Capcom is embarking on a significant transformation of its RE Engine, aiming to develop it into an “AI-generation game engine” as part of its REX Project. The initiative, announced by programmer Satoshi Ishida during the “Capcom Open Conference RE:2026” on 2nd October, seeks to integrate AI more thoroughly into the game development process.
Objectives and Challenges of the REX Project
The RE Engine, a cornerstone since its debut in Resident Evil 7 in 2017 and the backbone for nearly 30 Capcom games, is undergoing changes to address various challenges. Ishida emphasised three primary issues: the growing complexity and size of games which prolongs development cycles; the diverse team of over 2,000 developers including international and cross-engine contributors necessitating improved multilingual and accessibility support; and the need for AI integration directly within the development pipeline.
New Systems in Development
To tackle these issues, Capcom is implementing several new systems under the REX Project. Among these are RE:Dox for uniform data processing, RE:UI to enhance development efficiency by decoupling appearance from state, and RE:Log which will replace text-based logging with an ID-based system. Additionally, RE:Flows is set to offer a visual scripting tool that simplifies the conversion to standard code, while RE:Runtime represents a revamped runtime core designed for batch processing with an optimised execution layer called RE:C++.
Vision for AI-Integrated Game Development
Ishida envisions an engine where AI can autonomously generate code and perform automated testing, thereby directly supporting and enhancing the game development process. Capcom’s strategy anticipates a future where development teams collaborate seamlessly with AI. Notably, Capcom has already made certain foundational technologies open-source to aid in AI training.
Capcom’s Commitment to Creativity
This development aligns with Capcom’s previous statements from June, where the company highlighted the role of generative AI in streamlining routine tasks, enabling developers to focus on core creative processes while maintaining that the essence of creativity should remain human-driven.
In other developments, the upcoming port of Monster Hunter Wilds for Switch 2 is scheduled for release on 4th December. This version will include all free DLC updates, such as new monsters, and will feature local co-op gameplay.
Reporting based on coverage first published by eurogamer.net.