Resident Evil 9 is going to feature two unkillable stalker enemies and a Resident Evil 4-inspired atmosphere, according to rumors circulating online.

As revealed by Biohazard Declassified and reported by Residence of Evil, the new entry in the series, which has yet to be fully revealed, will feature two series mainstays as playable characters—Jill Valentine and Leon Kenney—who were the main focus of two playtests held in April and September.

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The Resident Evil 9 April 2024 playtest was focused on Jill Valentine and was set in an abandoned hospital on an island. The main objective was navigating this hospital, which was decorated with a moon with an infinity symbol sigil representing a cult, to find a serum that would fight the infection affecting the residents, mold-infected zombies, which fought with a variety of weapons such as knives, axes, and scythes. Jill was also armed with some standard series weapons like a shotgun, pistol, and knife and had the ability to craft ammo using other items. She was also being pursued by an unkillable stalker enemy called the Goatman, who eventually manages to catch her and infect her at the end of the playtest. Assisting Jill via radio are Chris Redfield and Barry Burton.

The Resident Evil 9 September 2024 playtest, on the other hand, was focused on Leon Kennedy and was set on a beach leading into a forest close to Mr. Simon's lab, which Leon is pursuing as he is supposedly creating bioweapon clones of Evelyn. During the journey, Leon had to fight zombies armed with multiple weapons and avoid another unkillable stalker enemy, a witch with the ability to transform into flies and cause hallucinations. Leon also has the chance to witness zombies praying to the moon by a bonfire, a scene that is likely connected to the cult represented by the moon symbol seen in Jill's story.

All the supposed playtest information detailed above suggests that Resident Evil 9 will have a pretty big Resident Evil 4 influence, which wouldn't be surprising considering how the fourth entry in the series continues to be an incredibly popular game and how well last year's remake has been received. As the game is rumored to have a more open-world feel, it will be interesting to see how the development team will manage to blend these gameplay elements, if true, with a more open gameplay flow and progression.