While it should be pretty simple to pinpoint exactly when the Resident Evil movie takes place, there are a few details that make it tricky. While Zach Cregger told us on our set visit that it takes place on the periphery of Resident Evil 2, the real answer is a whole lot more complicated.
To help you navigate the new movie's setting, as well as what it means for where we are in the viral outbreak, we've taken a deep dive below. We'll take you through exactly what the director has revealed, as well as investigating some key moments from the movie to give you the best answer we can on when the movie is set on the game timeline.
Naturally then, we will be getting into spoilers for the new horror movie. So have a read of our Resident Evil movie review, hightail it to your nearest screening, and get ready to travel to Raccoon City with us below.
When does the Resident Evil movie take place on the game timeline? *SPOILERS*
During our visit to the Resident Evil movie set back in September 2025, director Zach Cregger told us that the film lines up with Resident Evil 2. He explained that while it's a standalone story focused on Bryan, a medical courier having the worst shift of his life, it takes place "on the periphery" of the second game.
"You know, where Raccoon City is having its big night, but tell just another story that could be happening in parallel to that," he explained. This means the events of the movie happen in line with the Raccoon City incident, when the deadly t-Virus overran the fictional town, spiralling out of control and eventually leading the US Government to level the city with a nuclear strike.
In Resident Evil 2, this is explored through the characters of rookie cop Leon S. Kennedy and college student Claire Redfield, who are trying to escape from the city overrun by zombies.
This all takes place in late September 1998, and is incidentally also when the games Resident Evil Outbreak, Resident Evil Outbreak File #2, and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis take place as well.
However, this is where it gets a bit more complicated. The Resident Evil movie doesn't actually take place in the late 90s. It's very clearly set in the modern day, as Bryan has a smartphone. It's also very snowy, which is not the case in Resident Evil 2, and seems to imply it's a bit later in the year than September.
Cregger isn't too bothered by these details, though. "I take liberties," he told IGN. "It's not 1998. It takes place in modern times. I know that, during the events of Resident Evil 2, it's not snowing, and yet, in this movie, I thought it would be better for the story and for the visual, you know, whatever I'm doing, if it was snowy. It's going to be a better movie for it." Fair enough.
He also plays with some details from the later games in the movie too, including the 'over the shoulder' shot that became popular in Resident Evil 4. Cregger uses this as well as first-person shots in his movie, which were most notably used from Resident Evil 7 onwards.
Equally, the monster that Bryan turns into at the very end of the movie resembles a deep-cut Resident Evil character. He's absorbed those he's killed at this point, becoming a mega-zombie who looks a whole lot like Nyx. Nyx appears in Resident Evil: Outbreak, which does take place around this time.
In short, Cregger is not too bothered about the game chronology in his new movie. Instead, he's based his story around a point in the franchise: when the Raccoon City outbreak happens. When exactly this is, is more loosely handled.
Resident Evil is out in theaters now. For more on the franchise, here's our guide to the best Resident Evil games. We've also got a round-up of all the new video game movies you need to know about too.
