'Resident Evil 7' release date news: next installment drops Jan. 24

Capcom

With the 2016 E3 in full swing, major announcements and details keep dropping one after the other. The latest news coming from the trade show is Capcom's announcement that its newest sequel, "Resident Evil 7: Biohazard," will be released early next year.

In the presentation by the publisher, it was revealed that the next installment in the popular long-running "Resident Evil" franchise will drop on Jan. 24. Capcom has also dropped a teaser trailer (via TheVerge) during its presentation and confirmed that the new game will offer "a rich, full VR experience." This teaser also serves as a playable demo at the event but will not be included in the full version of the game so that fans who have already seen it will not spoil the surprise.

Meanwhile, pre-orders for the game are already up on the PlayStation Network. According to Capcom, the pre-orders will come with an exclusive "Resident Evil 7" dynamic PS4 theme. In addition, early purchases of the standard and Digital Deluxe editions of the game will also come with a "Survival Pack" and, according to the press statement, "includes an early unlock to the hardest difficulty mode as well as a special item set when the game releases." It was also revealed that pre-orders for the Xbox One and PC will also commence soon.

While "Resident Evil 7: Biohazard" follows the events in "Resident Evil 6," game director Koushi Nakanishi said that the gameplay will be different.

The director stressed, "We are separating these aspects out into different titles where that gameplay can come to the fore, and makes the most sense for that title. [Resident Evil 7] is not going to be a gun fest."

PlayStation Network via TheVerge