All Resident Evil Games in Order: Complete Chronological Timeline Explained

All Resident Evil Games in Order

Resident Evil is a legendary survival horror media franchise by Capcom. The series is centered around video games that follow a storyline of mutagenic virus outbreaks and a group of heroes battling the Umbrella Corporation and other bioterrorist threats. The first game was released in 1996, and by 2023, cumulative series sales surpassed 146 million copies. The franchise has spawned numerous sequels, spin-offs, remakes, and screen adaptations. Below is a comprehensive list of all Resident Evil installments-including mainline games and spin-offs-in chronological order according to the in-universe events rather than release date.

Main Series (Story Chronology)

The main Resident Evil games and related projects are arranged in the following narrative order:

1. Resident Evil Zero (2002) - The chronologically earliest game, set in July 1998 just before the Spencer Mansion Incident. Young S.T.A.R.S. medic Rebecca Chambers and ex-lieutenant Billy Coen investigate a mysterious train and an Umbrella lab in the Arklay Mountains.
2. Resident Evil (Remake, 2002) - The first game in the series (originally released in 1996) about the "Mansion Incident" in July 1998. S.T.A.R.S. operatives Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield, and others face zombies and bioweapons in a mansion filled with Umbrella's secrets. The 2002 remake updated graphics and gameplay, and its story is considered canon over the 1996 version.
3. Resident Evil: Outbreak (2003) - A spin-off featuring self-contained episodes about ordinary citizens trying to survive the Raccoon City zombie outbreak. The events occur simultaneously with Resident Evil 2 and 3 (autumn 1998), offering different perspectives on the city's crisis. First in the series to introduce online co-op on PS2.
4. Resident Evil: Outbreak - File #2 (2004) - Direct sequel to Outbreak, adding new episodes amid the autumn 1998 events in Raccoon City. Both Outbreak titles complement each other and overlap with RE2 and RE3, up to the city's destruction in October 1998.
5. Resident Evil 2 (1998) - The second main game, set in late September 1998 during the viral outbreak in Raccoon City. Rookie cop Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield (searching for her brother Chris) fight through the zombie-infested city and confront G-virus mutants. RE2 cemented the franchise's success and later received a critically acclaimed 2019 remake.
6. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (1999) - Continues the Raccoon City events, overlapping with RE2. The first half takes place from September 24-28, 1998 (just before RE2), and the second on October 1, 1998, as Jill Valentine tries to escape the city while being hunted by the bioweapon Nemesis. The finale shows Raccoon City's destruction by nuclear strike to halt the virus.
7. Resident Evil: Survivor (2000) - A first-person shooter spin-off set after Raccoon City's fall in late 1998. Protagonist Ark Thompson survives on Sheena Island, another Umbrella lab site, confronting the aftermath of a new viral outbreak. Survivor expands the lore, though its gameplay differs as a rail shooter.
8. Resident Evil Code: Veronica (2000) - A major story installment continuing Claire Redfield's journey. Set three months after Raccoon City's destruction (winter 1998): Claire searches for Chris in Europe but is captured on Rockfort Island, a secret Umbrella base. With Chris, she faces the Ashford family and the revived Albert Wesker, battling the T-Veronica virus on the island and in Antarctica. Originally released for Dreamcast, later ported, and considered mainline canon.
9. Resident Evil: Dead Aim (2003) - A spin-off shooter with a standalone story set in September 2002 aboard an ocean liner seized by Umbrella agent Morpheus Duvall. U.S. agent Bruce McGivern and Chinese operative Fong Ling face the T+G virus on the ship and in a secret lab, furthering the theme of post-Umbrella bioterrorism.
10. Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles (2009) - A rail shooter for Wii, retelling key events from RE2 and Code: Veronica, plus the new "Operation Javier" chapter set in summer 2002 in South America. Leon Kennedy and Jack Krauser confront a drug lord allied with Umbrella, foreshadowing RE4. Darkside Chronicles spans 1998-2002, supplementing the main canon, though its format differs from classic games.
11. Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles (2007) - Another rail shooter compilation, covering the main events of RE0, RE1, and RE3, plus an original finale "Umbrella's End" depicting Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield's final assault on Umbrella in February 2003, leading to the corporation's downfall. This entry fills the gap between classic games and RE4.
12. Resident Evil 4 (2005) - Marks a new era, shifting from zombies to Las Plagas parasites. Set in 2004: Leon Kennedy, now a government agent, is sent to Europe to rescue the U.S. President's daughter. In rural Spain, he confronts the Los Illuminados cult and infected villagers. RE4 introduced dynamic third-person action and became one of the franchise's most popular titles. (A 2023 remake modernized graphics and story.)
13. Resident Evil: Revelations (2012) - A side game with key plot elements, set in 2005 between RE4 and RE5. Jill Valentine and partner Parker search for Chris Redfield aboard the abandoned cruise ship Queen Zenobia, uncovering a bioterror plot with the T-Abyss virus and the Veltro organization. Revelations brought classic horror back and bridges to RE5.
14. Resident Evil 5 (2009) - Takes place in 2009 in the fictional African country Kijuju. Chris Redfield, now with the BSAA, teams with Sheva Alomar to face threats left by Umbrella. Albert Wesker seeks to unleash the Uroboros virus globally. RE5 is a co-op action game concluding the Wesker storyline.
15. Resident Evil: Revelations 2 (2015) - Episodic spin-off beginning in February 2011 after RE5. Claire Redfield and Moira Burton are kidnapped by a mysterious organization and struggle to survive on an experiment-ridden island. Months later (August 2011), BSAA veteran Barry Burton arrives on the island, meets young Natalia, and confronts another revived Umbrella threat. Revelations 2 fills the gap between RE5 and RE6, bringing back classic characters.
16. Resident Evil 6 (2012) - The franchise's largest mainline entry, featuring intersecting campaigns set in 2012-2013 across the globe. Leon Kennedy battles bioterror in the U.S. (Tall Oaks), Chris Redfield fights B.O.W.s in Lanshiang, China, and Jake Muller (Wesker's son) with Sherry Birkin fights for survival in Eastern Europe and China. The campaigns converge in a plot involving Neo-Umbrella, wrapping up many veteran characters' arcs.
17. Resident Evil: Umbrella Corps (2016) - A multiplayer shooter spin-off. The story centers on mercenary training exercises in Umbrella-related abandoned zones (2012-2016). Lacks a significant narrative and serves as fan-service and competitive action, with negligible canonical impact.
18. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (2017) - A series reboot, returning to horror roots. Set in 2017: new protagonist Ethan Winters searches for his missing wife in a derelict Louisiana estate, encountering the Baker family infected by a mysterious mold organism. RE7 is played from a first-person view, introduces a new fungal bioweapon threat, and loosely connects to previous events-Chris Redfield appears as a reformed Umbrella agent. The game successfully revitalized the survival horror legacy.
19. Resident Evil Village (2021) - Direct continuation of Ethan's story, set in February 2021 in a remote European village. Ethan strives to rescue his kidnapped daughter, facing a cult and four monstrous lords led by Mother Miranda. Village (RE8) expands the lore with the "Megamycete" parasite, tying it to Umbrella's origins. The dramatic finale concludes the Winters family arc. The 2022 DLC, Shadows of Rose, is set 16 years later (2037), ending the Winters storyline.

