Resident Evil Survival Unit Is the Mobile Game You Didn’t Know You Needed (Yes, Barry’s Here!)

Capcom just dropped something totally out of left field: Resident Evil Survival Unit, a mobile real-time strategy game for iOS and Android, has arrived, and it’s not only packed with fan-favourites like Leon, Jill, and Claire—it also gives the long-overlooked Barry Burton his MVP moment. If you’ve ever wondered what a Resident Evil RTS on your phone would feel like, Capcom is ready to answer… and it’s weirdly excellent.

Leon, Jill, Claire…and Barry

Announced during Capcom’s Summer 2025 Direct stream, Resident Evil: Survival Unit is not quite the zombie-blasting shooter fans may expect—it swerves into RTS mobile game territory, complete with base-building, squad management, resource gathering, and wave defence gameplay that’s got more than a whiff of tower defence energy to it.

As explained by IGN, Survival Unit’s story begins with your character’s recovery as an Umbrella Corp test subject. In a bid to fight back, you’ll meet and recruit Resident Evil characters, upgrading their skills and inventories with the now customary visits to the Merchant.

Set in a post-outbreak world filled with your favourite bioterror horrors, the game features legendary characters from the Resident Evil franchise, like Leon S. Kennedy, Jill Valentine, and Claire Redfield. But Barry Burton is the unexpected comeback king here. After decades of being the series’ lovable punchline, Barry is being taken seriously (ish) for once, and the community is loving it.

The game’s stylised, almost chibi-style character art might surprise longtime fans used to photorealism, but it works. Visually, there’s a high contrast between the exaggerated animations and the brooding post-apocalyptic setting. It might feel odd at first glance, but gameplay-wise, it keeps things light, snappy, and readable on a mobile screen. Lion’s share of attention is clearly on player strategy—not gore—which makes sense in real-time squad management.

A Mobile RTS With DNA from the Classics (And Some Modern Grease)

If you’ve played games like Clash Royale or Arknights, you’ll feel right at home here. Survival Unit mixes frantic combat with calculated downtime. You control multiple units across lanes, deploying them to fend off zombies and other BOWs (Bio-Organic Weapons) while fortifying your base. Resources must be managed, allies upgraded, and waves of horrors survived. Think Resident Evil meets StarCraft-lite on mobile.

Mechanics encourage you to build unique team synergies. Want a pure firepower unit with Leon and Chris? Or how about a support-heavy setup with Rebecca and Barry tossing buffs? This opens loads of team comp customisation options—something deeply appreciated by strategy-focused gamers who fancy more than just mindless tapping.

There’s a gacha system (inevitable in 2025, let’s be honest), but it’s not overtly predatory—at least not so far. You can earn characters and upgrades through regular play; obviously, microtransactions exist for the impatient, but current progression seems fair. Capcom promises consistent updates and special recruitment events. Fingers crossed it doesn’t go full gacha hell.

Resident Evil: Survival Unit is already available for download in North America, the UK, the EU, and Southeast Asia via the App Store and Google Play. It’s free-to-play, with pricing tiers ranging from £0.99 / €1.15 / $1.25 / RM6.00 booster packs, up to the £49.99 / €58 / $65 / RM310 “S.T.A.R.S Premium Loadout”.

No pre-orders were needed because—as Capcom confirmed—this one shadow-launched. No fancy trailers, no slow-drip teasing.

That seems to be a clever strategy itself. By springing the game onto the App Store and Google Play without leaks or long-winded campaigns, Capcom avoids overhyping and gives fans something accessible, fun, and (most importantly) nostalgic without unnecessary complications. It’s nostalgia bait, sure—but it’s bait that works.

Survival Unit is available in English, Japanese, Spanish, German, French, and Mandarin, with no geo-blocks. That means you can cooperate or compete with players globally, forming online squads or just blasting undead solo with Leon’s slick suplexes and Jill’s iconic dodge.

So far, server performance seems stable with minimal lag during peak hours, and Capcom has released a roadmap for August showing two new character drops (rumour has it HUNK and Carlos Olivera are coming) and limited-time bioweapon boss raids.

Early feedback already suggests Capcom might be leaning towards integrating PvP squad matches and co-op survival missions. While the game’s art direction has stirred mixed reactions online, it’s undeniably slick in motion. It’s clearly designed for mobile—not trying to be a shrunken console port—and prioritises performance, clarity, and speed. Battery drain is reportedly minimal, and it supports 60fps on most mid-range devices. (Tested on a Pixel 7a, and it runs like a dream.)

Also, you can finally make Barry say “Jill, here’s a lockpick!” again. It’s in there. Capcom knew what we wanted. Nostalgia or not, he’s the true unsung hero of the Survival Unit. Resident Evil: Survival Unit isn’t here to replace the mainline series, but it’s carving out its own surprisingly tactical, fan-service-heavy corner of the RE universe. If you’ve been wanting Leon’s floppy hair, Claire’s no-nonsense attitude, and Barry’s dad energy back in rotation, this is your moment.