Experienced horror developer Hideki Kamiya doesn’t actually like scary stuff. That’s why he’s calling for a scaredy-cat mode for Resident Evil.
As a scaredy-cat, you’re probably better off staying away from horror games – or so you might think. Japanese developer Hideki Kamiya did exactly the opposite. He led the development of Resident Evil 2 in 1998 and has also worked on other installments in the series.
His studio, Clovers, is celebrating the release of the latest installment, Resident Evil Requiem, on X and has released a video showing the developers diligently playing the horror game. Kamiya is also featured, but he emphasizes that he has always wanted a more relaxed mode.
The horror veteran would rather focus on puzzles and combat than on scares.
We’re all playing Resident Evil Requiem!
Kamiya—who hates horror games—is doing his usual grumbling 🤭🍀 pic.twitter.com/ocbW8tsnDR— CLOVERS Inc. (@CLOVERS_en) March 10, 2026
Cherry blossoms instead of bloodspatter
Apparently, this comes as no surprise to his team; even X-Post comments on his attitude with a smile. And he also emphasizes that he will never tire of standing up for his anti-horror mode:
I’ve always said they should make a mode without the horror. I want to enjoy the puzzles and the fights, I don’t need the horror stuff.
In his own post on X, he explains this in more detail and even offers a few (very playful) suggestions on how it could be implemented in the game:
Please add a non-scary mode. In this mode, the zombies are cute, the blood splatters are cherry blossom petals, and the music is rousing. This way, you can simply enjoy the puzzles and battles. I want to play, but I’m too scared to sleep alone at night, so I can’t. Imagine how people in this situation feel.
A complete success for Capcom
Whether Capcom will implement these suggestions in the near future remains to be seen. Resident Evil Requiem is enjoying great success, even with its scary moments. At the time of release, 5 million copies had already been sold across all platforms, and over 344,000 simultaneous players gathered on Steam.
Both figures set new records for the franchise.
Many will also be pleased to hear that a story add-on to the horror hit has already been announced – even if it won’t be released as a “scaredy-cat” version. You can find everything else you need to know about Resident Evil Requiem here:
Kamiya himself is unlikely to be scared by his own games anymore. His studio, Clovers, is working on Okami 2, the sequel to a picturesque action-adventure game in the style of Japanese woodblock prints, where cherry blossoms actually fly when you paint the world with your magic brush. Ahhh.
