Resident Evil (also known as Biohazard) is a series of survival horror games starting with Resident Evil in 1996. As a series it has spawned 26 games over 25 years to date.
Not all Resident Evil games are classics but the 10 ish core games and the odd spin off has certainly created a massive following and eventually became Capcom’s biggest franchise with over 100 million sales.
But, is it a good game to stream for your viewers on twitch or another platform? If you’re not already streaming it are you considering moving over and if so, how? Casual playthroughs, marathons or perhaps speed running? This article aims to answer all those questions.
What are the most popular Resident Evil games to stream (and why)?
Below is a list of the Resident Evil games with the most viewers on average. Clearly a good mix of classics and modern versions to give you a good choice of going old school or new school…or a mix.
- Resident Evil 2 (2019)
Peak viewers – 56,526
A fantastic remake of the 1998 sequel, Resident Evil 2 is both a great game in its own right as well as a stream friendly playthrough. Has a competitive and active speed running scene. Viewers on a given day can reach over 10k. PC release makes it easy to set up.
- Resident Evil 2 (1998)
The first proper blockbuster Resident Evil game, still a classic to this day and superb for marathons and speed runs. Streaming is usually done via emulation and there are plenty of mods out there to make this aged game look great.
- Resident Evil Remake
Peak viewers – 134,806
The remake of the original 1996 version is perhaps one of the greatest video games of all time. Now that it has had a HD release it looks fantastic. Easy to speed run and plenty of lore for the host to discuss with viewers. Has a PC release making it easy to set up.
- Resident Evil 4
Peak viewers – 179,075
Resident Evil 4 changed everything and got rid of the fixed camera angles instead opting for an over the shoulder camera. This game changed video games for the better (debatable) and now has plenty of HD versions.
- Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
Peak viewers – 224,879
Resident Evil 7 is the first of the series to be in proper first person (not counting Gun Survivor) and using the RE engine. This game is a cracker with brilliant pacing and speed running possibilities for viewers.
- Resident Evil Village
Peak viewers – 654,601
The latest entry may not be the best but it’s the newest one with a lot of viewers looking to see regular new world records and new routes for speed running. Viewers may also look at clips and YouTube videos for strategies to beat the game.
What makes Resident Evil games good to stream?
The first thing that makes Resident Evil games good to stream on twitch is that for the most part they are just good games. They are well regarded, fun to watch and provide enough excitement and intrigue to keep viewers interested.
Secondly, Resident Evil offers a lot of nostalgia for those who grew up with the games and for those new to the series something modern to watch, this means that there’s a wide range of age groups you could potentially stream to.
Lastly, Resident Evil games offers the streamer (and viewers) more than one way to play:
Speedrunning – The core Resident Evil games have a competitive speed running scene due to the fact that Resident Evil games tend to be short and intense enough for a speed run to be entertaining. Orchlon is a great example of an accomplished RE speed runner who regularly brings in huge numbers.
Achieve good times and you’ll find your subscriber count rock up as viewers know they’re in for a good time.
Just take a look at this stream to see just how exciting an RE speed run can be
Marathoning – Many popular RE streamers can marathon one RE game after another which makes coming up with content for the day easy. Bawkbasoup is a good example of a regular Resident Evil marathon runner. They could even lead to a subathon.
Casual plays – Viewers looking for nostalgia would watch anyone play their favourite game provider they are an entertaining host. The Survival Horror Network YouTube channel’s long play with no commentary video of Resident Evil 7 has 9 million views.
Lore runs – Resident Evil is drenched in lore that spans over 25 years of stories, enough to spawn several wikis, dozens of popular discord servers, podcast channels and an impressive mythology
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YouTube Videos – Those looking to make something out of streaming should always think about uploading good clips to YouTube for supplement earnings. Easy idea for clips are – boss strategies, speed running personal bests/world records, glitches and oddities as well as out of the box ideas such as lore runs.
It is an easy series and genre for new streamers to get into.
Who are the biggest Resident Evil streamers?
There are some big numbers in this list but a clear gulf – the difference being the ones at the top stream fill time and the ones at the bottom work and steam when they can. This should help you if you are planning to stream casually or go for it.
- Bawkbasoup – 140k followers – average viewers 2,359 – 1.6% ratio
- CarcinogenSDA – 128k followers – 476 average viewers- 0.37% ratio
- Orchlon – 40.3k followers – 490 average viewers – 1.22% ratio
- WolfDNC – 26.7k followers – 217 average viewers – 0.81% ratio
- Pessimism – 16k followers – 118 average viewers – 0.73% ratio
- SuperSleepyT – 7.9k followers – 158 average viewers – 2% ratio
- MattRPD – 7.7k followers – 170 average viewers – 2.2% ratio
- PyramidK – 6.2k followers – 84.2 average viewers – 1.35% ratio
- Jikkachan – 5.1k followers – 41.6 average viewers – 0.81% ratio
- MattDaRoc – 4.2k followers – 123 average viewers – 2.92% ratio
- Rad_Shaz – 3.6k followers – 89.1 average viewers – 2.47% ratio
All of the above streamers are ones who I’ve enjoyed their content, my personal favourites are CarcinogenSDA, Subsonic, Bawkbasoup and Rad_Shaz, but I whoever is on I’d watch.
For those looking to enter the world of streaming with Resident Evil OR wanting to add Resident Evil to their wheelhouse then pay attention to the ratio number – this is the ratio of viewers to their followers and an an indication of how often their followers will actually tune in – chances are the higher the ration the more engaging the host is and how good the content is.
Bawkbasoup has a high follower count and a good ratio – he is a friendly and engaging host who often does marathons, special events and decent at speedrunning. Consider shadowing these channels to get a flavour of how you should approach your streaming content.
Will Resident Evil make me money on twitch?
Resident Evil is a cult series and one which hasn’t been over saturated like Fortnite or Call of Duty. But, how much money you make depends on you more than anything – there are plenty of viewers out there and some on the list above are relatively new streamers.
Resident Evil is also a series which isn’t dead, like Metal Gear Solid – there are usually 1-2 new releases every year to help grow your channel if you become an early adopter.
