# Umbrella Corps
**Umbrella Corps** (known in Japan as *Biohazard Umbrella Corps*, バイオハザード アンブレラコア) is a 3-versus-3 competitive [third-person shooter](https://www.edgepedia.org/third-person-shooter) developed and published by Capcom, set in the [Resident Evil](https://www.edgepedia.org/resident-evil) universe and released on June 21, 2016 for [PlayStation 4](https://www.edgepedia.org/playstation-4) and PC (Steam)[1](https://store.steampowered.com/app/390340/Umbrella_Corps/?l=english) • [2](https://news.capcomusa.com/lets/browse/umbrella-corps-is-available-now-on-ps4-pc). The game casts players as mercenaries in militarized biohazard suits fighting in compact battle zones themed on historic Resident Evil environments, while contending with computer-controlled zombies and other creatures[1](https://store.steampowered.com/app/390340/Umbrella_Corps/?l=english). It was built on the Unity engine and received some of the lowest review scores of any game in the franchise[1](https://store.steampowered.com/app/390340/Umbrella_Corps/?l=english) • [3](https://www.metacritic.com/game/umbrella-corps/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | June 21, 2016, digital download on PlayStation 4 and PC (Steam)[1](https://store.steampowered.com/app/390340/Umbrella_Corps/?l=english) |
| Developer / publisher | Capcom; built on the Unity engine[1](https://store.steampowered.com/app/390340/Umbrella_Corps/?l=english) |
| Format | 3 vs. 3 competitive third-person shooter; supports 1–6 players[2](https://news.capcomusa.com/lets/browse/umbrella-corps-is-available-now-on-ps4-pc) • [4](https://news.capcomusa.com/lets/browse/umbrella-corps-coming-in-may) |
| Price at launch | $29.99 standard; $39.99 Deluxe Edition including the Upgrade Pack[2](https://news.capcomusa.com/lets/browse/umbrella-corps-is-available-now-on-ps4-pc) |
| Signature gear | Brainer melee axe, arm-mounted Tactical Shield, boot-mounted Terrain Spikes, and the Zombie Jammer[1](https://store.steampowered.com/app/390340/Umbrella_Corps/?l=english) |
| Critical reception | Metascore 38 on PS4 from 55 critic reviews (78% negative); user score 2.4 from 214 ratings[3](https://www.metacritic.com/game/umbrella-corps/) |
| Steam reception | Mostly Negative overall, 38% of 1,351 user reviews positive[1](https://store.steampowered.com/app/390340/Umbrella_Corps/?l=english) |
## Development and release
The game was revealed at the [Tokyo Game Show](https://www.edgepedia.org/tokyo-game-show) in September 2015, where Capcom producers Masachika Kawata and James Vance described it as a competitive online shooter in the Resident Evil universe[5](https://www.gamespot.com/articles/where-does-umbrella-corps-fit-in-the-resident-evil/1100-6430745/). Capcom positioned it as a fast-paced third-person shooter blending the company's experience in competitive games with a Resident Evil undertone, and noted that many development team members were airsoft enthusiasts who wanted to capture that tension[4](https://news.capcomusa.com/lets/browse/umbrella-corps-coming-in-may).
Capcom originally announced a May 2016 release window[4](https://news.capcomusa.com/lets/browse/umbrella-corps-coming-in-may), and the game launched on June 21, 2016 for digital download at $29.99, with a $39.99 Deluxe Edition bundling the cosmetic Upgrade Pack[2](https://news.capcomusa.com/lets/browse/umbrella-corps-is-available-now-on-ps4-pc). Free downloadable content announced at launch included a map reopening the Spencer Mansion and a map set in the infected streets of Lanshiang, China, from [Resident Evil 6](https://www.edgepedia.org/resident-evil-6)[2](https://news.capcomusa.com/lets/browse/umbrella-corps-is-available-now-on-ps4-pc). A free demo of the PlayStation 4 multiplayer was offered on June 22 and 23, 2016, without the single-player mode[6](https://game.capcom.com/residentevil/en/ucadvice-20160721142000.html).
