- 0-20%: Unlikely - Lacks credible sources
- 21-40%: Questionable - Some concerns remain
- 41-60%: Plausible - Reasonable evidence
- 61-80%: Probable - Strong evidence
- 81-100%: Highly Likely - Multiple reliable sources
70%
Probable
It's been nearly nine years since the release of Dead Rising 4, the latest new entry in CAPCOM's quirky zombie-themed action/adventure series.
At the time of its launch, the game was reviewed favorably by Wccftech's Jorge Jimenez, who gave it an 8 out of 10 rating. However, it failed to meet CAPCOM's sales projections, setting the series on a downward trend. Historic developer CAPCOM Vancouver was trying to make a different game afterward, a new IP which would have been set in an alternate version of New York, but that project was canceled in February 2018 and the studio suffered a cut of 20% of its manpower.
Meanwhile, the Vancouver team had also released a PvP puzzle game titled Puzzle Fighter for mobile devices. However, shortly after the aforementioned layoffs, the studio publicly vowed to refocus on its flagship franchise, Dead Rising.
Even that was not enough to save CAPCOM Vancouver from the parent company's axe, which fell on September 18, 2018, shutting down the 14-year-old studio for good with a total cost for the cancelled games estimated at around $40 million. A couple of years later, a rumor revealed that the Vancouver team had indeed started working on Dead Rising 5 before its closure. The limited information available suggests that the game was intended to take place in Santa Catarina, Mexico, between Dead Rising 2 and 3, featuring the protagonist of the former game, Chuck Greene.
With CAPCOM finally on a hot stream of game releases in the Resident Evil, Monster Hunter, and Devil May Cry franchises, the revival of this intellectual property didn't seem to be high on their priority. Still, the Deluxe Remaster was well received (despite some controversial changes to protagonist Frank West's face) and it also registered solid sales, according to the publisher.
That might have been the key to persuading CAPCOM to give the proverbial green light for a brand new game installment, which MP1st now reports is in development. The website's sources reckon a new title has been in the works since at least 2023 under the codename 'Rec'. This upcoming entry will once again feature Frank West and is reportedly going to be a sequel to the very first installment, suggesting that it might take place after DR1 but before DR2.
MP1st adds that the setting will be Hollywood, more specifically, a massive film studio lot where a crazed director forces Frank and other survivors to participate in various insane trials in the pursuit of filming the so-called perfect movie. The director will also send Psychopaths to hinder Frank, including the director's right-hand man, whom MP1st adds Frank had previously saved. This Psychopath is reportedly tasked with filming everything with a bomb strapped to his chest.
The time limit mechanics, a key feature of the Dead Rising franchise that was, however, absent in DR4, are supposedly returning with a vengeance. For instance, the movie director threatens to blow up the entire lot if Frank and the others don't comply with his orders. Of course, Frank's camera is also returning, and franchise fans will see other characters making appearances, including Isabela Keyes.
If the project started in 2023, we might be at least two to three years away from a release, given the average triple-A development timeframe, so best sit tight. Still, would you be happy if CAPCOM confirmed this rumor? Let us know in the comments.
About the author: With over two decades of experience in gaming journalism, Alessio Palumbo has led the gaming vertical at Wccftech since August 2015. He started working at a young age for Italian websites like Everyeye.it, Gamestar.it, Nextgame.it, and Multiplayer.it before kickstarting the indie English-language publication Worlds Factory as its founder and Editor in Chief. In the last decade, he has coordinated the overall output of Wccftech's gaming section, managed PR relations, assigned reviews, produced daily news coverage, edited gaming content as needed, and delivered game reviews. Arguably, his trademark content is the long series of exclusive developer interviews that have been cited by Wikipedia and by the biggest news media and gaming publications. His passion for technology also makes him knowledgeable when it comes to gaming hardware and tech. His favorite genres include RPGs, MMORPGs, and action/adventure games.
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