The Complete History of Raccoon City: From Small Town to Zombie Apocalypse
Introduction: Raccoon City — A Horror Icon Come to Life
Survival horror fans rejoice — Raccoon City, the infamous setting of the classic Resident Evil series, is stepping back into the spotlight. Known for its eerie streets, secret laboratories, and monstrous outbreaks, Raccoon City has become a legendary location in zombie fiction. It stands shoulder to shoulder with iconic horror landmarks like the Monroeville Mall from Dawn of the Dead or the Winchester pub from Shaun of the Dead.
As Capcom announces the return to Raccoon City with the upcoming ninth installment, Resident Evil Requiem, longtime fans are excited about revisiting this haunted town — a place that feels both familiar and deeply unsettling. But beneath its surface, Raccoon City’s history is complex, layered, and full of dark secrets.
The Origins of “Raccoon City”
The name “Raccoon City” first appeared in the opening moments of the original Resident Evil game, or Biohazard as it’s known in Japan. This fictional location played a crucial role in establishing the series’ identity and aesthetic. Its creation has interesting roots tied to earlier Japanese horror games and Western influences.
Before Resident Evil, Capcom developed Sweet Home, a horror-adventure game set in a haunted mansion. When rights to the original source material were lost, producer Tokuro Fujiwara and director Shinji Mikami reimagined the concept, shifting focus from supernatural hauntings to flesh-eating zombies. They envisioned the game as an interactive horror film, blending cinematic visuals, chilling music, and jump scares — heavily inspired by Western horror cinema, particularly George A. Romero’s zombie movies.
Why “Raccoon”? The Naming and Its Cultural Roots
Early drafts of the game considered naming the city “Harnbee,” inspired by towns in New Jersey or Arkansas. However, the developers settled on a name based on a local animal: the raccoon. Interestingly, the choice might be linked to the “raccoon dog,” or tanuki, a creature from Japanese folklore that resembles a raccoon. Despite this, the name “Raccoon City” specifically refers to North American mammals, emphasizing its American setting.
During the 1970s, the popularity of raccoons in Japan surged thanks to the anime Rascal the Raccoon. Many Japanese people imported raccoons as pets, unaware of their destructive nature as invasive species. Could this be a subtle commentary on American culture or environmental impact? Unlikely. The simplest explanation is that the city’s name was chosen because of its forested setting, where raccoons naturally dwell — hence, “Raccoon Forest” led to “Raccoon City.”
The Birth and Growth of Raccoon City
Located in the Arklay Mountains and surrounded by Raccoon Forest, the small town of Raccoon City was founded in the 1800s. It remained an unremarkable place until the late 1960s, when a powerful corporation, the Umbrella Corporation, set its sights on the region and transformed it into a hub of clandestine scientific research.
In 1968, three friends founded Umbrella with the goal of creating a superior breed of humans through experimental science. Though none of the founders had direct ties to Raccoon City, Oswald E. Spencer, a key figure in the company, owned property in the area. He had a mansion built in the nearby Arklay County, designed by architect George Trevor, who specialized in intricate, trap-laden structures — perfect for secret experiments.
The Spencer Mansion and Its Dark Secrets
The mansion was to be a luxurious retreat modeled after Spencer’s childhood estate, but beneath its lavish exterior lurked deadly secrets. As Spencer grew increasingly paranoid, he conspired to eliminate Trevor and his family, infecting Trevor’s wife Jessica and daughter Lisa with the progenitor virus, the precursor to the T-virus. Jessica died and was buried beneath the mansion, while Lisa was mutated into a nearly indestructible creature and kept prisoner by Umbrella for decades, subjected to horrific experiments.
Meanwhile, George Trevor, the mansion’s architect, was trapped inside his own creation. According to his diary, he forgotten the solutions to his puzzles while searching for his family, ultimately dying of thirst and starvation deep within the mansion’s labyrinthine corridors.