## Gameplay and modes
Matches take place in small, close-quarters maps with a "kill quick or die" design, and the game emphasizes skill over progression, with no gun leveling[4](https://news.capcomusa.com/lets/browse/umbrella-corps-coming-in-may). Two main online modes were available at launch: Multi-Mission, a respawning mode cycling through objectives such as collecting DNA from enemies, retrieving briefcases, and holding points, which Capcom described as good for casual players[7](https://game.capcom.com/manual/bioUC/en-us/page.php?cat=5&platform=ps4&subcat=2) • [8](https://www.destructoid.com/reviews/review-umbrella-corps/); and One Life Match, a high-stakes mode in which each player gets a single life per round, making it more tactical and functionally closer to [Counter-Strike](https://www.edgepedia.org/counter-strike) or Search and Destroy[1](https://store.steampowered.com/app/390340/Umbrella_Corps/?l=english) • [9](https://www.videogamer.com/reviews/umbrella-corps-review/).
**The Experiment.** The single-player mode, The Experiment, is a score-based challenge mode of more than 20 missions with varying objectives, in which enemies change per stage[4](https://news.capcomusa.com/lets/browse/umbrella-corps-coming-in-may). Reviewers described it as a lengthy tutorial with Resident Evil flavor text, recycling the multiplayer objectives[8](https://www.destructoid.com/reviews/review-umbrella-corps/), and Push Square called its missions a string of bland challenges strung together by a narrative with no substance[10](https://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps4/umbrella_corps).
**Specialized gear.** Each player carries a Zombie Jammer, a device worn on the back that prevents creatures from sensing the player's presence while it functions; attacking a zombie alerts it anyway, crawling exposes the jammer, and a destroyed jammer leaves the player open to attack, though functional jammers can be picked up from corpses[11](https://game.capcom.com/manual/bioUC/en-us/page.php?cat=6&platform=ps4&subcat=5). The Brainer is a powerful melee axe that goes straight into the skull and can be charged for one-hit kills on human players[1](https://store.steampowered.com/app/390340/Umbrella_Corps/?l=english) • [8](https://www.destructoid.com/reviews/review-umbrella-corps/). The Tactical Shield is an arm-mounted guard that lets players use a zombie as cover, and Terrain Spikes are boot-mounted spikes for trampling enemies[1](https://store.steampowered.com/app/390340/Umbrella_Corps/?l=english).
**Post-launch additions.** A free update released on August 19, 2016 (version 1.06) added a battle-royale-style "4 Survivors" mode with lowered lighting and limited supplies, the Lanshiang map, new items, and support for 4-player matches[12](https://game.capcom.com/residentevil/uk/ucgameinfo-steam.html) • [13](https://news.capcomusa.com/lets/browse/new-map-4-survivors-mode-and-additional-gear-now-available-for-umbrella-corps).
## Maps and setting
The game's premise places squads of corporate special forces in restricted, virus-infected areas in the present day, after the fall of the [Umbrella Corporation](https://www.edgepedia.org/umbrella-corporation) in 2003, with bio-weaponry-interested corporations hiring mercenaries for experimental battles[1](https://store.steampowered.com/app/390340/Umbrella_Corps/?l=english). Maps draw on Resident Evil locales: the [Resident Evil 4](https://www.edgepedia.org/resident-evil-4)-inspired Village with hostile Ganados, the Tricell organization HQ from [Resident Evil 5](https://www.edgepedia.org/resident-evil-5) with Cerberus dogs, the Umbrella Laboratory, and a Raccoon City map where players fight on and below the streets among wandering zombies[1](https://store.steampowered.com/app/390340/Umbrella_Corps/?l=english) • [2](https://news.capcomusa.com/lets/browse/umbrella-corps-is-available-now-on-ps4-pc) • [4](https://news.capcomusa.com/lets/browse/umbrella-corps-coming-in-may). Gaming Nexus counted seven maps at launch and described them as tiny[14](https://www.gamingnexus.com/Article/5167/Umbrella-Corps/).
## Reception
Umbrella Corps received broadly negative reviews. On Metacritic the PlayStation 4 version scored 38, based on 55 critic reviews of which 78% were negative, and the user score was 2.4 from 214 ratings; the PC version scored 36 from 15 critics[3](https://www.metacritic.com/game/umbrella-corps/). OpenCritic recorded an average of 36/100 across 58 reviews[15](https://critindex.com/games/5087-umbrella-corps). Individual outlets scored it 3/10 at GameSpot, Destructoid, and Push Square, 3.8/10 at IGN, 3/5 at Eurogamer, and 5/10 at [Game Informer](https://www.edgepedia.org/game-informer)[15](https://critindex.com/games/5087-umbrella-corps). Eurogamer Italy called it "a poorly made spin-off and probably the worst game in the Resident Evil franchise"[3](https://www.metacritic.com/game/umbrella-corps/).
