Capcom is rebranding its RE Engine as an “AI-generation game engine,” and the company is calling the move the REX Project. Programmer Satoshi Ishida outlined the plans at the “Capcom Open Conference RE:2026” event yesterday (2nd October), describing the changes as part of an ongoing overhaul of the engine.
Since 2014, Capcom has been developing an engine that first appeared in Resident Evil 7, back in 2017. It has gone on to power the bulk of the company’s games, with roughly 30 titles now using it. Ishida identified three major obstacles pushing the REX Project forward.
- Games have grown so large in scope and data volume that build and iteration times are slowing development down.
- RE Engine is now used by over 2,000 developers, including international staff and people coming from other engines, requiring better multilingual and accessibility support.
- AI needs to be built into the development pipeline rather than bolted on.
New Systems in the REX Project
The REX Project includes a number of new systems, and Ishida detailed three of them during his description. He explained RE:Dox as a standardised way to process data across different formats. He also covered RE:UI, which accelerates development tools by splitting appearance apart from state, and RE:Log, which trades text-based logging for an ID-based system instead.
The visual scripting tool RE:Flows generates standard code on its own. The runtime core has been rebuilt into RE:Runtime, which handles large groups of characters through batch processing, paired with a new optimised execution layer known as RE:C++.
According to Ishida, the aim is building an engine where AI grasps and produces code, runs automated test plays to find bugs, and backs up development straight away. He described the eventual outcome as a world where teams “create games together with AI.”
Scale, Fragmentation and AI
Ishida identified scale as the primary hurdle. Games now carry such vast scope and data volume that build and iteration times are slowing development down. The REX Project targets that problem by accelerating the tools developers employ for building and testing their work.
Fragmentation is the second issue. Over 2,000 developers now use RE Engine, which includes international staff and contributors who previously worked with other engines. That mix demands stronger multilingual and accessibility features. The REX Project has systems built for managing exactly that kind of diverse user base.
There is a clear need to build AI more deeply into the workflow. It should be constructed into the development pipeline rather than added later. Ishida’s vision involves teams building games together with AI. Whether the REX Project can deliver on that promise is still unknown.
What Capcom Said to Investors
Capcom’s latest statement builds on remarks it made to investors in June, during which the company said its use of generative AI was meant to “to improve the efficiency of routine operations so that our developers can devote more time to essential value creation,” even as it stressed that “the creativity at the core of such experiences should be handled by humans.”
The difference between the two approaches matters greatly when it comes to grasping what the REX Project does. Capcom is not using AI to take over human creative work. Instead, it is handing over repeated jobs so that people can concentrate on the portions of game building that call for judgment.
The Switch 2 Port
In related news, Monster Hunter Wilds’ upcoming Switch 2 port will be available 4th December. It arrives with all its free DLC updates, including new monsters, and local co-op support.
The Switch port stands apart from the engine announcement, yet it sits beside it as proof of how Capcom is handling its existing library. The REX Project points toward the future, while the 2 release delivers content right away.
| System | Purpose |
|---|---|
| RE:Dox | Standardises data processing across formats |
| RE:UI | Speeds up development tools by separating appearance from state |
| RE:Log | Swaps text-based logging for an ID-based system |
| RE:Flows | Visual scripting tool that automatically converts to standard code |
| RE:Runtime | Rewritten runtime core for batch processing |
Open-Sourcing the Underlying Technology
The firm has handed over some of the underlying technology for use by other parties in training AI, which indicates it is letting others make use of its tools.
The REX Project builds on an engine with a proven record in more than three dozen games. What sets it apart is the approach: AI has moved from being an added-on feature to a central component of how the engine functions.
The question at hand is whether the label sticks. Calling an engine an “AI-generation game engine” is a bold assertion. It implies that the engine itself creates code, puts it through its paces, and backs development on its own.
The REX Project aims for teams building games alongside AI, per Ishida’s stated goal. It remains an open question whether that promise will be kept.
The REX Project stands as the vehicle behind the announcement’s stated intention, which currently reads merely as a declaration of intent.
Source material: “Capcom plans to evolve RE Engine into an "AI-generation game engine",” Eurogamer.
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