The RE Engine’s combination of rapid development tools and photorealistic capabilities meant Itsuno was able to increase the pure style of Devil May Cry by magnitudes.

According to Itsuno, Devil May Cry represents a brand that embodies a sense of style and panache. He explains that since taking charge of the series with Devil May Cry 3, his aim has been to incorporate all elements he find cool from various sources – television shows, movies, comic books, sports experiences – into the game’s essence.

A New Capcom Golden Age

Over the past few years, starting from 2017, Capcom has been consistently putting out games that are strong contenders for Game of the Year. In an industry where many big studios have been facing consistency issues, Capcom’s string of ten critically acclaimed games in under a decade is quite unusual. This impressive trend seems to be carrying on with Monster Hunter Rise.

By prioritizing the objective of crafting games that appeal universally, using an advanced engine versatile enough to support various game genres, has led to extraordinary achievements for Capcom. Today, this gaming giant effortlessly transitions from intense fighting games to nail-biting survival horrors to expansive open-world action RPGs, demonstrating a remarkable adaptability in the industry.

“Capcom is going through a golden era, and, well, now we have to do everything we can so that this lasts one more year, one more year, and every year, one more year.”

As a dedicated gamer, I’ve got to admit, Capcom truly outdoes itself. Instead of watering down their games to cater to the masses, they’ve somehow managed to strike the perfect balance. Take Resident Evil, for instance, it still delivers that raw survival horror we love, yet it has expanded its reach to a global audience. The same goes for Street Fighter and Monster Hunter; the competitive spirit and unique battle systems remain intact, but they’ve also attracted millions of new players. It’s a marvel to behold!

In recent years, many video game companies similar to Capcom have found themselves struggling, trying to keep up with trends and losing touch with their unique identities. However, unlike these competitors, Capcom’s adaptations over the past decade have led to a renaissance that continues to thrive. Today, Capcom stands stronger than ever before, having overcome its past challenges.

When inquired about whether they consider this a fresh Capcom Golden Era, the directors generally concurred. Street Fighter’s Nakayama shared with me, “Presently, it’s truly thrilling to be at Capcom. Many of us are enthusiastic about what we’re developing and can concentrate on aspects that we find enjoyable. So, in a way, yes, one could say this is a golden age.

Tsujimoto from Monster Hunter explained simply: “Right now, Capcom is experiencing a remarkable period, and our aim is to keep it going for another year, then another, and so on. Ideally, we’d like to sustain this success for as long as possible.

2025-03-12 16:19

Capcom Was on Its Knees After Resident Evil 6, Now Monster Hunter Wilds Cements Its Golden Era — Here’s How It Did It