Resident Evil Village release date, platforms revealed in gameplay showcase

As promised, Capcom revealed new information about Resident Evil Village this week, including the platforms that the game will be available on and when it will release. We also got a look at Resident Evil Village through a new, spooky trailer. If you're interested in getting a taste of Resident Evil Village, there's even a new demo you can download and try out, but unfortunately, it's exclusive to just one platform.

Even more unfortunate is the fact that the demo is exclusive to a platform that is exceptionally difficult to find at the moment: the PlayStation 5. There aren't a ton of PlayStation 5 owners out there right now, but if you're one of the lucky few and you happen to be a Resident Evil fan, you can download the demo – dubbed Maiden – from the PlayStation Store and take it for a spin.

Capcom says that Maiden is quite a bit different from a traditional demo. Instead of playing through a segment of the full game, Maiden instead is a "sort of short side story that takes place in the same world as Resident Evil Village, but at a different time than the main story." In it, you'll play as the titular maiden as she tries to escape the castle that's at the center of Resident Evil Village. Capcom says there's no combat in Maiden, but we imagine it'll still be a tense affair nevertheless.

As far as that trailer is concerned, it introduces us to said castle and its inhabitants – specifically Lady Dimitrescu and her three daughters. Separate from the trailer, Capcom also revealed gameplay and combat footage, telling us that we'll encounter new enemies with different combat styles and that we'll have more options when it comes to defending ourselves. For that gameplay footage, you'll have to watch the Resident Evil Village Showcase, which is embedded in its entirety above.

Capcom also revealed that, as part of the 25th anniversary of Resident Evil, those who pick up Resident Evil Village will also get access to Resident Evil Re:Verse, which features "fan-favorite characters clashing across familiar locales in the Resident Evil universe." Those are all the details we're getting on Re:Verse for now, but judging from the teaser trailer above, it looks like this will be some sort of Resident Evil-themed battle royale.

Then, of course, we have the release date and platforms for Resident Evil Village. Expect the game to be released on May 7th, 2021 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam. On PlayStation 4 in North America, there will be a free digital upgrade to the PlayStation 5 version available, while the Xbox One version will use Smart Delivery. We'll have more details about Resident Evil Village when Capcom shares them, so stay tuned.