Silent Hill f writer shares divisive concept that 'Silent Hill is a phenomenon, not a place'

Silent Hill f writer Ryukishi07 says series is a phenomenon, not a town, expanding theory that divided fans

Silent Hill f writer Ryukishi07 has said the Silent Hill series should be understood as a phenomenon rather than a physical location, reinforcing a theory previously introduced in Silent Hill: The Short Message that divided parts of the fanbase.

Speaking in an interview with Famitsu, translated by GamesRadar+, Ryukishi07 explained that the concept emerged during early discussions about setting Silent Hill f in Japan.

He said he questioned how a series named after an American town could logically exist in another country and raised the issue directly with series producer Motoi Okamoto.

“I discussed a lot of things with series producer Okamoto in a meeting after I received the request [to write Silent Hill f],” Ryukishi07 said.

“Like ‘Why is it set in Japan?’ and ‘What exactly is Silent Hill?’ In the end, we came to the conclusion that Silent Hill is not just the name of a place, it is a phenomenon.”

The idea aligns with a note found in Silent Hill: The Short Message, which refers to the “Silent Hill Phenomenon” as a recurring supernatural event named after an earlier incident in a US town. That explanation marked a shift away from the series being tied exclusively to a single location.

While the original Silent Hill games were set in and around the fictional American town, later entries have expanded the series' scope. The focus has increasingly centred on the otherworld, a supernatural realm shaped by the psychological trauma of those who encounter it.

Ryukishi07 said the phenomenon-based interpretation provided a foundation for Silent Hill f’s story and setting. Silent Hill f is the first mainline entry to take place in Japan, continuing Konami’s efforts to broaden the series’ geographical and thematic range.

Fan responses to the theory have been mixed, but reactions to Silent Hill f have generally focused on interest in seeing the franchise explore new settings beyond the United States.