Across movies, TV shows, and most importantly for our purposes here video games, there are countless franchises with sequels or entries that fans eagerly await. We’ve seen this over the years with the likes of Avengers: Infinity War leading into Avengers: Endgame, or God of War (2018) leading into God of War Ragnarok for gamers.
There’s one thing all of those titles (and so many more I haven’t mentioned) have in common. They’ve all been subjects of major leaks and spoilers before their intended release date, namely Ragnarok, which prompted a strong reaction from Santa Monica’s Cory Barlog, who briefly shared an understanding for physical game copies serving only as installers.
Resident Evil Requiem is my final straw for physical copies
An entire week before its February 27 launch, Resident Evil Requiem has leaked with crucial plot points such as the game’s ending and other significant events readily available for viewing on YouTube and other social media sites. This is a clear result of some consumers obtaining physical copies that were recently distributed to retailers.
It’s also the same thing that happened when Capcom’s last title in the franchise, the Resident Evil 4 remake, was leaked two weeks early from its March 24, 2023, release date — and in this case, with Requiem, the leak holds so much more weight as this is a brand new addition to the franchise where players have little knowledge of the game’s events.
Fortunately, I’ve not come across any spoilers yet, and I’m actively using spoiler blockers to avoid them. Still, I shouldn’t have to fight tooth and nail to stop the entire game from being ruined for me, even in regions on the internet that are completely unrelated to Capcom’s beloved franchise.
As I’ve said, I fully advocate for game preservation, and the maintenance of physical copies is vital in that battle. However, I’m sick and tired of always having to dodge spoilers, simply because one retailer decided to give an individual an early copy, who then believes it’s okay to spoil the entire experience for all online who can’t play the game.
Resident Evil Requiem is the final straw for me, and from hereon out, I hope that game publishers and developers either decide to somehow lock down physical copies to only activate on release day or delay physical copies entirely.
I’m aware of how controversial both of those propositions are, and I have little faith that game publishers or developers won’t abuse them, but this has happened for far too long with too many highly-anticipated games.
It’s no surprise that Take Two Interactive and Rockstar Games were previously rumored to consider delaying physical copies of GTA 6 (which has been debunked), to prevent spoilers before all consumers have a chance to play it — and I don’t need to stress how widespread GTA 6 spoilers would be on the internet if it did get fully leaked.
You can get mad at those propositions for physical copies, but I’d argue you should get mad at those who are choosing to upload spoiler content for upcoming games.
You can also easily say, “well just don’t go on the internet until launch”, but nobody should have to walk on eggshells to avoid spoilers for something they’re actively anticipating, before the product is available. Fans have been waiting for Requiem for three years, and Capcom’s secrecy during its marketing phase suggests this game has multiple big secrets to uncover.
If you think I’m wrong on this one, I’d suggest keeping tabs on the next highly anticipated AAA title, GTA 6, and I can almost guarantee that there will be early leaks and spoilers before its November 19, 2026, launch date. It’s exactly why game publishers and developers need to act, and those preventative measures need to come into effect fast, or this will continue as it has for the past decade.
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