New Resident Evil 1996 PEGI rating could point to a classic trilogy release

There are two types of Resident Evil fans, those that love the classic fixed-camera angles and tank controls, and those that don’t. It is also a good way to give away someone’s age as to whether they started playing the games pre or post-Resident Evil 4. As the original trilogy edges ever closer to its 30-year anniversary in 2026, fans of the classic games have long wanted to see them ported to modern systems, giving players a way to experience their first taste of survival horror again.

Eagle-eyed fans have spotted a new age rating appear on the PEGI website for the original 1996 Resident Evil game. For readers outside of Europe who may not be familiar with PEGI, it is responsible for giving age ratings to video games, the same as the ESRB in North America. Like the US counterparts, each game must be given an age rating before it is allowed to be sold in stores, ranging from PEGI 3, 7, 12, 16, and 18. Interestingly, the rating gives a release date on June 18th, 2024, which has now been and gone with no release, as well as only being rated for PC. 

In the ‘Brief Outline of the Game’ section of the rating, it states that the rating is for the “PC port of the original Resident Evil game (1996).” While this could merely just be housekeeping on Capcom’s part, unlike trademarks and copyrights, PEGI ratings don’t need to be applied for again after a set amount of time. One interesting note is that the original Resident Evil game has never had a PEGI rating, as it was classified as age 15 by the BBFC back in 1996 and since it has never seen a re-release it was never rated again once PEGI took over the ratings systems. Its sequels, Resident Evil 2 and 3 have both seen ports to the Gamecube in the 2000s and received PEGI ratings at the time, which also carried over to the PSN releases in 2010 along with a new classification for Resident Evil Director’s Cut at the same time, a rating which still carries over to the PS4 and PS5 version of the game that is available as part of PS Plus. 

But, this rating isn’t related to the Director’s Cut and is specifically stated it is for PC, which does raise eyebrows as to what Capcom’s intentions are. Is it just reclassifying an old game? Or are they planning a new release of the game? Fans of the classic fixed-camera angle games have been hoping to see the trilogy ported to modern devices, which has sadly never come to fruition. All three are playable on PC along with fan-made HD mods, but none are sold legally on platforms such as Steam. It will be interesting to see if any changes are made to Resident Evil 2 and 3 to classify them on PC, or if the Resident Evil 1 rating also applies to other platforms. 

Capcom has been firing on all cylinders recently, especially when it comes to the Resident Evil franchise, with the Japanese publisher releasing multiple critically acclaimed games in the past few years with the likes of Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil Village, as well as the Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 4 Remakes being hailed as some of the greatest horror games of all time. Outside of Resident Evil, games such as Monster Hunter have exploded in popularity in recent years, and Street Fighter 6 has put the series back on the map following the lackluster Street Fighter 5.

A recent survey by Capcom also saw players overwhelmingly demand a new Dino Crisis game, as well as show some love for the classic titles. Could Capcom be taking note and looking to give older fans what they want? The recently announced Marvel Vs. Capcom Fighting Collection points to that, which will bundle together 7 iconic fighting games including X-Men Vs. Street Fighter and Marvel Vs. Capcom 2, with some having not been available to purchase for close to 30 years.