The Resident Evil Movie Wasn’t The Main Force Behind RE Games’ Recent Sales Boost
Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil movie adaptation achieved significant box office success following its September 18 release, but new data suggests the film’s impact on game sales was more modest than expected. According to analytics from Alinea, promotional discounts played the primary role in driving a recent sales surge for Resident Evil titles.
Capcom’s decision to discount multiple Resident Evil games on September 10—a week before the film’s theatrical debut—appeared to be the main catalyst for increased game sales. Analyst Rhys Elliott noted that the discounts remained active through the movie’s release and beyond, capturing the majority of sales growth during this period. The film itself generated only a “modest” bump in sales after its premiere.
The sales performance showed a stark platform divide, with PlayStation 5 experiencing dramatically higher gains than PC. On PS5, Resident Evil 2 Remake’s sales nearly doubled, while Resident Evil 4’s 2023 remake surged 77%. By comparison, Steam saw minimal impact—RE2 gained only 16% on the platform, while RE4 remained flat at 0%. Following the movie’s release, both remakes achieved an additional 50-65% increase in PS5 sales.
While the film became the most profitable Resident Evil movie adaptation to date, the data reveals that its direct influence on game purchases was limited. The story highlights how pricing strategies and promotional timing can have as much—or more—impact on sales than major media releases tied to gaming franchises.