Fight through the winter with Leon S. Kennedy and Jill Valentine in Resident Evil Survival Unit

Are you a horror game fanatic who’s always on the hunt for the next thrilling adventure? Or perhaps you’re a huge Resident Evil fan, desperately awaiting your next run-in with Umbrella Corps? Well, lucky for you, you don’t need to wait until February for your next fix, as Resident Evil Survival Unit is here to help you survive the winter.

Co-developed by Aniplex Inc and JOYCITY Corporation, Resident Evil Survival Unit is an exciting new entry into Capcom’s legendary series, bringing the action to the small screen. That’s right – this is a mobile-first title, allowing you to dive into an immersive, tactical experience any time, any place, and you can play for free right now.

Set in a parallel universe within the world of Resident Evil, Survival Unit boasts an original storyline that aims to build on the franchise. However, rather than the classic survival horror and action you may expect, this time it’s all about formulating different strategies and tactics to make it out alive.

It sees you stranded in a world where an unknown infection has spread, leaving your city in ruins. Held captive by the Umbrella Corp for experimentation, you wake up in an abandoned hospital, and set out to find the truth behind what happened. As you progress, you team up with a group of isolated survivors, build your very own base, secure resources, and extend your reach and influence.

Like 2002’s original, Resident Evil Survival Unit sees you center your efforts on an old mansion, where you must restore the facilities one by one in order to build up the foundations for your survival. From there, you can expand outwards, strategically managing resources to defend your home, and conducting research to build a powerful stronghold. But, of course, you can’t stay cooped up inside forever – you have to scour the map if you want more resources.

Venturing out, you can explore a variety of locations with those classic fixed camera angles, solving a vast array of unique puzzles and uncovering a variety of Easter eggs that pay homage to Survival Unit’s predecessors and the world of the original series. Of course, there are also heaps of enemies to face, including powerful and recognizable creatures from the main series.

In addition to these familiar foes, Resident Evil Survival Unit also introduces a brand new creature called Mortem. Designed by the world-renowned artist Yoshitaka Amano (known for his work on the Final Fantasy series), Mortem is more than just an enemy – it’s a symbol of the new threats lurking in this parallel universe, capturing that psychological fear we all have of what lurks in the unknown.

However, it’s not just Mortem, monsters, and the infected that you have to deal with. While out exploring, you may encounter other groups of survivors, and it’s up to you how you deal with them. Will you choose to team up and pool resources? Or would you prefer to fight and take what you need by force? The decision you make will shape your future, as you gradually expand your base from a mere safehouse to an impenetrable fortress.

Speaking of survivors, there are plenty of familiar faces you may recognize from the beloved series, including some of our all-time favorites. These include the iconic Leon S. Kennedy in his full R.P.D. get-up from Resi 2, Chris Redfield’s strong-willed but caring sister Claire, S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team’s eternally kickass Jill Valentine, and even our personal fave, the merc with a mouth Carlos Oliveira. Turns out he couldn’t leave us in a cruel, Carlos-less world after all.

The operatives you team up with each have a diverse range of skills, and you need to plan carefully to make the most of them. Train them up, equip them with powerful weapons and relics, and assign them roles that best suit their strengths and weaknesses in order to build defensive lines and fend off the infected and other threats. Every move you make can turn the tides of battle and have a palpable impact on your survival, so be sure to plan well.

Resident Evil Survival Unit sets out to deliver a seamless loop of discovery, development, and domination, with a dynamic gameplay loop that cycles between these three pillars to keep things fresh. Whether you’re forming alliances, defending your territory, or competing against other players in the arena, there’s always something to keep you engaged, making it the perfect way to pass these long, dark nights.

Following its initial announcement in July 2025, Resident Evil Survival Unit appeared at both Gamescom and Tokyo Game Show, generating heaps of buzz worldwide. After announcing a pre-registration milestone event on July 10, eager players quickly smashed all of the goals, reaching over one million pre-registrations by August 8, and globally surpassing two million by October 23. This means that you can enjoy a variety of celebratory gifts in-game, including useful materials and items, gems, and even an exclusive, seven-day base skin.

Resident Evil Survival Unit is available right now on Android and iOS, and you can play for free. If you want to keep up to date with all of the latest news and announcements, you can check out the game’s official website, or follow Resident Evil Survival Unit on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube. You can also join the official Discord to stay in the loop and meet other survivors around the world. Good luck out there.