Raccoon City’s Rise as a Corporate and Cultural Center
As Umbrella’s influence grew, Raccoon City flourished with new infrastructure, including hospitals, a university, a zoo, and a bustling downtown district. The city also boasted a vibrant media scene, with multiple newspapers and a local TV station. Despite its cheerful veneer, beneath the surface, it was heavily controlled by Umbrella, which used the city as a testing ground for its bio-organic weapons (B.O.W.s).
By the early 1990s, Umbrella had invested heavily in “Bright Raccoon 21,” a project to modernize the city. They built underground research facilities, including secret NEST labs where scientists like William Birkin worked tirelessly on the G-virus, an even more dangerous bio-weapon.
The corporation owned nearly half of the city’s population and had its fingers in every aspect of civic life. Raccoon City was, in essence, a sprawling corporate city-state, thriving on the profits of illegal bio-research — until everything began to unravel.
The Catastrophe: The Raccoon City Outbreak
In early 1998, strange incidents started to occur. Reports of aggressive, decaying dogs and grisly murders led to fears of an unknown cult or infection spreading through the woods surrounding the city. Umbrella, eager to contain the situation, sent its top agent, Albert Wesker, to oversee the investigation. However, Wesker’s true motives were far more sinister.
On July 23, 1998, a sabotage by Wesker caused the helicopter carrying S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team to crash deep in the woods, trapping the team and setting the stage for chaos. Meanwhile, Alpha Team, led by Wesker himself, was lured into the Spencer Mansion, where they faced hordes of zombies, bio-engineered monsters, and the revelation of Umbrella’s role in the outbreak.
As the outbreak worsened, Umbrella’s experiments spiraled out of control. William Birkin’s G-virus was released into the water supply after he injected himself, transforming into a monstrous creature. The city was overrun in days, with the military and Umbrella’s private mercenaries battling to contain the disaster. Despite their efforts, the situation deteriorated rapidly.
The Final Days and the Destruction of Raccoon City
By September 28, 1998, the military had abandoned Raccoon City, and the government prepared to wipe it off the map. On October 1, a devastating thermobaric missile obliterated the city, erasing all traces of the outbreak and everyone inside. What remained was a smoldering crater, a tragic monument to corporate corruption and scientific hubris.
The truth about Umbrella’s role in the catastrophe eventually came to light thanks to survivor journalist Alyssa Ashcroft. Her revelations exposed the existence of B.O.W.s to the world, leading to public outrage, political fallout, and the eventual downfall of Umbrella. The corporation’s shameful legacy lives on as Raccoon City’s haunting reminder of human folly.
The Legacy of Raccoon City: Myth and Mystery
In the early Resident Evil games, Raccoon City was a mysterious and somewhat vague location. As the series progressed, especially in Resident Evil 2 and 3, the city’s streets, neighborhoods, and landmarks became more fleshed out, revealing a city that is both eerily familiar and disturbingly uncanny.
Much of the original Raccoon City’s layout was inspired by Japanese interpretations of American cities, blending stereotypical urban environments with a sense of unease. The narrow, winding streets and dead-end alleys create a feeling of disorientation — a perfect setting for horror. Later games and remakes aimed for more realistic depictions, with Raccoon City transformed into a bustling Midwestern town, complete with skyscrapers and organized urban planning.
Despite the changes, the city’s true location remains a mystery. Fan theories abound, suggesting it could be in Pennsylvania, Missouri, or even Ohio. Yet, the series has never confirmed a specific state or region, adding to the unsettling ambiguity. Raccoon City may be a fictional place, but it embodies the fears and horrors lurking just beneath the surface of familiar American towns.
Whether it’s a forgotten suburb, an abandoned industrial hub, or a city on the brink of disaster, Raccoon City continues to inspire fear and fascination. Its story is not just about zombies — it’s a reflection of human hubris, environmental neglect, and the dark side of scientific progress. And as new games and stories emerge, the city’s mysteries are likely to deepen, keeping its legend alive for generations to come.
Alex "Pixel" Petrov
Gaming journalist & industry insider. Covers the latest game releases, updates, and behind-the-scenes dev stories. Knows every Easter egg, patch note, and upcoming title worth hyping. Always gaming, always analyzing.