During the early stages of development, After the End: Forsaken Destiny initially considered placing greater emphasis on horror, but the team ultimately decided against making horror the central focus. In an interview with The Ringer, Senior Producer Tsuyoshi Kawada stated that at the project's inception, Capcom was still figuring out what the game should be.
As the project's direction became clearer, the team realized that After the End: Forsaken Destiny would become a brand-new series and IP. Kawada believed that since Capcom already had Resident Evil, focusing another new title on horror lacked sufficient justification and might not fully leverage the potential of a new IP.
Kawada was referring to directions discussed during the early development phase, not a completed horror version that was later canceled. He did not specify at which stage of development the team shifted direction.
Announced in 2020, After the End: Forsaken Destiny experienced several delays before its release in 2026. The game is now available on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2.