Capcom seems to be on a hot streak in 2026. So far, the company has released banger after banger with games like Pragmata, Resident Evil: Requiem and, just recently, Onimusha: Way of the Sword. What’s interesting about Onimusha: Way of the Sword is that a lot of fans have written off the franchise as already in the grave. After all, before Way of the Sword, the last official entry was way back in 2006 with Dawn of Dreams. That was two whole decades ago! So, us getting a new game in the Onimusha series does feel like nothing short of a miracle!
It doesn’t look like Capcom is done digging up their dead franchises, though, as they’re bringing back Megaman with Dual Override sometime next year. I also almost forgot that they’re developing a new Okami game because we haven’t heard anything about this project for a good while. In fact, Capcom have teased they’re interested in re-activating their other older IPs. I have this to say regarding that: About time! Capcom has been sitting on a treasure trove of notable IPs and they’ve just let them rot in the grave for so long! Right off the top of my head, I can name five franchises Capcom should bring back… and here they are!
A lot of people have a love/hate relationship with Ghosts ‘n’ Goblins. The games are notable for being punishing for the uninitiated. This is especially true for the older games as the arcade version was designed to eat your quarters and the NES version forced you to control Arthur and beat the game twice in order to get the good ending. Still, punishing can be fun, too, which is why Ghosts ‘n’ Goblins is still fondly remembered even up to now.
However, what most people don’t know is that the Ghosts ‘n’ Goblins IP is more than just the side-scroller you grew up with. Capcom actually branched out with the franchise as it had a couple of spin-off series! There was Gargoyle’s Quest, where you control Firebrand, one of the antagonists of the original game, in a side-scrolling adventure with some RPG elements. There was also the Maximo games, wherein you control the titular character in a 3D hack-and-slash adventure.
This does mean that Capcom has so much leeway with the franchise as they can take the newer games in so many directions! They could create good ol’ side-scrollers, sure. But they can also do other things, like a big open world RPG featuring Arthur, Firebrand and Maximo and join forces like in Super Mario RPG. Or they can even try to change it up even more by making a Hades styled adventure game.
And now for something personal…
Okay, I am happy Capcom is making a new Megaman game. It’s high time they did go back to making new games featuring the Blue Bomber. Then again, it does seem like they haven’t totally abandoned the IP as they did release Megaman 11 in 2018. Considering it took them two entire decades to make a new Onimusha, 2018 doesn’t seem all that long ago. And they have been re-releasing a lot collections for their spin-off series like Megaman X, Battle Network and Zero/ZX.
But they seem to be purposefully ignoring one particular Megaman spinoff as Capcom has been utterly mum on the Megaman Legends series. And this is the one I really need them to bring back!
So far, Capcom only made two entries in the Megaman Legends franchise, with the second game ending in a cliffhanger. They were actually hard at work on the next game but, for one reason or another, Capcom scrapped it. This really hurt me as I was really looking forward to this game! I loved the first two games and I wanted to continue the adventures of Megaman Volnutt and Tron Bonne!
So, I’m asking Capcom… nay! I’m begging Capcom! If you are planning on resurrecting your old franchises, please keep Megaman Legends in mind! I would love to see a sequel! If you’re not sure if it’ll sell well, put out a collection with all of the games! You’ll see a lot of people buy in lickedy-split!
#3 Dino Crisis
Capcom is said to have invented the “survival horror” genre with Resident Evil. While that is debatable as there were already those kind of games, Capcom did become known as the masters of survival horror. They didn’t rest on their laurels as they just didn’t rely on zombies. They also tried using dinosaurs as well with the Dino Crisis games!
However, it does seem like the franchise got away from them as, by Dino Crisis 3, the series became more action oriented rather than survival horror. In retrospect, it does seem like Capcom tried to reinvent the series like how they reinvigorated the Resident Evil franchise with Resident Evil 4 by concentrating more on gunplay instead. Then again, as they’ve already proven it can work, why not put that experience into a new Dino Crisis game?
With Capcom finding a lot of success with the Resident Evil remakes, I can’t help but think if the older Dino Crisis games would see the same. Besides, wouldn’t you want to see what Capcom’s RE Engine can do with dinosaurs? I mean, can you imagine?
#4 Darkstalkers
Besides survival horror, the other main genre Capcom was known for would be fighting games. That’s no surprise for the company that owns the Street Fighter franchise and started the fighting game boom. However, during their heyday, Capcom made many more fighting games other than Street Fighter. Heck, I could populate this list with nothing but fighting games like Slam Masters, Rival Schools, Star Gladiator, Power Stone, etc. and I would be okay with that. But, if I had just to pick one other Capcom fighting game I would like to see them make a new entry of, it would, hands down, be Darkstalkers.
Now, it does feel kind of weird for me that, out of all the other fighting games Capcom had made, I would like them to make a new Darkstalkers game. Why? That’s because I was never good at Darkstalkers! There was just something about the combo system that didn’t click for me. But I still hold the franchise in high regard because, out of all the other fighting games Capcom has made, I do think Darkstalkers has the most personality. It’s just so stylish with its fanciful artstyle and imaginative reimaging of classic monsters!
While I do kind of hope that, if they do make a new Darkstalkers game, Capcom goes back to using sprite art. Maybe even get Udon Entertainment to create new sprites for the game. But a part of me does want to see them use the RE Engine and try to mimic the cartoony art. Either way, fans have been hungry for a new Darkstalkers game. Get the same folks who worked on Street Fighter 6 to start on it! Please, Capcom?
And now for something completely different…
There was a time when JRPGs were all the rage and every game publisher and developer had their own flagship JRPG. Capcom’s was the Breath of Fire franchise. Like with the Final Fantasy series and most JRPGs before it, the games aren’t interconnected but the Breath of Fire games always focus on a boy who gets embroiled in a quest to save the world and eventually learns that he has the power to transform into a dragon.
Now, I personally have not played any of the Breath of Fire games. However, I am curious if Capcom can actually make a JRPG. I’ve seen them make all sorts of other kinds of games and find success. So, why wouldn’t they find success with a new Breath of Fire then? Like I said at the start, Capcom is on fire but I do want to see them take more risks like with what they did with Pragmata. And didn’t that risk pay off? Who knows? They might actually make something that can rival the Final Fantasy franchise now!
BONUS: Haunting Ground
You know how in Resident Evil Requiem, Grace Ashcroft couldn’t really fight back against The Girl and all she could do is run away from her? Now, imagine that but this was the entire game. That’s what Haunting Ground was like; Resident Evil but you’re pretty much helpless. Mostly inspired by the Clock Tower series, Haunting Ground had you controlling a girl named Fiona who has to escape a castle while trying to avoid the horrific monsters who dwell inside.
Capcom has pretty much abandoned the Haunting Ground franchise. Well, calling it a franchise when only one game came out does feel like a stretch, which is why I’m making this my BONUS entry. But considering how many fans love Resident Evil Requiem and running away from The Girl, it does seem like Capcom is missing an opportunity to revive the Haunting Ground series.
What other Capcom IPs would you want Capcom to bring back? Let me know in the comments section below!
3rd World Geeks 