Ōkami 2 Confirmed: Developed in RE Engine

Following the exciting announcement of a sequel to the beloved classic *Ōkami* at The Game Awards last year, fans were quick to speculate about the game’s development. With Capcom stepping back into the role of publisher, many suspected that the title would be built using Capcom’s powerful RE Engine. IGN has now received exclusive confirmation from key members of the development team that this is indeed the case.

In an in-depth interview with the project leads, Kiyohiko Sakata, producer at Machine Head Works, officially confirmed that the RE Engine is being used for the upcoming *Ōkami* sequel. When asked about Machine Head Works’ involvement in the project, he explained:

"Machine Head Works is collaborating closely with both Capcom and Clovers on this title. As Capcom is the original IP holder of *Ōkami*, they are guiding the major creative direction of the game. Clovers is leading the development process. Our role at Machine Head Works is to act as a bridge between these two teams. We bring experience working with Capcom on multiple titles, which gives us insight into their production needs. Additionally, we’ve worked with director Hideki Kamiya before, allowing us to better understand his vision. Beyond that, we also have expertise with the RE Engine, which Clovers hasn’t previously used. Our team supports them in navigating it. Moreover, some of our staff were directly involved in the development of the original *Ōkami*, so their knowledge is being leveraged here as well."

Later in the conversation, the topic of why the RE Engine was chosen came up. When asked whether the engine enables features uniquely suited to an *Ōkami* sequel, Capcom producer Yoshiaki Hirabayashi gave a brief but telling response: “Yes.” He expanded slightly, stating:

“Of course, we can't go into full detail yet, but from Capcom's perspective, we believe that without the RE Engine, we wouldn't be able to fully realize Kamiya-san's artistic vision for this project.”

Director Hideki Kamiya added context, expressing confidence in the engine’s visual capabilities:

“The RE Engine is known for delivering high-quality visuals and expressive detail in games. Because of that, players are likely expecting a level of quality consistent with what the engine has shown in other titles.”

In further discussion, Sakata hinted that the RE Engine could allow the team to implement ideas that were originally imagined for the first *Ōkami* but were not technically feasible at the time. He noted:

“With today’s technology, including the power of the RE Engine, we’re now able to achieve everything we aimed for back then—and potentially even more than we originally dreamed.”

Originally developed for *Resident Evil 7: Biohazard*, the RE Engine—short for "Reach for the Moon Engine"—has become Capcom’s primary development framework. It has powered major franchises such as *Resident Evil*, *Monster Hunter*, *Street Fighter*, and *Dragon’s Dogma*. While most RE Engine titles lean toward a realistic art style, its flexibility opens the door for unique stylized projects like *Ōkami*. Capcom is also reportedly developing a next-generation engine called REX, with elements of its technology gradually being introduced into the current RE Engine pipeline. This means the *Ōkami* sequel might include early glimpses of REX-powered features.

To learn more about the development plans, artistic goals, and behind-the-scenes insights from the team, you can read the full Q&A with the leads working on the upcoming *Ōkami* sequel right [ttpp].