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Resident Evil Games in Order: Release Date and Story Timeline

Updated on November 2, 2026

Resident Evil 1996 a 2026

Here are the Resident Evil games in order, first by release date and then one by one in story order. The series started with Resident Evil in 1996 and its latest chapter, Resident Evil Requiem, launched on February 27, 2026. The release order and the story order don’t line up perfectly, so this guide walks through both: a quick list of when each game came out, then a short summary of every game in the order its story happens.

Key takeaways: Resident Evil games in order

Resident Evil games in order of release

Resident Evil timeline: every game in chronological order

1. Resident Evil Zero (July 1998)

The story starts here. Rebecca Chambers of the S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team teams up with escaped prisoner Billy Coen after a train is overrun in the Arklay Mountains, and the two uncover where the T-virus outbreak began. Best version today: Resident Evil 0 HD Remaster.

2. Resident Evil (July 1998)

One day later, Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine of the Alpha Team get trapped in the Spencer Mansion while searching for Bravo Team, and find out that their captain, Albert Wesker, works for Umbrella. Best version today: the HD Remaster of the 2002 remake.

3. Resident Evil 2 (September 1998)

Rookie cop Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield, who is looking for her brother Chris, arrive in a Raccoon City overrun by zombies. Their story revolves around the G-virus, William Birkin, his daughter Sherry and the mysterious Ada Wong. Best version today: the 2019 remake.

4. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (September to October 1998)

Jill Valentine tries to escape Raccoon City while the Nemesis hunts her down, with help from Umbrella soldier Carlos Oliveira. It starts the day before RE2 and ends after it, when the city is wiped out by a missile. Best version today: the 2020 remake.

5. Resident Evil – Code: Veronica (December 1998)

Still searching for Chris, Claire is captured and sent to Umbrella’s prison on Rockfort Island, and the story moves on to Antarctica. The Ashford twins and the return of Wesker close the 1998 arc. Best version today: Code: Veronica X, until the remake arrives in 2027.

6. Resident Evil 4 (2004)

Leon, now a government agent, goes to rural Spain to rescue the president’s daughter, Ashley Graham, from the Los Iluminados cult and its Las Plagas parasite. Best version today: the 2023 remake.

7. Resident Evil: Revelations (2005)

Jill and Chris investigate the Queen Zenobia, an abandoned cruise ship carrying the T-Abyss virus, in the early days of the BSAA. Best version today: Revelations HD.

8. Resident Evil 5 (2009)

Chris Redfield and his partner Sheva Alomar travel to Africa to stop the Uroboros virus, which leads to Chris’s final showdown with Wesker. It’s playable in co-op from start to finish.

9. Resident Evil: Revelations 2 (2011)

Claire and Moira Burton are kidnapped and wake up on a prison island. Six months later, Moira’s father, Barry Burton, arrives on the same island looking for his daughter.

10. Resident Evil 6 (2012–2013)

Four connected campaigns follow Leon, Chris, Jake Muller (Wesker’s son) with an adult Sherry Birkin, and Ada Wong as they face the C-virus and a global bioterror attack.

11. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (2017)

The series switches to first person. Ethan Winters goes to the Baker family plantation in Louisiana looking for his missing wife, Mia. It’s a fresh starting point, so new players can begin here.

12. Resident Evil Village (2021)

Ethan’s daughter, Rose, is taken, and he follows her to a village in Europe ruled by Mother Miranda and lords like Lady Dimitrescu. Chris Redfield plays a key role in the story.

13. Resident Evil Requiem (2026)

The newest chapter follows FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft, daughter of Resident Evil Outbreak survivor Alyssa Ashcroft, as she investigates the mystery behind her mother’s death. Leon S. Kennedy is the second playable character.

In which order should you play Resident Evil?

Where do the spin-offs fit?

The other spin-offs are optional. Resident Evil Outbreak and Outbreak File #2 happen during the Raccoon City outbreak in September 1998 (and introduce Alyssa Ashcroft, Grace’s mother), Resident Evil Survivor takes place in late 1998, and The Umbrella Chronicles and The Darkside Chronicles are on-rails shooters that retell events from 1998 to 2003. Umbrella Corps and the multiplayer games Resistance and Re:Verse don’t add much to the main story.

What’s next for Resident Evil

Capcom announced Resident Evil Veronica at Summer Game Fest in June 2026. It’s a full remake of Code: Veronica in the style of the RE2 remake, planned for 2027 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2 and PC.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the first Resident Evil game in the story?

Resident Evil Zero. It was released in 2002, but its story happens in July 1998, one day before the events of the original Resident Evil.

Do you need to play the Resident Evil games in order?

No. Each game has its own self-contained story, and RE7 was made as a fresh starting point. Playing in order helps you catch returning characters like Leon, Chris, Jill, Claire and Wesker, but it isn’t required.

Where does Resident Evil Requiem fit in the timeline?

Requiem is the latest point in the timeline. It’s set in 2026, after Resident Evil Village, almost three decades after the destruction of Raccoon City.

Which Resident Evil games have remakes?

Resident Evil (2002, later remastered in HD), Resident Evil 2 (2019), Resident Evil 3 (2020) and Resident Evil 4 (2023). Resident Evil Veronica, the Code: Veronica remake, is coming in 2027.