2026 is a massive one for video games, and when you've got to go up against the likes of Marvel's Wolverine, 007 First Light, and the black hole that is Grand Theft Auto 6, you’ll have to do something to stand out from the crowd.
Thankfully for Capcom, the long-running Resident Evil series has some 30 years of franchise support behind it, while even the worst entries in the series have their loyal fans. As the much-hyped follow-up to 2021's Resident Evil Village, the ninth mainline game in the Resiverse is going in a very different direction while also taking us back to the start.
As one of the worst-kept secrets in recent gaming memory, Leon S. Kennedy is back in action and is joined by newcomer Grace Ashford. This doomed duet is returning to the nuked ruins of Raccoon City, and as we once again shoot up zombies as the floppy-haired hero, expect to find plenty of Easter eggs.
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Away from the typical Mr. Racoon bobblehead, we'll be keeping our eyes open for the numerous files that are expected to expand the lore of the Umbrella Corporation, as well as nods to brands like Umbrella Noodles.
In a frankly brilliant piece of marketing genius, the fictional Umbrella Corporation has launched legal action against the real-life Nissin. As a quick history lesson, Nissin was founded by instant noodle inventor Momofuku Andoin in 1948, meaning it predates Umbrella's in-world founding of 1968.
The faux lawsuit has been launched because Nissin Cup Noodles were only introduced in 1971. While Umbrella's founding in the biological weapon industry means it likely wasn't cooking up noodles in 1968, the legal fracas is all a bit of fun.
In reality, Umbrella Noodles first popped up in 2003's Resident Evil Outbreak and more recently in 2020's Resident Evil 3 remake.
The official Resident Evil Japan X account shared an advert featuring an Umbrella Corp. scientist called Dr. Henry Sarton. Sarton calls out the imposter Nissin Noodles and says that the company was able to recreate Umbrella Noodles from a cup of Nissin with 99.9% success.
Apparently adding ‘herbs’ to the recipe, Umbrella says that employees who ate these noodles felt a little 'itchy' (two clever winks to the games).
Nissing then replied, saying: "However you look at it, you're the ones doing the copying!"
Japanese shoppertainment company Yume Group previously released a limited edition of Requiem that came with exercise equipment, and now, has released its own Umbrella Noodles ad – noting they're not a real product.
Given that Capcom has released Resident Evil collabs with everything from watch and jacket companies to fragrance and energy drink brands, tucking into a real cup of Umbrella Noodles wouldn't be the weirdest bit of merch we've ever seen. Then again, they turn you into a shambling zombie, maybe we'll give them a miss.