Which Resident Evil game was the first in the series to feature online multiplayer?

Resident Evil Outbreak was the first Resident Evil game to feature online multiplayer.

Capcom released Resident Evil Outbreak for PlayStation 2 in Japan in 2003, with North American and European releases following in 2004. Players could connect online and cooperate through outbreak scenarios set during the Raccoon City disaster.

The game offered several civilian characters, each with different abilities and starting circumstances. Players had to manage items, solve environmental problems, and survive enemies while working with other human-controlled characters or computer-controlled partners.

Resident Evil 5 later became especially associated with cooperative multiplayer because its campaign supports two-player play. That distinction can cause confusion, but Outbreak introduced the series’ online multiplayer experience earlier.