Resident Evil Survival Unit, the series' upcoming free-to-play smartphone strategy spin-off, will not require paid gacha mechanics to unlock its long list of characters.
Announced earlier this year, Survival Unit will let you form a team of fan-favorite characters such as Jill Valentine, Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield, then take them out on progressively more challenging zombie hunts.
A long list of familiar faces are featured in the game, including some Resident Evil franchise deep cuts (and Barry Burton!). Now, developer Joycity has said it's designed the game to be enjoyed without paying, without the paid gacha mechanics seen in many other character-stuffed free-to-play mobile titles.
While you can pay to unlock certain characters earlier than you'd otherwise gain access to them, these microtransactions will be direct, so players can decide whether to pay for a specific hero, or not.
"Almost all of the game's content is accessible without paying, but if you want to obtain specific characters earlier than usual, that may require payment," Resident Evil Survival Unit developer Jun Seung Park told 4Gamer, translated by Automaton.
"During our internal playtests, we found that even without paying, you can enjoy the game fully long as you form groups and work together with other players."
Gameplay sees you building up a familiar-looking mansion as your base, where your characters will live and interact. You'll then head out onto survival missions against familiar Resident Evil foes, as part of a "global multiplayer experience." While missions are predominantly single-player, all player will work together to take down enemies in a concerted fight back against the Umbrella Corporation. A PVP training arena will also be included.
Described as "the world's first full Resident Evil for mobile," Resident Evil Survival Unit launches before the end of 2025 for iPhone and Android devices. If nothing else, it may help pass the time until Resident Evil Requiem arrives next year, on February 27, 2026.
Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
