Interview: What's New and Different in Resident Evil Veronica

At Summer Game Fest 2026, Anime News Network got a chance to sit down in a group Q&A with Resident Evil Veronica producer Yoshiaki Hirabayashi to discuss the challenges of creating remakes, the decision to change the original's title, and what the team would add to the remake.

Note: This interview was edited for length and clarity.

Code Veronica is a classic video game, but were there any challenges or advantages when making [Veronica] as opposed to some of the other remakes?

Yoshiaki Hirabayashi: Considering the accessibility of the title and platforms, you're aware that the number of players who could access this title was less than the others. One thing that surprised me was that when we put out the reveal trailer, there were so many fans who had played the original that were excited for this remake.

Is there an advantage or challenge to remaking a title like Veronica? Honestly, it's very similar. This doesn't apply to just the Veronica remake, this applies to all the other main titles we made.

Of course the development team is aware that everyone who's played the game has certain memories of it, certain bonds that they associate with it. In addition to that, of course, the development team also plays the game again, so we can identify what we think really is the core of that experience. We also think about, since it is a remake, what are the new elements that will really elevate that original experience?

With both sides of the audience, the ones who played the original and those who haven't, we always have to try to strike a balance, so that those who play it can see that fondness that they have for the original reflected in the remake, as well as make it a game that even new players could enjoy.

So that's always the approach we did with remakes. I think one of the merits is that there's a wider audience who have yet to experience the game, and that we will be able to deliver that experience to them through the remake.

For this new version, you've obviously changed the name compared to the original. I was wondering why that is, and if it may be an effort to reflect its importance for the mainline series. Have you ever considered numbering it, even if it meant stepping into Kingdom Hearts territory with something like Resident Evil 3.5?

Yoshiaki Hirabayashi: First off, I just want to say that the original Code Veronica, of course, we at CAPCOM and the devs included have utmost respect for it, and that includes the title. We view the original just as an important entry in the series as a numbered title. So the conversation we had was, how do we communicate that to our audience through the title?

I think you're going to see a pattern where we've titled those more recent entries using a single word that really embodies the game's concept. With that line of thinking that we are using for more recent entries, we wanted to align with that for this remake as well. So we asked ourselves, you know, “what is that single word that really exemplifies this title?” And of course we settled on the title that you see.

We really do respect the original title being Code Veronica, and we felt that we wouldn't really think of switching that out with a number.

With this being a remake, and you mentioning new elements being added, are elements or story beats being added that will tie it closer or expand on hints or teases that were in Resident Evil Requiem?

Yoshiaki Hirabayashi: The original Code of Veronica was released in 2000. There's been many different entries in the series since then. So as we are making this, we are very conscious of what developments were in other titles that would have a connection to Veronica. Of course, we are very conscious of that as we are reconstructing Veronica.

In some of the previous remakes, there have been bits added in which have expanded on parts of the game that were smaller in the originals. Are there any plans to do anything like that here?

Yoshiaki Hirabayashi: At this point I can't go into any specifics of what sections are going to get longer or shorter or anything like that. What I can say is touching on a previous thing I mentioned. Our team is very conscious of looking at what it is about the original that made it the experience that it was, while also expanding upon that and adding new elements to make a truly meaningful experience.

The last few years for Resident Evil have been really good. What decisions have been made in dividing between new titles and remakes? When did Veronica enter?

Yoshiaki Hirabayashi: The development team behind the remake of Veronica is the same team that was behind the remakes of Resident Evil 2 and 4.

When we are making a title, our team is fully dedicated to creating a title that could be the best that it can be. So while we're working on that. We don't really have enough slack to be thinking about what that next time is going to be. We are 100% focused on the current title that we're developing.

What I can say about the timing is that since it was the same team, once development on Resident Evil 4 remake started to settle down, that was at the point in time when they looked forward and selected Veronica as the next title.

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Resident Evil Veronica launches in 2027 for PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Series X|S.