Hideki Kamiya Suggests a Stardew Valley-Inspired Resident Evil Spin-Off
Hideki Kamiya—best known as the director behind the original Resident Evil 2—has offered a playful idea for what a non-horror Resident Evil spin-off could be. His tongue-in-cheek concept centers on a retired Leon Kennedy settling into quiet countryside life: fishing, growing vegetables, and hosting old friends for barbecues.
Here’s the context behind the pitch. Kamiya joined Capcom in 1994, beginning his career with work as a systems planner on the first Resident Evil. Even though he was new to the industry at the time, he earned his first director credit in 1998 with Resident Evil 2. He stayed with Capcom for close to ten years, helping create and direct games including Devil May Cry, Viewtiful Joe, and Okami. In 2006, Kamiya left to co-found PlatinumGames with fellow former Capcom figures Shinji Mikami and Atsushi Inaba. Later, in 2023, he departed PlatinumGames and launched a new studio called Clovers with Kento Koyama. He’s currently working on the follow-up to Okami, a sequel that was revealed during the 2024 Game Awards.
While fans wait for the next mainline Resident Evil entry, a separate rumor is also circulating: a prominent leaker claims that the remakes of Code: Veronica and Zero are planned to connect with a storyline called Requiem.
Hideki Kamiya’s Cozy Vision for Resident Evil
On June 26, the official Japanese Resident Evil account on X (formerly Twitter), also known as Biohazard, posted details about an in-person exhibition scheduled to open in Shibuya later this year. The event is meant to celebrate the Resident Evil franchise’s 30th anniversary. Kamiya responded to the announcement and added a personal note reflecting on his time with the series and how it has changed since he left the studio.
- Kamiya joked with the official series team, telling them to keep up the good work while also asking for a “not scary mode” in future Resident Evil releases.
- He tied the request to past comments he has made about not being able to enjoy horror games in the usual way.
- A fan replied, acknowledging Kamiya’s hesitation toward horror but saying they’d love to see Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield continue in a way that matches a creator’s vision.
- Kamiya then answered with his own mock proposal: a Resident Evil spin-off that avoids horror entirely.
- In the gag scenario, Leon is retired and spends his days fishing in the countryside, gathering wild vegetables, baking bread, walking his dog, and tending his own garden.
- Kamiya’s joke also includes Leon inviting “old buddies” over for a barbecue, plus fixing a hypothetical neighbor’s grandma’s oven and selling homemade lemonade at a local festival.
The “cozy Resident Evil” concept is clearly meant as humor, but the post still got substantial attention. Some replies showed confusion about the idea of adding a non-horror mode to a horror-focused game. Others said they understood the sentiment and want to experience the franchise’s stories and characters, even if the horror elements make that difficult for them.
Several commenters suggested alternative ways to reduce fear while still keeping the premise: ideas included dressing zombies in colorful costumes, or replacing them with something less intimidating—one example mentioned was turning zombies into tofu.
