Horror hits make the genre a major business in 2026

Horror is attracting large audiences across games, movies and streaming in 2026.

The Resident Evil series, which has been around for 30 years, is seeing renewed success.

Its latest game has sold 8 million copies since launching in February, and six games in the series have each sold at least 3 million copies so far this year.

A new Resident Evil film reboot is also on track to become the franchise’s highest-grossing movie.

The trend extends beyond the series: two films, Obsession and Backrooms, have earned nearly $1 billion combined despite relatively low production costs.

Streaming services are also releasing major horror shows during October to attract subscribers.

Horror was once treated as a niche, but lower production costs and its reach through online video, indie games and viral memes have helped it compete with bigger entertainment releases.

These successes show that horror has become a major business across several forms of entertainment.