Horror is big business

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This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on how pervasive horror has become, follow Andrew Webster. The Stepback, arrives in our subscribers’ inboxes on Sunday at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here.

Resident Evil has been around for 30 years, but the survival horror series is more popular than ever. The most recent game, Resident Evil Requiem, has sold 8 million copies since it launched in February, already making it the 14th best-selling game that Capcom has ever made. At the same time, a reboot of the Resident Evil film series from Weapons director Zach Cregger is on pace to become the top-grossing movie in franchise history. This has had the effect of renewing interest in Resident Evil at large; according to a report from Game File, six different titles in the game series have sold at

Resident Evil isn’t alone. Rather, it’s indicative of an ongoing trend. Horror was once seen as largely a niche genre, but now, thanks to a combination of factors — including the rise of YouTube and widespread influence of indie games and viral memes — it has steadily grown into a dominant force. Horror tends to be cheaper to produce than other genres, but now it also has sales numbers that compete with the biggest blockbusters. It’s not that there haven’t been major horror success stories before. 2017’s It remains the top-grossing horror flick of all time, and the Resident Evil 2 remake from