Capcom is working to evolve its RE Engine into a next-generation development platform designed to work more closely with artificial intelligence. The company discussed the plans during its Capcom Open Conference RE:2026, where programmer Satoshi Ishida outlined REX, short for RE neXt Engine. The project is intended to address some of the growing challenges involved in developing large-scale games, including development efficiency, performance, quality assurance and testing.
According to the presentation, Capcom wants REX to eventually become an “AI game engine,” with artificial intelligence supporting parts of the development process. One of the areas being explored is the use of programming languages and development structures that are easier for AI systems to understand. This could allow AI to assist with creating programs and automatically running test plays to identify potential bugs. Rather than treating AI as a separate tool added to an existing development process, Capcom is exploring ways to incorporate it into the underlying technology used to build and test games.
The REX initiative is not intended to completely replace RE Engine. Capcom has described it as an evolution of the existing technology, with new capabilities being integrated gradually. RE Engine has been used across Capcom’s games since Resident Evil 7 and currently supports titles across multiple genres and platforms. Capcom says the engine allows its teams to share technologies and development resources across games, while the company continues to invest in the next generation of its internal development platform. AI-assisted development is expected to be focused on areas where automation can reduce repetitive work and help development teams identify problems earlier. Capcom has also indicated that some of its technologies could eventually be made publicly available online so they can be used for AI training. However, the company has previously distinguished this approach from using generative AI to create game artwork. Capcom Vice President of Game Development Platform and AI Solutions Shinichi Inoue said the company views AI as a way to support creators rather than replace creative work.
The planned changes could affect several stages of future Capcom game development, from programming and testing to quality assurance and performance optimisation. Capcom has not announced a specific game that will be developed entirely through the REX system, nor has it provided a timeline for when the full AI-focused capabilities will become available. The company is instead developing REX incrementally while gathering feedback from engineers, developers and external participants. The initiative signals Capcom’s broader effort to use artificial intelligence to improve development workflows while keeping human developers involved in the creative and technical decision-making process.
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