In 2014, a small team at Capcom made a decision that would redefine the studio's future: they would not use an off-the-shelf game engine to build Resident Evil 7. Instead, they built their own from the ground up, a project that would eventually power nearly every major title Capcom released for the next decade. This engine, later named RE Engine, was born out of necessity and frustration with the limitations of its predecessor, MT Framework, which had become too slow and cumbersome for modern development. The team, led by Jun Takeuchi, head of Capcom's Division 1, realized that to create the kind of immersive, linear horror experience they envisioned, they needed a system that prioritized asset-based development, the global industry standard at the time. They rejected the idea of using a generic third-party engine, believing it would not be appropriate for the unique demands of Resident Evil 7. The result was a proprietary engine that would go on to power not only the Resident Evil franchise but also Devil May Cry 5, Monster Hunter Rise, Street Fighter 6, and many more, becoming the backbone of Capcom's creative output.
From Deep Down to Resident Evil
The origins of RE Engine are rooted in the failure of another project, Deep Down, an unreleased PlayStation 4 game that was intended to showcase a new engine called Panta Rhei. Development on Panta Rhei began in 2011, but the project fell into what is known as development hell, and was eventually abandoned. It was during this period of uncertainty that Capcom decided to pivot, creating RE Engine in 2014 as a fresh start. The engine was originally designed with the linear nature of Resident Evil 7 in mind, allowing for more efficient development and better control over the game's atmosphere and pacing. Unlike MT Framework, which had been used for previous Resident Evil titles, RE Engine offered faster development tools and the ability to use photogrammetry to create higher quality assets. This shift in technology allowed Capcom to move away from the slower, more rigid systems of the past and embrace a more flexible, modern approach to game development. The engine's success in Resident Evil 7 proved that the gamble had paid off, setting the stage for its use in future titles.A Universal Tool for Diverse Worlds
Unlike many other game engines that are tuned for a specific franchise or genre, RE Engine was designed to be a universal tool, capable of powering a wide range of Capcom's most popular titles. According to Monster Hunter producer Ryozo Tsujimoto, no single game or franchise drives the direction of the engine. Instead, all of Capcom's studios contribute to its improvement, creating a collaborative ecosystem that avoids the pitfalls faced by other developers who have tried to force a single engine to serve multiple, often conflicting, purposes. This approach has allowed Capcom to maintain a high level of quality across its diverse portfolio, from the fast-paced action of Devil May Cry 5 to the open-world exploration of Monster Hunter Rise. The engine's flexibility has also enabled Capcom to port its games to a wide variety of platforms, including the Nintendo Switch, where the team had to perform extensive background technical engineering to ensure the game could run smoothly. In fact, Capcom personally requested that Nintendo increase the Switch's on-board RAM from 2GB to 4GB to better support the development of games using RE Engine, demonstrating the engine's influence on hardware decisions.