Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City is canon, if you want it to be

Yeah, I know, we’ve been hearing and seeing a lot from Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City this week. But hey, who’s going to complain about that? Despite this media overload, we still have one question lingering in our minds: Is the game canon or not? Well, I can safely say that we now finally have an official answer.

Speaking with a Capcom PR rep, I learned that the game can be canon or non-canon, depending on the actual player. We’ve already been heavily exposed to the ability to kill Leon since the game was officially revealed, and said ability is something that’s led to many fans wondering if the game is actually meant to be a part of the series’ established lore. Well, quite simply: the choice is yours. If you kill Leon, and partake in other timeline- shattering events that will be in the game, then yes, the game will automatically head into the non-canon realm. But if you opt to not kill Leon, and avoid the temptation to alter the series’ history, then the game in its entirety will be a canon entry in the franchise.

So, it’s all up to us! Making important decisions in a Resident Evil game isn’t anything new, but with Operation Raccoon City we actually have a bigger effect on the outcome. I know I’m definitely going to be playing the game the canon way on my first play-through, aiming to see all the things we weren’t exposed to in Resident Evil 2 and 3 as it’s happening. Then, yeah, I’ll kill Leon.