Two weeks flew by, and in that time, LuxCore became a creative furnace. Editing rooms lit up late into the night, hallways were lined with storyboards , and the coffee at headquarters evaporated before it even touched the cup.
The 10 DreamDev approved games received their debut packaging: teasers , key art , and short descriptions. Alongside them, three major titles from established franchises would arrive , heavyweights to close the event with a bang.
In the midst of all this, Makoto Yoshida lived his day with two lives: in the morning, his usual mundane, unglamorous work; in the afternoon and evening, the marketing room, where the air smelled of heated server metal and freshly baked ideas.
He and the team decided that the Resident Evil trailer would feature classic language, surgical pacing, and mounting suspense , inspired, shot by shot, by Trailer 1 of the other world 2002 remake in Makoto's memory, now "translated" with footage from Makoto's game, with the absurd realism he had achieved , and the impeccable voice acting recorded in the company's studio.
Makoto also recorded a short interview to go right after the trailer at LuxCore Direct . It wasn't exactly his cup of tea, but the experience was strangely refreshing: talking about the game out loud gave the project a gravity that, until then, had only existed within himself.
He notified the dubbing director and voice actors , who were ecstatic. He also messaged Airi Hoshizora , telling her, spoiler-free, that Resident Evil would be appearing in the Direct. Airi responded immediately: she was already going to livestream the event ; now, it would be unmissable.
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"LuxCore Direct" — Live
On the day of the event, the internet was like a stadium. LuxCore's official MeTube channel showed over 5 million people waiting before the "LIVE" button even turned red. Airi , under the nickname Aishizora , already had the live stream going on Sweetch , millions of followers, and chat flying.
"Good evening, my comets! Thanks for the subs, thanks for the bits… Today is LuxCore Direct and I'm SO excited."
"And I have a bombshell: a good friend of mine from LuxCore is having a trailer today. His game is called Resident Evil ."
The chat spontaneously combusted:
"HUH?!" "Is she kidding?" "Aishi insider confirmed." "What is Resident Evil? Horror?" "Does it have a hot protagonist???" "SAY SOMETHING!"
"Guys, I don't know the details . I swear. I only know the name. Let's find out together."
When the countdown faded, 8 million viewers were already filling the virtual seats. A presenter, with a confident voice and a familiar face, kicked things off.
The first trailers, gameplay , and quick announcements arrived. Airi and the chat freaked out here and there, especially with two major games. Until the host adjusted the tone:
"Next up is one of LuxCore's big new releases . One of the most impactful survival horror experiences I've ever seen. Check it out."
The screen went blank . The silence became elastic.
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The trailer (LuxCore version)
A cut to the night forest . The camera snakes through wet foliage, the sound of raven's wings and wind cutting through branches. A flashlight sweeps shadows, pent-up breathing, footsteps crunching leaves. Distant howls .
(The compositions and pacing echo the original trailer for the 2002 remake , now reconstructed with the realistic visuals of Makoto's game.)
BAM!, Close-up of teeth and drool : an infected dog jumps at the camera, its jaw cracks, Airi jumps in her chair and the chat turns into a lyric of "AAAAAAAAAA".
Cut to the Spencer Mansion's facade , illuminated by lightning: a castle with aristocratic lines, heavy doors, stained-glass windows filled with untold stories. Quick, minimalist text blends with the thunder:
RACCOON CITY — REPORTS OF BIZARRE MURDERS — STARS TEAM DISPATCHED . (Background, outskirts of Raccoon City, STARS investigating.)
Main lobby . The black marble feels cool to the touch. Jill advances with her pistol raised, the echo of her heels outlining the emptiness of the room. Chris appears in reverse shot, opening a door with his shoulder, wood, brass, a chilling click . (The original trailer alternates between exploration shots of the mansion and close-ups of protagonists; the recreation maintains the same rhythm, now with modern models and shaders.)
The door creaks. A narrow hallway, a smooth camera dolly . Viscous sounds in the background. Jill approaches the corner, tracking slowly . The track falls silent, leaving only her breathing. She turns... and the iconic scene : a hunched zombie , chewing on something on the ground , turns its head with a bone-crunching sound and a dead stare. (It's the zombie's famous first turn, a defining moment of the franchise, here choreographed with hyper-realistic lighting and facial animation.)
Rhythmic montage:
—Crows tear across the sky above an inner courtyard; —Spiders crawl across a wall, fur and legs in short focus; —Hunters clawing at the floor— thump, thump ; —The Aqua Ring with its water trembling and the colossal shadow of the shark (Neptune) silently approaching; —Tentacles of a plant tangling in the ceiling slats; —Stairs descending to basements with padlocks and drag marks.
(All the recognizable elements from the remake, crows, hunters, Aqua Ring/Neptune, Plant 42, condensed into a collage of scares and anticipation.)
A close-up of Rebecca Chambers , hands steady, her expression one of courage bordering on panic. Wesker , glasses glinting for a moment, gives a half-smile in the shadows. The next cut returns to Jill reloading, Chris breaking a lock with a sharp blow.
