Capcom Veteran Pitches Resident Evil Creature Collector
Resident Evil Creature Collector: A Pitch to Cure the Undead
Hiroyuki Kobayashi, a former Capcom producer known for work on Resident Evil 4, Devil May Cry, and Dragon's Dogma, pitched a speculative concept for a Resident Evil creature collection game during an appearance on the Cutting Room Floor podcast. The proposed title is a third-person single-player action-adventure RPG for PS5, PC, Switch 2, and Xbox Series X/S that fundamentally flips the script on the franchise by tasking players with curing infected creatures instead of killing them. The pitch positions this hypothetical game as a spiritual counterpart to Monster Hunter Stories, replacing the "collect to fight" loop with a "collect to heal" objective that addresses the series' bioterrorism conflict through compassion rather than violence.
The concept proposes a third-person single-player action-adventure RPG tasking players with curing infected creatures instead of eliminating them, directly inverting the traditional Resident Evil conflict loop.
Key Facts
The following table summarizes the core attributes of Hiroyuki Kobayashi's speculative pitch, as described on the Cutting Room Floor podcast.
The pitch, made by former Capcom producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi on the Cutting Room Floor podcast, currently exists only as a speculative thought experiment with no official Capcom development plan.
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Concept Originator | Hiroyuki Kobayashi (Chief Producer, NetEase GPT; formerly Capcom) |
| Game Genre | Third-person single-player action-adventure RPG with creature collection |
| Primary Mechanic | Capture infected creatures and cure them through a purification process |
| Primary Influence | Monster Hunter Stories series (Capcom) |
| Target Platforms | PS5, PC, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X/S |
| Source Media | Cutting Room Floor podcast (Rock Paper Shotgun) |
| Official Status | Hypothetical fan pitch; not an official Capcom development project |
How Does the Resident Evil Creature Collector Pitch Work?
Kobayashi's pitch introduces a new protagonist exploring an open world, capturing infected creatures rather than killing them. The captured creatures are held in a Pokeball-style device and returned to a hub town where the player performs a purification ritual to cure them, converting them into party allies for turn-based combat. The gameplay loop involves exploration, resource gathering, and tactical battles where the goal is to subdue and cure rather than exterminate.
Kobayashi stated directly that conventional Resident Evil weapons would be de-emphasized in favor of capture tools. "You take control of a new character, third-person single-player action adventure type game, where you're able to capture the monsters... but you don't capture them to make them fight... you cure them."
"Rather than collecting monsters to take their abilities, you're collecting them to cure them."
— Hiroyuki Kobayashi, Cutting Room Floor podcast
Kobayashi's pitch fundamentally inverts the Resident Evil conflict from extermination to rehabilitation, introducing a capture-and-cure system that transforms enemies into cured companions.
How Does the Concept Compare to Monster Hunter Stories?
Kobayashi's pitch draws an explicit structural parallel to Monster Hunter Stories, sharing its turn-based combat system, monster collection loop, and open-world exploration format. The critical divergence is thematic: Monster Hunter Stories collects creatures to form a battle party and inherit abilities, while Kobayashi's Resident Evil concept collects creatures explicitly to cure them of their infection.
Kobayashi framed the pitch as a "flip the script" exercise. "I think it would be a fun game to make," Kobayashi said on the podcast, "channelling that compassionate side." Where Monster Hunter Stories builds a cooperative bond between rider and Monstie, the RE collector concept focuses on medical rehabilitation and plague eradication through non-lethal means.
| Feature | Monster Hunter Stories | Resident Evil Collector (Pitch) |
|---|---|---|
| Collection Objective | Recruit Monsties for battle and skill inheritance | Capture infected to cure them of the plague |
| Combat Structure | Turn-based with Monstie allies | Turn-based with cured creature allies |
| Tonal Framework | Cooperation with nature | Compassion for the infected |
| Post-Capture Action | Training and equipping Monsties | Purification and rehabilitation |
Kobayashi explicitly compared the structure to Monster Hunter Stories, but reversed the objective from acquiring combat abilities to curing a terminal infection.
Who Is the Proposed Resident Evil Creature Collector For?
Kobayashi's pitch targets the intersection of creature collection RPG fans and Resident Evil players interested in narrative deconstruction. The proposal addresses the ethical monotony of the Resident Evil formula by suggesting a compassionate alternative to the franchise's standard bioterrorism response, appealing specifically to players who enjoyed the non-violent problem-solving potential in games like Monster Hunter Stories or Undertale.
The pitch was delivered as a casual "if I ran Capcom" thought experiment, not a formal proposal. Kobayashi acknowledged it was a speculative idea aimed at exploring a different tone for the series. "I think it would be a fun game to make," he stated on the podcast, confirming the concept exists purely in the realm of fan-friendly hypotheticals.
The concept specifically appeals to RPG fans seeking a non-violent resolution to the Resident Evil franchise's central conflict of bioterrorism, reframing the zombie plague as a curable condition rather than an enemy wave.
Is Capcom Really Making This Game?
No. The Resident Evil creature collector pitch is a speculative, casual concept proposed by former Capcom producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi during an interview on the Cutting Room Floor podcast. Kobayashi, now Chief Producer at NetEase, is not currently developing this title under any official Capcom or NetEase banner. The pitch exists entirely as a thought experiment discussing what the franchise could explore.
There is zero indication that Capcom has greenlit or is actively developing a Resident Evil creature collector game based on this or any similar pitch.
Common Questions
Is Capcom actually developing a Resident Evil creature collector game?
No. This was a speculative pitch made by former Capcom producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi on the Cutting Room Floor podcast. It is not an official Capcom announcement and no development team is attached to the concept.
What is the core gameplay loop in Kobayashi's pitch?
The loop involves exploring an open world, capturing infected creatures using a capture device, returning to a hub town to cure them through a purification process, and then deploying the cured creatures as allies in turn-based combat sequences.
Why did Hiroyuki Kobayashi pitch a compassionate Resident Evil game?
Kobayashi proposed the concept as a "fun game" thought experiment that "flips the script" on Resident Evil's reliance on violence. He argued that exploring compassion and rehabilitation as a solution to the plague offered a meaningful new direction for the franchise's narrative.
Sources and Methodology
This article is based entirely on the Rock Paper Shotgun article titled "Flip the script: Capcom veteran casually pitches a Resident Evil creature collector about curing the undead" by Edwin Evans-Thirlwell. That article summarizes an appearance by Hiroyuki Kobayashi on the Cutting Room Floor podcast. Kobayashi's quotes are attributed to his appearance on that podcast as reported by Rock Paper Shotgun. The Monster Hunter Stories comparison is explicitly Kobayashi's own framing. No official Capcom documentation or press release exists regarding this concept.
This article is entirely sourced from the Rock Paper Shotgun interview with Hiroyuki Kobayashi on the Cutting Room Floor podcast, and no independent Capcom confirmation of the project exists.
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