# A Resident Evil Pinball Rumor, and the Swiss Company Behind It

**Source:** Kineticist  
**Type:** article  
**Published:** 2025-12-18  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.kineticist.com/post/resident-evil-pinball-rumors

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## Analysis

A Swiss startup called World Pinball, founded in October 2025 by three partners with backgrounds in pinball repair and restoration, is developing a Resident Evil–themed pinball machine targeting a March 2026 release to coincide with the franchise's 30th anniversary. The company was officially registered in Switzerland and maintains a placeholder website; co-founder Damien Haldi confirmed the project has been in active development for several years and pre-orders will open soon.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] World Pinball Sàrl was incorporated on October 10, 2025, in Payerne, Switzerland — _Official Swiss Central Business Name Index registration confirmed by journalist_
- [MEDIUM] The Resident Evil pinball project is targeting a March 2026 release to coincide with the franchise's 30th anniversary — _Paris Pinball Addict rumor post; Capcom licensing details tightly controlled per report_
- [MEDIUM] Production is reported to be capped at around 300 units in a limited run — _Paris Pinball Addict rumor post; unconfirmed at time of initial article_
- [MEDIUM] The game will draw directly from the video game canon rather than film adaptations — _Paris Pinball Addict rumor post describing design approach_
- [HIGH] Damien Haldi and Isabelle Kolb are connected to Fliptronic, a Swiss operation with 15+ years of experience in coin-op repair, restoration, and rentals — _Journalist research connecting business registrations and operational history_
- [HIGH] The project has been in active development for several years — _Direct statement from Damien Haldi, World Pinball co-founder, in response to journalist inquiry_
- [HIGH] World Pinball plans to unveil the project publicly and open pre-orders soon — _Direct statement from Damien Haldi, World Pinball co-founder (update 12/18)_

### Notable Quotes

> "The company's purpose is the creation, manufacture, development, industrialization, and sale of pinball machines, pinball parts, and everything related to pinball… as well as everything related to video games in general."
> — **World Pinball Sàrl company registration (Switzerland Central Business Name Index)**
> _Official statement of company scope from Swiss business registry; confirms pinball manufacturing intent_

> "We have been working on this project for several years and will soon be unveiling it to the public and opening pre-orders. We are doing everything we can to create high-quality pinball machines with attractive licenses and innovative features."
> — **Damien Haldi, World Pinball Co-founder**, 12/18 update
> _First official confirmation of Resident Evil pinball project; indicates long development timeline and imminent public reveal_

> "What it does establish is that a pinball-specific company has been formally registered in Switzerland, its stated scope aligns closely with the circulating rumor, and multiple independent details point to real prep work rather than a purely fabricated claim."
> — **Kineticist (journalist)**
> _Assessment of evidence quality; distinguishes between verified corporate existence and unconfirmed project details_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| World Pinball | company | Swiss-based pinball manufacturing startup founded October 10, 2025; based in Payerne, Switzerland; developing Resident Evil pinball machine |
| Damien Haldi | person | Co-founder of World Pinball; Switzerland-based; connected to Fliptronic; confirmed project in official statement |
| Hossine Bouakline | person | Co-founder/managing partner of World Pinball; France-based; prior involvement in engineering/technical studies and pinball-adjacent businesses (Arcader, earlier World Pinball iteration) |
| Isabelle Kolb | person | Co-founder/managing partner of World Pinball; Switzerland-based; connected to Fliptronic |
| Resident Evil | game | Capcom IP; upcoming pinball machine adaptation by World Pinball; 30th anniversary in 2026; expected March 2026 release; drawing from video game canon |
| Fliptronic | company | Swiss coin-op repair, restoration, and rental operation with 15+ years of experience; connected to World Pinball founders Haldi and Kolb |
| Paris Pinball Addict | person | French pinball influencer; originated Resident Evil pinball rumor; posted initial details about World Pinball project |
| Capcom | company | IP holder for Resident Evil; reported to have tight control over licensing details; no public confirmation of pinball project as of article publication |
| Kineticist | person | Journalist/researcher who investigated World Pinball rumor, verified Swiss business registration, and contacted company for official comment |
| Arcader | company | France-based pinball retail and repair operation; closed in 2020; associated with Bouakline's business history |

### Topics

- **Primary:** New pinball manufacturer emergence, Resident Evil pinball machine development, Video game IP licensing in pinball
- **Secondary:** Limited production runs and scarcity strategy, Capcom intellectual property control, Pre-order strategy and community engagement
- **Mentioned:** European pinball manufacturing capacity

### Sentiment

**Neutral** (0.5) — Journalist maintains investigative objectivity while presenting rumor verification process; cautious but neutral tone regarding unconfirmed details; positive framing of official confirmation from company