Interleaved text , fade in/out :
INVESTIGATE. SURVIVE. DISCOVER.
The sound of footsteps speeding down a hallway, followed by a muffled scream and a door slamming in the background. The Music carries the final montage.
Black screen.
The title comes with metallic weight and a brief reverb at the end:
RESIDENT EVIL.
Airi shouts :
"IT'S MAKOTO'S! IT'S MAKOTO'S!"
The chat imploded: "IT'S NOT POSSIBLE" , "LOOK AT THIS REALISM" , "WITH DUBBING!!" , and Airi herself clutches her chest as the replay shows, in slow motion, the dog jumping . (The presence of dubbing stands out because many previous Direct trailers had only SFX and stingers , with no VO; here, character voices punctuate the drama.)
The montage resumes for a few more seconds, increasing the volume: calibrated shots, a door with a chain breaking , a piano keyboard being pressed (a secret? a puzzle?), lightning cutting through the glass ceiling and revealing dust in the air. Title again, now with the slug :
FROM MAKOTO YOSHIDA.
In the second line, date with invisible countdown beating on the spectators' chest:
March 27th .
Airi already has her phone in her hand, firing off messages to Makoto: "THAT'S CRAZY!" "MY GOD, IT'S PERFECT!" "I'M GOING TO COMPLETE IT ON LIVE!"
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The developer's speech.
The trailer fades out in a clean crossfade , and Makoto appears in the LuxCore studio. Black shirt, serene gaze, lapel microphone.
"Hi, I'm Makoto Yoshida , developer of Resident Evil ."
As he speaks, gameplay footage is shown : minimalist HUD , precise aim, inventory opening with a dry sound.
"Resident Evil is a survival horror game about exploring, solving puzzles , and surviving with limited resources. You choose between Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield ; each protagonist offers different challenges and experiences. The duality of the campaigns and the backdrop, the Spencer Mansion and the crime scene surrounding Raccoon City, are cornerstones of the game."
"It all starts with a team investigating mysterious murders near Raccoon City , and ends up taking you to the Spencer Mansion , a place full of secrets, traps, and stories no one wants to come to light."
"I hope you immerse yourself in this experience and discover the mysteries we have prepared."
He thanks you, bows his head, and the transmission returns to the presenter.
In the live stream, Airi is smiling the way the chat loves , a wide, proud smile. To clear up any doubts, she pulls out a photo of herself and Makoto from her phone , taken after dinner at the diner.
"Here he is! Me and him. He is my friend, truly."
The chat explodes again:
"Aishi MADE IT UP!" "WE WANT YOU TO STREAM ON DAY 1!" "JILL MOMMY!!!" "CHRIS TANK!" "HOW IS HE DEV AND STILL CUTE? unfair."
From then on, everything that came after in Direct became a supporting role.
Conversations on forums and social media focused on two words:
Resident Evil.
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After The Direct.
When LuxCore Direct closed, the MeTube channel's concurrent viewership reached 17 million at some point in the finale. The Resident Evil trailer was reposted on the official channel and, within hours , had already racked up over 37 million views , not counting reposts on social media. Clips of the dog's jump , the first zombie's turn , and the hallway with the flashing light became commonplace on the timeline.
The voice actors began reposting: Aya Kimura (Jill) and Kaito Enomoto ( Chris) gained thousands of followers in a matter of hours, reacting to the fans' affection with trembling voices in their stories. Makoto Yoshida's name trended , labeled "LuxCore's new prodigy."
Fan clubs were born everywhere: some coming from Airi's base, others from people who simply fell in love with what they saw (and, in certain corners, because Makoto was young and... handsome , the internet has its priorities).
In specialized forums, the reading was unanimous: the atmosphere seemed alive , the Mansion was personified , and the respect for classic Survival Horrors was accompanied by a modern take, just the way the public always asked for and rarely received.
(These pillars, the Raccoon City setting, Spencer Mansion, the encounter with the first zombie, the Aqua Ring with Neptune, the enemy fauna, make up the recognizable backbone of the remake and are now the aesthetic and rhythmic foundation of Makoto's reimagined trailer.)
In the eye of the storm.
Makoto left the studio and couldn't stop smiling for five minutes. His phone vibrated in earthquakes: Sakura sending congratulations, Ren capslocking with pride, the dubbing director typing in paragraphs, Aya , Kaito , Rina, Toru, and Souta thanking him for the chance, and… Airi:
"YOU ROCKED IT. Seriously. I was shaking during the dog part. Shall we schedule a livestream for the launch ? (March 27th, okay? I'll open the livestream at midnight.)"
He responded with a simple "let's go." because sometimes one word carries the entire weight of a dream.
Outside, Neuron City flashed on screens and billboards. Atop a building, a newly erected piece displayed the sign:
RESIDENT EVIL — MARCH 27. Down below, LuxCore .
That was the beginning of the legend of Makoto Yoshida.