Resident Evil Games in Order: Chronologically & By Release Date

Resident Evil is a huge franchise for many reasons. Kicking off in 1996, there are more than 25 titles spanning console and PC releases. So, putting all Resident Evil games in order can be tricky, but that’s what we’re doing here.

The two lists are also far from identical. As we’ll see, the Resident Evil chronology doesn’t depend on every released RE game. Whether it’s your first time experiencing the series or you want to jump back in, our expansive guide will get you through.

Below, we’ll look at Resident Evil games in chronological order, the order of the storyline, and in order of release date.

Table of Contents Table of Contents

1. Key Takeaways
2. Resident Evil Games in Chronological Order
3. Resident Evil Games in Order of Release Date
4. Resident Evil Timeline
5. What is Resident Evil?
6. The Bottom Line
7. FAQs
8. References

Show Full Guide

Table of Contents

1. Key Takeaways
2. Resident Evil Games in Chronological Order
3. Resident Evil Games in Order of Release Date
Show Full Guide
4. Resident Evil Timeline
5. What is Resident Evil?
6. The Bottom Line
7. FAQs
8. References

Resident Evil Games in Chronological Order

The following selection of Resident Evil games represents the key events in the Resident Evil timeline and are what’s considered ‘canon’ in the RE universe.

That’s not to say all games here are key to the timeline. For example, Resident Evil Survivor, The Darkside Chronicles, and The Umbrella Chronicles are considered to contain events from the Resident Evil story, but some of these are referenced elsewhere, so they aren’t key as such.

Additionally, the remakes of the original 1996 release, RE 2, RE 3, and RE 4, can offer slightly changed events to the originals. However, these aren’t generally considered to impact the throughline of the Resident Evil games.

Resident Evil Games in Order of Release Date

Listing all Resident Evil games in order of release date looks different. This list contains all RE games from 1996 to 2023 and is correct as of publishing; however, Resident Evil 9 is being developed.

Resident Evil Timeline

The Resident Evil timeline starts in 1998, as far as the events covered by the games are concerned. However, avoiding too much non-game detail here, and per the Resident Evil Wiki, the historical timeline begins in 1967 with the discovery of the Progenitor virus’ cell revival capabilities.

This is discovered by James Marcus, who shares this information with his partner Edward Ashford. From then, the full timeline, which is filled out with non-game media excluded from this list, is:

What is Resident Evil?

Resident Evil is a large gaming and wider media franchise, originating in Japan and created by Capcom. It tells the events of a timeline where biohazards, mutant monsters, and destructive incidents occur, beginning with the 1967 discovery of the Progenitor virus’ ability to revive dead E. coli cells.

The Bottom Line

The Resident Evil universe is huge and critically acclaimed, with millions of fans across consoles, PCs, and other media types besides gaming. The fact that RE games are so numerous and that they continue to be developed shows how big a franchise it is.

FAQs