Resident Evil 2 Director Hideki Kamiya Says Capcom Has Grown ‘Numb’ to How Scary New RE Games Are
Resident Evil 2 director Hideki Kamiya has publicly called for Capcom to create a “non-scary mode” for the upcoming Resident Evil Requiem, citing the franchise’s intense horror elements as a barrier to his enjoyment. In March 2026, Kamiya’s game development studio Clovers Inc. shared a video of the team playing Requiem, during which Kamiya expressed his long-standing frustration with the game’s frightening content, confirming his request was sincere rather than joking.
Kamiya wants to experience Requiem’s puzzles and combat mechanics without the horror elements. Despite having directed one of gaming’s greatest survival horror titles, he has been consistently vocal about his personal aversion to scary games throughout his career. He argues that Capcom has become “numb” to or lacks “awareness” of how fundamentally frightening modern Resident Evil games have become.
Kamiya’s comments raise broader questions about survival horror design accessibility. His plea highlights a tension within the genre: balancing the core horror identity with player accessibility for those interested in gameplay mechanics like puzzle-solving and combat but who struggle with intense atmospheric horror. The remarks suggest that even passionate game designers can find modern entries in established horror franchises challenging to engage with on their own terms.