Capcom’s Resident Evil 2 Remake is already considered one of the best survival horror remakes ever made. Now the game is getting a new life in a very different form. Bandai Namco Experience is working on a dedicated arcade version of the game that will begin location testing before a wider rollout later in 2026.
This means players will soon be able to fight zombies in Raccoon City, not on a console or PC, but inside a physical arcade cabinet designed to make the horror feel more intense.
The new arcade version is based on the 2019 Resident Evil 2 Remake. Instead of traditional exploration gameplay, it will work as an on-rails shooter. In this style, the game automatically moves the player through locations while they focus on aiming and shooting enemies using a light gun.
Players will revisit familiar moments from the game’s story, including Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield fighting through the streets of Raccoon City and entering the police department. The narrative is expected to be divided into several episodes, similar to classic arcade shooters.
This approach makes sense for arcades. Survival horror games normally rely on slow exploration and puzzle-solving. But arcade games need faster and more direct action. Turning the game into a light gun shooter allows players to jump in quickly and experience the most intense moments of the story.
The most interesting part of this project is the physical arcade cabinet itself. Bandai Namco is building the machine with several immersive features that try to simulate the horror experience beyond just visuals and sound.
The cabinet includes a gun controller with recoil feedback to simulate weapon firing, vibrating floors that react to explosions or monster attacks, along with air blasts and mist effects that trigger during certain scenes. These features are designed to make players “feel the fear with their entire body.”
This kind of physical interaction is something home consoles usually cannot replicate. Arcades still have an advantage when it comes to experimental hardware and immersive setups.
From an industry perspective, this project is quite interesting. The arcade industry has been shrinking in many regions, but immersive cabinets are still popular in Japan and certain entertainment venues in Europe. Developers now focus on experiences that cannot easily be replicated at home.
It is also a smart way for Capcom to reuse the assets and environments created for the 2019 remake. Instead of building a new game from scratch, they can repurpose those assets into a completely different gameplay format.
