The Power of IP: Capcom Breaks Operating Profit Records for 9th Consecutive Year

Capcom has proven itself to be one of the world’s most successful publishers, setting a new record for operating profit for the ninth year in a row. The company’s success is backed by strong performance and global reach of its flagship IPs, including Resident Evil, Monster Hunter, and Street Fighter.

Operating Profit Hits Record High for 9th Straight Year
Resident Evil Series Surpasses 200 Million Units Sold Following ‘Requiem’ Success

On the 13th, Capcom announced its consolidated financial results for the fiscal year ending March 2026 (April 1, 2025 – March 31, 2026). Revenue reached ¥195.3 billion (approx. KRW 1.84 trillion), with an operating profit of ¥75.2 billion (approx. KRW 710 billion) and a net profit of ¥54.5 billion (approx. KRW 510 billion)—increases of 15.2%, 14.4%, and 12.5%, respectively, compared to the previous year. This marks the ninth consecutive fiscal year of record-breaking operating profit. While Capcom initially projected an operating profit of ¥73 billion, it upwardly revised its forecast in April due to the success of Resident Evil: Requiem and steady sales of existing titles.

The key driver was the success of Resident Evil: Requiem. Released on February 27, the game surpassed 6 million units sold worldwide in just two weeks, the fastest pace in the Resident Evil series. It has been well-received by both critics and players, holding a 89 Metascore and a 9.4 user score on Metacritic. With the success of Requiem, the series’ cumulative sales have reached 201 million units.

Capcom also highlighted the success of Monster Hunter Wilds, which surpassed 10 million units sold within a month of its February 2025 release, alongside the steady sales of Street Fighter 6. The two series have reached cumulative sales of 127 million and 59 million units, respectively. The company also noted 10 other IPs that have sold over 5 million units cumulatively, including Mega Man (44 million), Devil May Cry (38 million), Dead Rising (19 million), Ace Attorney (14 million), Dragon’s Dogma (14 million), Marvel vs. Capcom (13 million), and Onimusha (9.1 million).

Core Games and Leading Brands
Continued Utilization of IPs with Global Expansion Potential

Capcom announced plans to further refine its IP expansion strategy through game development and ‘One Content Multi-Use’ (OCMU) initiatives. The company aims to grow business segments by leveraging Resident Evil, Street Fighter, and Monster Hunter through film adaptations, character merchandising, esports, and arcade facilities. In game development, it plans to expand its user base through global releases, strategic pricing, and the sustained sale of back-catalog titles.

Furthermore, titles such as Mega Man, Devil May Cry, Dead Rising, Ace Attorney, Dragon’s Dogma, Onimusha, and Okami have been classified as key brands. Capcom intends to develop these IPs through various formats, including new entries, remakes, and platform ports, signaling its commitment to maximizing the potential of its existing library.

In practice, Capcom is launching the Resident Evil film Resident Evil: Zero Night and a live-action Street Fighter movie this year, while also delivering the second season of the Devil May Cry animated series via Netflix. Additionally, the company is pursuing mobile platform expansion with Monster Hunter Outlanders, currently in development with Tencent’s TiMi Studio.

This IP utilization has led to consistent annual software sales. Notably, the number of countries recording over 1 million units in annual sales increased from five in fiscal year 2022 to eight in fiscal year 2026, while the number of countries with 100k units sold nearly doubled to 36 in the same period. By region, North America remained the largest market, accounting for 29.3% of sales. Asia showed a steep upward trend, growing 246.8% compared to fiscal year 2022. Japan’s share of total sales decreased from 16.9% to 10% over the same period; however, this reflects the expansion of the global market, as sales volume within Japan actually saw a slight increase.

Targeting 100 Million Units in Annual Sales
AI Reserved for Routine Tasks; Resources Redirected to Creative Projects

Driven by global growth, Capcom aims to maintain a 10% annual increase in operating profit. The target for fiscal year 2027 is ¥83 billion in operating profit, with a long-term goal of increasing annual sales from the current 59.07 million units to 100 million. To support this, the company is expanding its development capabilities. A third R&D building is scheduled for completion near the headquarters in 2027, and the company maintains a policy of hiring over 100 new developers each fiscal year. Consequently, the development workforce has more than doubled over the past 12 years, growing from 1368 in fiscal year 2014 to 2842 in fiscal year 2026.

Meanwhile, Capcom clarified its stance on AI, stating that generative AI will be used solely to improve efficiency and productivity in development processes. The company explained that this is intended to increase the time humans can dedicate to creative work. Specific use cases were outlined, including information gathering, generating reference materials, user analysis, interactive manuals, error checking, and meeting minutes. Capcom stated that the resources freed up by using generative AI will be reinvested into new projects.