**Common criticisms.** Reviewers converged on several problems. The maps were judged too small for the spawn system, so players were often killed within seconds of appearing[9](https://www.videogamer.com/reviews/umbrella-corps-review/). The charged Brainer melee weapon, with its one-hit kill and movement speed bonus, dominated tactics at the expense of the guns[8](https://www.destructoid.com/reviews/review-umbrella-corps/) • [9](https://www.videogamer.com/reviews/umbrella-corps-review/). Gamecritics reported poor multiplayer balance, with guns comparatively weak and many players favoring melee, and described netcode problems in which an opponent scored melee kills while his body appeared frozen[16](https://gamecritics.com/darren-forman/umbrella-corps-review/). Destructoid reported frame rates fluctuating between roughly 15 and 60 dozens of times per match[8](https://www.destructoid.com/reviews/review-umbrella-corps/), and Game Informer called the online matchmaking "a total joke"[17](https://gameinformer.com/games/umbrella_corps/b/playstation4/archive/2016/07/06/umbrella-corps-game-informer-review).
**Player counts.** The online population collapsed quickly. Steam's aggregate rating settled at Mostly Negative, with 38% of 1,351 user reviews positive[1](https://store.steampowered.com/app/390340/Umbrella_Corps/?l=english).
## References
1. [Umbrella Corps on Steam, Valve/Capcom](https://store.steampowered.com/app/390340/Umbrella_Corps/?l=english)
2. [Umbrella Corps is Available Now on PS4 & PC!, Capcom News, June 21, 2016](https://news.capcomusa.com/lets/browse/umbrella-corps-is-available-now-on-ps4-pc)
3. [Umbrella Corps Reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/game/umbrella-corps/)
4. [Umbrella Corps Coming in May!, Capcom News, January 26, 2016](https://news.capcomusa.com/lets/browse/umbrella-corps-coming-in-may)
5. [Where Does Umbrella Corps Fit in the Resident Evil Timeline?, GameSpot, September 26, 2015](https://www.gamespot.com/articles/where-does-umbrella-corps-fit-in-the-resident-evil/1100-6430745/)
6. [Boot Camp: free multiplayer demo, Resident Evil Portal, Capcom](https://game.capcom.com/residentevil/en/ucadvice-20160721142000.html)
7. [Umbrella Corps manual: Multi-Mission, Capcom](https://game.capcom.com/manual/bioUC/en-us/page.php?cat=5&platform=ps4&subcat=2)
8. [Review: Umbrella Corps, Destructoid, June 25, 2016](https://www.destructoid.com/reviews/review-umbrella-corps/)
9. [Umbrella Corps Review, VideoGamer](https://www.videogamer.com/reviews/umbrella-corps-review/)
10. [Umbrella Corps Review (PS4), Push Square](https://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps4/umbrella_corps)
11. [Umbrella Corps manual: Zombie Jammer, Capcom](https://game.capcom.com/manual/bioUC/en-us/page.php?cat=6&platform=ps4&subcat=5)
12. [Game Updates: Steam Version Update Version 1.06, Resident Evil Portal, Capcom](https://game.capcom.com/residentevil/uk/ucgameinfo-steam.html)
13. [New Map, 4 Survivors Mode, and Additional Gear Now Available for Umbrella Corps, Capcom News](https://news.capcomusa.com/lets/browse/new-map-4-survivors-mode-and-additional-gear-now-available-for-umbrella-corps)
14. [Umbrella Corps Review, Gaming Nexus](https://www.gamingnexus.com/Article/5167/Umbrella-Corps/)
15. [Umbrella Corps, CritIndex](https://critindex.com/games/5087-umbrella-corps)
16. [Umbrella Corps Review, Gamecritics.com](https://gamecritics.com/darren-forman/umbrella-corps-review/)
17. [Umbrella Corps Review: Undead On Arrival, Game Informer, July 6, 2016](https://gameinformer.com/games/umbrella_corps/b/playstation4/archive/2016/07/06/umbrella-corps-game-informer-review)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Video games and digital play › Games and gameplay › Individual game titles › Individual PC and computer-platform game titles › Shooter game titles › Science fiction and fantasy shooters*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license