Now that the stunning remakes of "Resident Evil 2" and "Resident Evil 3" are complete, it's time to put the future of Capcom's survival horror franchise in the hands of "Resident Evil 8" Rumors of the next Resident Evil game have been flying around for years, but with the recent release of the series' remake, things are really starting to heat up in 2020

Resident Evil 8 is expected to follow up on the events of Resident Evil 7, which was a major departure for the series, taking place in an eerie Louisiana swamp mansion and focusing primarily on new characters while keeping the action in first-person perspective The next game, "Resident Evil 7: Resident Evil," will build on this storyline, adding new gameplay elements and bizarre enemies, and possibly some more classic characters

Here is everything we know about Resident Evil 8, including release date, characters, storyline, and whether it will be released on new consoles like the PS5 or Xbox Series X

WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Resident Evil 7

Biohazard fan site Biohazard Declassified recently received what is believed to be information about the next Resident Evil game The new game is reportedly called "Resident Evil VIII: Village" and could be released by early 2021; as Biohazard Cast showed in a mock-up image, the subtitle "Village" is a clever play on words, meaning the Roman numeral 8 Enabling

According to Twitter user and alleged leaker @AestheticGamer1, the next "Resident Evil" game began as a new installment in the spin-off series "Resident Evil Revelations" but was later changed to "Resident Evil 8" According to this leaker, the game will be released "within the next few months" and will probably be a significant departure from past titles

According to recent rumors and speculation, Ethan Winters, the protagonist of "Resident Evil 7," will once again play an important role in "Resident Evil 8" Series mainstay Chris Redfield, who made a surprise appearance at the end of "Resident Evil 7: Resident Evil" as part of the reformed Umbrella Corporation, is also expected to return in a larger capacity

According to leaked information sent to Biohazard Cast, Chris will appear in flashbacks featuring Ethan, his wife Mia (who was healed after playing an antagonist in "Resident Evil 7"), and their children Chris' role in the game is ambiguous and could turn into a villain; AestheticGamer1 notes that Chris has been "changed," perhaps suggesting that Capcom is reworking his controversial "RE7" appearance into something more recognizable

Besides Ethan and Chris, there is much speculation that other characters from "Resident Evil 7: Resident Evil" may make a comeback Since Chris returned in "Resident Evil 7," "Resident Evil 8" may bring back Leon Kennedy and Jill Valentine, who starred in the "Resident Evil 2" and "Resident Evil 3" remakes, respectively Leon last starred as a special agent protecting the president in "Resident Evil 6," and Jill was last seen recovering from Albert Wesker's mind control at the end of "Resident Evil 5"

Resident Evil 7 ended with Ethan, with the help of Chris Redfield, defeating Evelyn, the biological weapon that infected the entire Baker family and turned them into mad killers Later, we saw Redfield, now a reformed member of the once-villainous Umbrella Corporation, rescue Ethan and Mia and take them away from the Louisiana Baker compound in a helicopter Well, what happens now

According to a series of leaks gathered by Biohazard Declassified, "Resident Evil 8" will once again star Ethan and will be set in a snowy rural village that may be based in Europe, leading to a castle of some sort According to these leaks, traditional zombies will return, as well as other werewolf-like beasts, a ghostly female specter that will follow you throughout the game, and possibly even the infamous Hookman from the early "Resident Evil 4" prototypes

According to the above Biohazard Declassified report, Resident Evil 8 will be first-person, which seems like a logical fit if it is a true sequel to Resident Evil 7 RE7 was already known to work with Sony's VR headset (PS5) We hope that RE8 will also support VR on PC-based VR headsets like the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, as they were one of the featured titles for the PS5

Biohazard Declassified also notes the possibility that "Resident Evil 8" will feature a "Resident Evil 4"-style inventory management system This seems a bit doubtful, given the great intuitive UI of "Resident Evil 7" and the remakes "Resident Evil 2" and "Resident Evil 3," but perhaps Capcom is trying to add a bit of nostalgia to the mix

Given that Resident Evil 8 is rumored to be released in early 2021, it is possible that both PS5 and Xbox Series X versions will appear, as well as the old-gen PS4 and Xbox One versions Considering that most of the recent Resident Evil games have been PC versions, a Windows version is also likely to be released [I don't expect "Resident Evil 8" to be released on the Nintendo Switch anytime soon, as Nintendo's handheld consoles tend to only release ports of older "Resident Evil" games, such as "Resident Evil 4" and the "Resident Evil 1" remake, etc