### Signals

- **[business_signal]** New pinball manufacturer entering market with established operational infrastructure (15+ years of coin-op experience via Fliptronic connection) and European manufacturing capacity (confidence: high) — Fliptronic background of founders; mentioned assembly in Burgundy, France; formal Swiss business registration October 2025
- **[leak_detection]** Resident Evil pinball details surfaced through Paris Pinball Addict before official announcement; placeholder website and business registration provided independent verification (confidence: high) — Paris Pinball Addict rumor post preceded official confirmation; residentevilpinball.com placeholder site existed before company statement
- **[licensing_signal]** Capcom maintaining tight control over Resident Evil pinball licensing details; IP licensing constrained information release (confidence: medium) — Paris Pinball Addict post states 'details tightly controlled due to Capcom's supposed approach to its intellectual property'; no public Capcom confirmation as of article
- **[market_signal]** Limited production run (approximately 300 units) indicates premium/collector positioning for Resident Evil pinball (confidence: medium) — Paris Pinball Addict rumor cites 'limited run reportedly capped at around 300 units'
- **[announcement]** World Pinball officially confirms Resident Evil pinball project in active development with public reveal and pre-orders coming soon (confidence: high) — Direct statement from Damien Haldi: 'We have been working on this project for several years and will soon be unveiling it to the public and opening pre-orders'
- **[technology_signal]** World Pinball positions itself as creating 'high-quality pinball machines with attractive licenses and innovative features'; company entering market with emphasis on both licensing and innovation (confidence: medium) — Damien Haldi statement: 'We are doing everything we can to create high-quality pinball machines with attractive licenses and innovative features'

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## Transcript

Note: this article has been updated with response from World Pinball Co-Founder Damien Haldi.
A new pinball rumor began circulating today via French pinball influencer Paris Pinball Addict, pointing to a potential Resident Evil–themed machine developed by a previously unknown European manufacturer based in Switzerland.
According to the post, the information should be taken with a grain of salt, with details tightly controlled due to Capcom’s supposed approach to its intellectual property. The project is described as potentially targeting a March 2026 release to coincide with the franchise’s 30th anniversary, drawing directly from the video game canon rather than film adaptations, and produced in a limited run reportedly capped at around 300 units.
Digging for Resident Evil Pinball Clues
After seeing it, I went looking for anything concrete to Chris Ancarrow the claim. The first real breadcrumb was a placeholder site, residentevilpinball.com, which currently shows little more than logos and a “coming soon” animation — but it also names the company behind the effort: World Pinball.
From there, I checked Switzerland’s Central Business Name Index. World Pinball Sàrl was incorporated on October 10, 2025, and is based in Payerne, Switzerland. The company’s stated purpose is quite specific:
“The company's purpose is the creation, manufacture, development, industrialization, and sale of pinball machines, pinball parts, and everything related to pinball… as well as everything related to video games in general.”
The registration lists three managing partners:
- Damien Haldi (Switzerland)
- Hossine Bouakline (France)
- Isabelle Kolb (Switzerland)
Haldi and Kolb appear connected to Fliptronic, a Swiss operation with more than 15 years of experience in coin-op repair, restoration, and rentals. While that background doesn’t imply large-scale pinball manufacturing on its own, it does suggest practical familiarity with commercial machines and important aspects of the business.
The third partner, Bouakline, is more difficult to track publicly, but records point to prior involvement in an engineering and technical studies company, along with two France-based pinball-adjacent businesses: Arcader, a retail and repair operation that closed in 2020, and an earlier iteration of World Pinball, which ceased operations in 2022.
Paris Pinball Addict’s post also references assembly taking place in Burgundy, France. While this detail remains unconfirmed, Bouakline’s geographic and business history would be consistent with that possibility, if accurate.
Beyond the placeholder website, there has been no formal announcement from World Pinball, and no public confirmation from Capcom regarding any Resident Evil pinball project. The website’s use of Resident Evil branding stands out, but on its own does not indicate a greenlit project.
None of this means that a Resident Evil pinball machine will ultimately be produced or released. What it does establish is that a pinball-specific company has been formally registered in Switzerland, its stated scope aligns closely with the circulating rumor, and multiple independent details point to real prep work rather than a purely fabricated claim.
I’ve reached out to email addresses associated with World Pinball and Fliptronic for comment. As of publication, I have not received a response.
Project Confirmation from World Pinball
Update 12/18: Overnight I received a response to my inquiry from World Pinball Co-Founder Damien Haldi. Reading between the lines of the statement, he confirms the project is in active development and has been for several years. They expect to reveal more soon, including opening up pre-orders.
Hello, we have received your emails and thank you for your interest. We have been working on this project for several years and will soon be unveiling it to the public and opening pre-orders. We are doing everything we can to create high-quality pinball machines with attractive licenses and innovative features. Thank you for your interest.
Best regards,
Damien Haldi
Co-founder of World Pinball

_(Acquisition: web_scrape, Enrichment: v1)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 4cc0acdf-03a3-4b75-9d50-05d49fc4ed0b*