Resident Evil: Survival Unit has release date locked in for next week
Bet you didn’t think it was so close
- Join all your favourite RE characters under one roof
- Manage resources, fortifications, and battle the infected
- Set to release on iOS and Android on November 18th
Resident Evil is doing something a little different next week, trading its usual survival horror formula for something a bit more tactical. Resident Evil: Survival Unit, co-developed by Aniplex and Joycity, brings the series’ signature dread into a world of base-building and real-time strategy, which might sound strange until you realise how neatly the concept fits.
Set amid the collapse of yet another, you guessed, infected city (Note to residents: stop living in these places!), you’ll lead a small team of survivors trying to hold things together. There’s resource gathering, fortifications to manage, and those heart-in-mouth moments when you’re one bad decision away from losing everything. While we do make the jump from sudden scares to smart choices, it still feels like it's got that classic Resident Evil tension.
And yes, the old guard’s back in action. Leon, Jill, and Claire all make appearances, though this time they’re more like unit commanders than lone survivors. You’ll also recruit everyday people like scavengers, fighters, and engineers to build your base around a crumbling mansion, which is a nice nod to where it all began. It’s a fun mix of strategy and nostalgia wrapped up in the chaos of an infection that never seems to stay dead.
It’s already hit two million pre-registrations, which says a lot about the curiosity surrounding this pivot. Maybe that’s why Aniplex is doubling down on the theatrics. They’ve even confirmed a BABYMETAL collaboration for 2026, which is exactly what you’d expect from Resident Evil given that the franchise is consumable in literally every media form.
Resident Evil: Survival Unit launches worldwide on November 18th, so it won't be long now until we see how this new take plays out. Until then, you can pre-register via the App Store or Google Play or, if you’re in the mood for some brain-bending tactics, check out our list of the best strategy games on iOS to get warmed up!
