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

**Source:** Kineticist  
**Type:** article  
**Published:** 2025-12-19  
**Beat:** Pinball

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

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## Analysis

A Swiss company called World Pinball Sàrl, incorporated in October 2025, has surfaced with a website featuring Resident Evil branding, sparking rumors of a licensed Resident Evil pinball machine in development. Investigation reveals the company is backed by experienced coinop restoration and rental operators, with one partner's history connected to French pinball businesses. A co-founder confirmed via email that the project has been in active development for several years with plans to unveil details and open pre-orders soon, though no official Capcom confirmation exists.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] World Pinball Sàrl was incorporated on October 10, 2025, based in Payerne, Switzerland — _Article cites Switzerland's Central Business Name Index registration_
- [HIGH] The company has three managing partners: Haldi and Kolb (connected to Fliptronic) and Bouakline — _Swiss Central Business Name Index registration listing_
- [HIGH] Damien Haldi (World Pinball co-founder) confirmed the project has been in active development for several years — _Direct email response from Damien Haldi dated 12/18 (received overnight after article publication)_
- [HIGH] World Pinball plans to unveil the project to the public and open pre-orders soon — _Damien Haldi's official email statement_
- [MEDIUM] Fliptronic has more than 15 years of experience in coin-op repair, restoration, and rentals — _Article research on partner backgrounds_
- [MEDIUM] Bouakline has prior involvement in engineering, technical studies, and two France-based pinball businesses (Arcader and earlier World Pinball iteration) — _Article investigation of public records_
- [MEDIUM] Arcader (France-based pinball retail/repair) closed in 2020 — _Article cites business records_
- [MEDIUM] An earlier iteration of World Pinball ceased operations in 2022 — _Article cites business records_

### 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 (registered business purpose)**, N/A
> _Official statement of company scope aligns with manufacturing aspirations and rumored Resident Evil project_

> "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 to article)
> _First official confirmation that a major licensed pinball project is in active development; implies multiple titles ('licenses' plural) planned_

> "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."
> — **Colin (Kineticist author)**, N/A
> _Critical assessment distinguishing credible company registration and activity from baseless speculation_

> "None of this means that a Resident Evil pinball machine will ultimately be produced or released."
> — **Colin (Kineticist author)**, N/A
> _Appropriate epistemic caution: company existence and preparation do not guarantee project completion or licensing approval_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| World Pinball Sàrl | company | Swiss pinball manufacturing company incorporated October 10, 2025, based in Payerne; stated purpose is creation, manufacture, and sale of pinball machines and parts; website features Resident Evil branding |
| Damien Haldi | person | Co-founder of World Pinball; appears to be connected to Fliptronic (Swiss coin-op repair/restoration firm); confirmed via email that Resident Evil project in active multi-year development |
| Fliptronic | company | Swiss coin-op repair, restoration, and rental operation with 15+ years of experience; partners Haldi and Kolb connected to this firm |
| Bouakline | person | Third managing partner of World Pinball; prior involvement in engineering/technical studies company and France-based pinball businesses (Arcader, earlier World Pinball iteration) |
| Resident Evil | product | Capcom IP featured on World Pinball website; subject of rumored pinball machine project; no official Capcom confirmation of licensing deal |
| Capcom | company | IP holder of Resident Evil franchise; no public confirmation of pinball licensing arrangement with World Pinball as of article publication |
| Arcader | company | France-based pinball retail and repair operation; closed in 2020; connected to Bouakline's business history |
| Paris Pinball Addict | organization | Source of initial rumor posts about Resident Evil pinball and assembly in Burgundy, France |
| Colin | person | Kineticist author and 'chief pixel pusher'; lifetime gamer turned pinball enthusiast; contributor to This Week in Pinball and regional leagues |
| Kineticist | organization | Pinball news and analysis publication; parent organization of author Colin |

### Signals

- **[machine_intel]** Resident Evil pinball project confirmed by World Pinball co-founder to be in active multi-year development; official announcement and pre-orders planned soon (confidence: high) — Damien Haldi email: 'we have been working on this project for several years and will soon be unveiling it to the public and opening pre-orders'
- **[announcement]** World Pinball plans imminent public unveiling and pre-order launch; no specific timeline given (confidence: high) — Co-founder Haldi confirms 'will soon be unveiling it to the public and opening pre-orders'
- **[licensing_signal]** World Pinball claims ability to secure 'attractive licenses' (plural); Resident Evil appears to be primary or flagship title; Capcom has not publicly confirmed licensing deal (confidence: medium) — Haldi statement: 'attractive licenses'; Resident Evil branding on website; no Capcom confirmation
- **[product_strategy]** New Swiss/French manufacturer entering pinball market with emphasis on licensed IP and innovative features; positioning as quality-focused competitor (confidence: high) — Company registration, business partnerships, Haldi statement on 'high-quality pinball machines with attractive licenses and innovative features'
- **[manufacturing_signal]** Potential assembly location in Burgundy, France (unconfirmed); company structure suggests outsourced or regional manufacturing rather than centralized facility (confidence: medium) — Paris Pinball Addict reference to Burgundy assembly; Bouakline's France business history; no confirmation of dedicated manufacturing facility
- **[business_signal]** World Pinball Sàrl incorporated October 2025; represents new entrant to crowded pinball manufacturing market; partners bring restoration/repair expertise rather than prior manufacturing scale (confidence: high) — Swiss Central Business Name Index registration; partner backgrounds in coin-op repair, not large-scale manufacturing
- **[rumor_hype]** Resident Evil pinball rumor circulating in community (Paris Pinball Addict) prior to investigation; now partially validated by company confirmation (confidence: high) — Initial rumor posts referenced by author; Haldi confirmation suggests rumor had basis in reality
- **[leak_detection]** World Pinball website displays Resident Evil branding before official announcement; indicates project advanced enough for public-facing materials (confidence: high) — Resident Evil branding on placeholder website; no official Capcom or World Pinball announcement prior to article publication
- **[regulatory_signal]** No Capcom confirmation of Resident Evil licensing deal; licensing still in negotiation or not yet publicly disclosed (confidence: medium) — Article notes 'no public confirmation from Capcom regarding any Resident Evil pinball project'
- **[community_signal]** Kineticist conducted detailed investigation of company registration, partner backgrounds, and historical business connections to verify credibility of rumor; represents elevated due diligence in pinball media (confidence: high) — Comprehensive research into Swiss/French business records, partner histories, and email outreach; transparent methodology described in article

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## Transcript

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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:
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.
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
Colin is the chief pixel pusher at Kineticist. He's a lifetime gamer who became enamored with pinball after taking in a family copy of the 1979 classic Joker Poker (the EM version). Since then he's bought, sold and repaired many machines, competed in all kinds of tournaments, and contributes to This Week in Pinball, the New Robert Englunds Pinball League, and Pin-Masters of New Robert Englunds. Previously, Colin spent over a decade working in marketing for agencies and tech startups. He also started and ran a music blog, happy hour website, and wrote a regular craft beer review column for Central Track in Dallas. Once aspired to be an artsy film director.

_(Acquisition: web_scrape, Enrichment: v4)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-06-06 | Item ID: c92def0b-de3e-4006-814a-9ea5fd447e26*