6 Potential Capcom Countdown Announcements

Capcom have built up a huge amount of momentum going into 2022, and there’s no signs they’re slowing down. There’s rumours swirling about a Resident Evil 4 remake and, if leaks are to be believed, plenty more games are coming in the next few years. Still, we couldn’t help but think of some of the possibilities that could arise from Capcom’s countdown.

Considering that the Resident Evil announcement has already been and gone, it’s probably fair to expect that this new announcement will be something completely different. Unfortunately, those dreams of an RE Outbreak 3 or a remake will likely have to wait, but there’s still plenty of potential offerings that the big Japanese publisher can pull out of their hats. Here’s six of our potential theories as to what Capcom could be gearing up for.

 

1. Street Fighter 6

Truth be told, a Street Fighter 6 announcement is the most likely candidate, because the dates line up too much to be anything else. Capcom’s announcement is pencilled in for the 20th/21st, depending on your timezone, which just so happens to be right at the culmination of the Capcom Pro Tour Finals, the biggest event in the Street Fighter competitive scene. The reveal of the next instalment during the event’s apex is a surefire way to maintain interest in the franchise as 2022 progresses.

The foundation for life after Street Fighter V has already been laid, either by Capcom’s own hands or through some nefarious means. The huge leak/ransomware attack on Capcom revealed that Street Fighter 6 was on the cards, while the newest and final DLC character for SF5, Luke, has been confirmed as the protagonist for the Street Fighter series going forward. With all of these in place, the stage is seemingly set for Street Fighter to emerge once again.

 

2. Dead Rising

The countdown to the announcement is certainly not a coincidence, which is why many have linked the timing of it with the Capcom Pro Tour. However, another Capcom game loved to use a time mechanic in its gameplay: Dead Rising. Maybe this is clutching at a restaurant’s worth of straws, but perhaps the countdown timer is a hint towards the Dead Rising series, suggesting a new game is on the horizon.

In fairness, there’s been nothing in the way of chatter regarding a new Dead Rising game. After the failure that was Dead Rising 4, which subsequently led to Capcom cancelling a Dead Rising 5 pitch, this is perhaps a long shot of a prediction, but I’m putting it out there into the universe nonetheless. If that countdown timer ends up with a Dead Rising announcement, at least I’ll be the person to say I predicted it.

 

3. Onimusha

A new Onimusha game has been demanded by fans of the series for the longest time now, and yet Capcom haven’t done anything to address this growing desire for more samurai adventures. Samonosake hasn’t had a proper adventure in nearly two decades, and the last proper Onimusha release was the last then positively received fourth game, Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams. If there’s ever been a good time for a new instalment, it’d be now.

Circling back to the ransomware attack, Onimusha was noted as a key part of Capcom’s upcoming line-up, and with 2019’s HD remaster of the first game, Capcom are clearly on board with the idea of revisiting feudal Japan in some form or fashion. The real question is: if Onimusha was to be revealed as Capcom’s next big project, what form would it take? A new game would be great, but an RE Engine remake of either Onimusha 1, 2 or 3? Sign us up.

 

4. Dragon’s Dogma 2

From a maligned RPG to a certified cult hit in the span of a console generation, Dragon’s Dogma has enjoyed a new level of appreciation in the years since its launch. When first released, a lot of players weren’t sold on the game’s mechanics and systems, but years later and a port to modern platforms as Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen, its reputation is up there as an underappreciated great. Now, perhaps it’s time for a sequel.

A new Dragon’s Dogma game has been suggested for a while now, much like the existence of Street Fighter 6 and a new Onimusha project, though it’d be interesting to see how a new Dragon’s Dogma game would play out. Perhaps Capcom would put a wider focus into the live service elements, offering new monsters and quests on the regular. That, or they’d offer microtransactions for Pawn creation cosmetics. That’s the likely scenario, unfortunately.

 

5. Something New

With the announcement of Pragmata back in 2020, Capcom have proved that they’re not the monolith you’d believe they are. While the company’s backbone was forged by the likes of Street Fighter, Devil May Cry, Monster Hunter and Resident Evil, they’ve always had an eye to create something a bit new and different. Granted, that something new and different ends up being Dark Void, but that shouldn’t prevent Capcom from taking the path less travelled either.

As for what something new could entail, it could be anything from a better look at Pragmata to something completely different entirely, or it could be a look at a brand new project entirely. It’s hard to really write about what you don’t actually know exists, but take our word from it that it’d probably be cool.

 

6. Something Unexpected

Capcom’s back catalogue of nostalgia is so filled that it’s enough to make other companies and publishers weep. There’s so many iconic franchises locked away in Capcom’s vaults that they could line up a fully-stocked release schedule for the next calendar year just based on remasters/remakes and ports alone. I’m not saying it’d be the most exciting year, but there’d still be plenty of potential games to choose from.

As for what nostalgia pop Capcom could go for, there’s plenty to choose from. While a HD port of God Hand definitely wouldn’t go amiss, that’s about as unlikely as it gets. However, porting Viewtiful Joe to new platforms, the announcement of a new Darkstalkers game or even a brand new Dino Crisis project would be enough to send fans into a tailspin.

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