Summary of Chronology

As of 2025, the main Resident Evil storyline spans over two decades of in-game events (1998-2021), including eight numbered entries (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) plus key spin-offs like Code: Veronica and the Revelations duology. All these games form the unified canon. Some spin-offs, such as Resident Evil Gaiden (2001) and Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City (2012), are non-canonical. Other titles (Mercenaries 3D, Resistance, Re:Verse) focus solely on additional gameplay and do not advance the plot.

Remakes and Re-releases

Capcom is renowned for re-releasing its classics, and Resident Evil is no exception. Remakes are complete reimaginings with new graphics and gameplay, while remasters update the original with higher resolution and improved controls. Key remakes include:

• Resident Evil (Remake 2002) - A GameCube remake of the first game, later ported to PC and consoles. Added new locations (Lisa Trevor's cabin), enemies, and story elements. Received an HD remaster in 2015. This remake is considered the canonical version of the 1998 events, surpassing the 1996 original in lore.
• Resident Evil 2 (Remake 2019) - A modern reworking of RE2 on the RE Engine, featuring over-the-shoulder camera, redesigned Raccoon City and police station, and story/character changes. Capcom calls it a "reimagining"; the remake diverges from the original 1998 details, so facts from the original remain important for canon, though the remake is acclaimed for its quality.
• Resident Evil 3 (Remake 2020) - Built on the technical success of RE2 (2019). The RE3: Nemesis remake is noticeably shorter and altered compared to the 1999 version, with cut locations and a greater focus on action. As with RE2, the 1999 original is preferred in the official continuity due to some contradictions in the remake.
• Resident Evil 4 (Remake 2023) - The latest reimagining of the iconic RE4, featuring modern visuals, expanded story (with deeper roles for some characters), and new gameplay mechanics. While the main plot remains familiar, the remake is treated as a separate branch with discrepancies from the 2005 original; however, new facts that don't contradict previous lore may be integrated.

Additionally, Capcom regularly re-releases its games on new platforms: Resident Evil Director's Cut (1997) and Deadly Silence (2006) for the first game, Code: Veronica X (2001) with extra content, the Origins Collection (2015), and more. These versions retain the original plot with only technical differences.

Movies and Other Adaptations

The franchise's success has led to multiple adaptations-feature films, TV series, animations, and even stage plays. It's important to note: Resident Evil films exist in separate continuities and are not tied to the games' storyline. As one reviewer aptly put it, "Paul Anderson's films are canon only to themselves." Key projects include:

• Paul W. S. Anderson Film Series (2002-2016) - Six Hollywood action films starring Milla Jovovich as Alice. Beginning with the Hive incident under the mansion, the narrative diverges greatly from the games, introducing original characters and events. Despite using names and elements from the games, these films have their own plot, culminating in "Resident Evil: The Final Chapter" (2016).
• Reboot Film "Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City" (2021) - A new adaptation attempting to follow the games more closely, merging events from RE1 and RE2 (the mansion and Raccoon City police station, 1998). While character portrayals are truer to the originals, the film is still separate from game canon and received mixed fan reactions.
• CGI Animated Films and Series - Fully computer-generated movies by Capcom, considered canon within the game universe. Released titles include:
  • Resident Evil: Degeneration (2008) - Set in 2005 at Harvardville Airport, soon after RE4. Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield battle a bioterrorist unleashing the T-virus.
  • Resident Evil: Damnation (2012) - Set in 2011 in Eastern Europe, on the eve of RE6. Leon Kennedy is drawn into a civil war using bioweapons like Executioners and Lickers.
  • Resident Evil: Vendetta (2017) - Takes place in 2014 (between RE6 and RE7). Chris Redfield, Leon, and Rebecca Chambers face a genius villain spreading a virus in New York.
  • Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness (2021, mini-series) - Set in 2006: Leon and Claire investigate a White House incident and a conspiracy involving war and zombies.
  • Resident Evil: Death Island (2023) - The most recent animated film, set in 2015. Jill Valentine, Leon, Chris, Rebecca, and Claire unite on Alcatraz Island to battle a new virus, creating a crossover of the main heroes.
• TV Series: In 2022, Netflix released a live-action "Resident Evil" series focusing on Albert Wesker's children and a post-apocalyptic future. The story is original and unrelated to either the games or Anderson's films, and is not considered canon. The series received low ratings and was canceled after one season.
• Other Projects: In Japan, several Resident Evil stage plays were produced, some of which are canon (e.g., "Resident Evil: The Stage" (2015), set in an Australian university in 2010 with Rebecca Chambers). There were also radio dramas in the late '90s, manga, and novels-though most are now considered non-canonical.

Conclusion

The Resident Evil franchise continues to evolve. As of September 2025, the latest mainline release is Resident Evil Village (2021), with new chapters on the horizon. Capcom has announced the ninth numbered entry-Resident Evil: Requiem-set for release on February 27, 2026, for PC and current-gen consoles. Requiem will feature a new protagonist for the first time in years: FBI agent Grace Ashcroft investigates mysterious murders in a hotel, with the action returning to Raccoon City about 30 years after its destruction. The series regularly reinvents itself, balancing fresh stories and classic remakes to engage both veteran and new fans. Currently, Resident Evil's timeline encompasses eight main chapters (RE1-RE8) and numerous spin-offs, with much more ahead in humanity's ongoing fight against the biothreat of Umbrella.