Park Jun-seung: I am Park Jun-seung, overseeing the mobile business at JoyCity. My role covers the entire spectrum, from development oversight to marketing and service operations.

Park Jun-seung: To understand that, you have to look at the state of JoyCity and Capcom before development kicked off. We at JoyCity had realised that popular IPs played a pivotal role in the success of Pirates of the Caribbean: Tides of War and Gunship Battle: Total Warfare. Attracting an existing IP fandom is simply more effective for early player acquisition than relying on marketing alone.

We were hungry for success in the US market, and our analysis of the local SLG landscape showed that apocalypse themes—think State of Survival and other zombie titles—were king. We wanted in on that world, so we started scouting for the perfect IP to anchor our vision.

As it happened, Capcom was also keen to crack the mobile market with the Resident Evil license. Simultaneously, former Square Enix producer Shinji Hashimoto, having retired, expressed a desire for one last mobile project. After hearing Capcom's predicament, Hashimoto-san secured the license and brought the opportunity to us. The timing was impeccable, and that is how Resident Evil Survival Unit came to be.

Park Jun-seung: We start with a single-player story mode that captures the essence of the original, allowing players to collect various classic characters. These characters can then be deployed in tower defence scenarios, each featuring skills and animations faithful to their origins. Finally, we have layered in SLG mechanics—an area where JoyCity holds significant expertise—as our end-game content.

The experience flows from the intimate horror of Resident Evil into the long-term, persistent world of an SLG. Whether it is solving puzzles inspired by or entirely new to the series, or competing and cooperating with other players using your own territory and squad, there is a lot to dig into.

Our core question was simple: 'What would happen if Resident Evil were adapted for mobile?' We are crafting a diverse suite of content to ensure players experience a fresh take on the franchise that departs from the traditional horror loops.

Park Jun-seung:We have been in development for about two and a half years, with a team ranging between 70 to 100 people.

Park Jun-seung: Our top priority is the Resident Evil fandom and apocalypse-game enthusiasts in the US and Western Europe. While Resident Evil Survival Unit deviates from the genre norms of the original horror games, which presents a challenge, winning over those fans is our main objective. Following that, we are targeting Resident Evil fans in Korea, Japan, and Taiwan, and finally, the global SLG player base.

Park Jun-seung: The core keyword of Resident Evil is 'horror,' and horror invariably leads to the drive for 'survival.' Every title from the original Resident Evil to the upcoming Requiem follows this structure. We believed this 'survival' theme could be seamlessly translated into an SLG framework. By reinterpreting and expanding upon that concept, we found a path to recreate it as a strategy game.

Park Jun-seung: Having worked with Disney, who are notoriously meticulous, we thought we were prepared for Capcom. We were wrong; Capcom was arguably even more stringent. They are obsessed with authenticity. For instance, we received feedback on the animation of a door opening—an homage to the first game—specifying exactly how many seconds that door should take to swing open. They were just as exacting with sound and graphics. It was gruelling at the time, but looking back, I believe that level of passion is exactly why we were able to deliver a result that will satisfy the fans.

Park Jun-seung: Most SLGs treat your base as a static menu where you simply click buildings to upgrade them. In Resident Evil Survival Unit, you can actually step inside certain buildings to engage with content. For example, if you enter a mansion and examine a bookshelf, you might find a hidden note. That note provides a hint to a puzzle, and solving it unlocks a secret area, revealing new story content.

Park Jun-seung: We offer both character gacha and direct-purchase packages. However, you can acquire plenty of characters just by clearing the story mode. While we make character acquisition accessible, our Monetization model leans more into the traditional SLG approach of 'buying time.'

Park Jun-seung: We plan to continuously expand the main scenario. Each expansion will bring new single-player content and characters, which we believe will keep the core fans engaged.

Additionally, we have collaborations lined up. We have already secured a schedule for the first year post-launch. Given that Aniplex is co-developing the project, anime IPs are certainly on the table.

Park Jun-seung: The development team constantly reminds ourselves: 'Let's not make a game that disappoints the Resident Evil fans.' While we cannot surpass the original series, we strive to create something that feels truly 'Resident Evil.' We believe our unique approach to expanding the 'survival' keyword is something only we can offer, and we will do our utmost to ensure this becomes a worthy new chapter for the franchise.