adminResident Evil Requiem illustrates how a new game announcement can renew interest in earlier entries across a franchise. Industry data suggests that the effect is strongest when publishers pair a sequel reveal with increased promotion, meaningful discounts and wider visibility for catalogue titles.
Resident Evil Requiem lifts interest in earlier games
Image credit: Capcom
Capcom’s latest financial results point to a familiar pattern: news of an upcoming franchise release can support sales and player activity for older games. After Resident Evil Requiem was announced at Summer Game Fest last June, supported by extensive marketing, sales of Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil Village increased.
The pattern has appeared in other franchises too. Remedy reported that Control sold an additional one million copies in 2025 after the sequel, Control: Resonant, was revealed at The Game Awards in December.
Sony also reported a significant revenue increase following the release of Ghost of Yōtei, the sequel to 2020’s Ghost of Tsushima. Ghost of Yōtei sold 3.3 million copies after launching on October 2, 2025, exceeding Ghost of Tsushima’s sales over the same period.
Video Game Insights (VGI) found that the original Ghost of Tsushima experienced a sales spike on Ghost of Yōtei’s launch day across PlayStation and Steam, even though the sequel launched only on console. VGI describes major sequels as a marketing engine that can create a “second launch period” for older games.
Promotion and discounts help turn attention into sales
A sequel announcement alone does not explain every increase. Circana analyst Mat Piscatella says catalogue sales are driven in large part by more promotion in marketing and public relations. Discounts and subscription-service availability can also help expand player numbers and revenue.
Image credit: Circana
Circana’s Player Pulse tracker shows how the approach changed for Resident Evil Village, released in 2021. Before Resident Evil Requiem was announced, Village received in-store promotion in the United States but was not promoted digitally or by email. After the Summer Game Fest reveal, promotion expanded across more channels and continued ahead of Requiem’s February 27, 2026 release.
Pricing changed as well. Before the reveal, Village followed what Piscatella calls a “classic high-low pricing pattern” on Steam, with prices ranging from $39.99 to just under $20. After the announcement, its Steam price fell to $10. Piscatella notes that a more substantial price reduction can produce a greater incremental sales lift than a smaller percentage discount.
For players considering an older entry, a sequel announcement can be a useful time to check current prices and subscription availability. Comparing the game’s content and platform options can help determine whether a discount makes it a good fit.
Player activity can rise temporarily
Image credit: Circana
After Requiem’s announcement, Village’s active users increased across PlayStation, Xbox and PC. PlayStation recorded the largest growth, followed by Xbox and PC. Weekly active users more than doubled compared with the week before Summer Game Fest, then returned to pre-announcement levels by the end of August.
This suggests that a reveal can create a short-term opportunity for older games, rather than guaranteeing a lasting rise in activity. Publishers looking to build catalogue sales before a new release may need sustained visibility and well-timed discounts. These efforts can also introduce players to the upcoming game, Piscatella says, although the scale of the response varies with franchise strength and the size of the promotion.
Why story-driven franchises can benefit over time
Anniversaries can also bring players back to earlier releases, particularly when paired with a commercial incentive such as a bundle or discount. VGI data showed a significant sales increase for Control and Alan Wake during Remedy’s 30th anniversary year, largely driven by a 30th Anniversary Humble Bundle promotion. Monthly active users for Alan Wake 2 also rose in late 2025 after the game joined PlayStation Plus in October.
VGI suggests that narrative-led series such as Resident Evil, Alan Wake and Ghost of Tsushima and Ghost of Yōtei can build back-catalogue value as new entries arrive. By contrast, annual competitive releases may lose value more quickly as players move to the latest instalment. A VGI spokesperson describes this as “narrative debt”: a sequel can make the original story more relevant, rather than obsolete.
What Resident Evil Requiem shows about sequel sales
Resident Evil Requiem demonstrates that a sequel can renew demand for earlier games, but the evidence points to promotion, pricing and access as important parts of the effect. For players, checking older titles during a sequel’s marketing period may reveal new ways to catch up. For publishers, coordinated catalogue promotion can support both legacy sales and interest in the next release.
