Resident Evil: Death Island takes place in 2015. On the series timeline, that places it around two years after Resident Evil 6, a year after the CGI film Resident Evil Vendetta, and two years before Resident Evil 7. It continues the story of Vendetta and marks Jill Valentine’s first appearance (chronologically) since Resident Evil 5.
When does Resident Evil: Death Island take place on the series timeline?
Resident Evil: Death Island is set in 2015, right between Resident Evil 6 and 7. However, the main thing to remember is that it’s a direct sequel to the previous CGI movie, Resident Evil: Vendetta. While the CGI films are technically canon, they don’t require knowledge of the games to watch.
Do I need to play the games or watch the other movies before Death Island?
While knowledge of the Resident Evil franchise would no doubt help your enjoyment of Death Island, you only absolutely have to watch Resident Evil: Vendetta beforehand. It’ll likely make heavy mention of the events of that movie and its villain.
If you want to get some background from playing the games, you only have to worry about playing the numbered entries. That’ll give you a firm enough grasp on the series that you should get any references the film makes to previous events.