Why are people assuming that DMC5 is after DMC2?

[Carlos]

Compromise, what if the game is set after 4, but starts DURING the events of 2? Hear me out, maybe while Dante was fighting Arius and Argosax, Nero was off on his own little adventure, and Dante joins in later?
Let me dream people!

This is the most likely of scenario that I see coming out of this whole universe.

 

[xMobilemux]

I've watched the trailer over and over and analysed each and every frame and I believe it is indeed set after DMC2.

The biggest give away for this is Dante riding the motorcycle at the end as DMC2 ended with Dante riding a motorcycle into Hell, but what really supports this theory is the destroyed city around Dante as he rides down the road.
The buildings are clearly torn apart with burned vehicles on the road and what not and it doesn't look like recent damage, what further supports this is that in that scene those demonic tentacles Nero is seen fighting are nowhere to be seen.

Also if you'll look behind Dante at a certain time you'll see what appears to be a destroyed skyscraper of sorts:

(You can barely see it in the animated gif)
I think this is the tower where the portal opened in DMC2 or what's left of it:

I believe that the final scene in the trailer is indeed Dante returning from Hell and racing down the streets of Uroboros City on Dumary Island.

Some are saying that it's not set after DMC2 cause Itsuno said that it's a direct sequel to DMC4, well I also heard that it takes place a few years after DMC4 and it being called DMC5 is probably what he meant by that.
Also he may have been pointing out that it's a direct sequel to DMC4 so that new players don't mistake it for a DmC sequel.
Plus it can double as a marketing tactic as well, if he said it takes place after DMC2, that would cause newer players to play DMC2 to catch up and get a bad taste in their mouths from the games poor quality, discouraging them from playing DMC5, they're likely to want more after playing DMC4 though.

Now my theory on "Where is Rebellion?", consider this:
I believe that the motorcycle itself IS Rebellion, maybe while in Hell, the standard motorcycle was damaged and Dante merged it with Rebellion's power to create the "Rebellicycle" if you will.

 

[Foxtrot94]

I honestly believe that many people just want it to be set after DMC2 because they finally want closure for that cliffhanger ending and are using the most minuscule, easily explainable details they can find to support this theory, even if it means denying the evidence from developer interviews.

At this point, I say believe what you will but then be wary of that disappointment if it turns out it's not a DMC2 sequel.

 

[xMobilemux]

There was also a story summary that said Dante's whereabouts are unknown, don't know if it is official cause I can't find it on any official Capcom sites, but if it is official then it further supports it being post DMC2 cause it would seem really weird for Dante to disappear, reappear and disappear again.

 

[ROCKMAN X]

I honestly believe that many people just want it to be set after DMC2 because they finally want closure for that cliffhanger ending and are using the most minuscule, easily explainable details they can find to support this theory, even if it means denying the evidence from developer interviews.

At this point, I say believe what you will but then be wary of that disappointment if it turns out it's not a DMC2 sequel.

You're right, but it is pretty asinine to make a second prequel to DMC2 with none of them connecting anything with DMC2. The story is practically begging to be set after DMC2 at this point, apparently a much older dante has given the DMC business to Nero and has just "left" as in left to Uroboros city? Plus, it actually fixes the ending of DMC2 where dante just leaves earth unprotected. It makes much more sense that Dante would go to hell knowing that Nero is taking care of DMC business.

All of this is baffling to me because DMC3 is the gold standard of video game prequels, it fleshes out Vergil's character and sets up for all the events of DMC1 and yet DMC4 ignores DMC2 like its plague and now we have DMC5 which i doubt will ever acknowledge DMC2's existence.

 

[Demi-fiend]

I'm gonna be really let down if it's not set after 2...

 

[windleopard]

You're right, but it is pretty asinine to make a second prequel to DMC2 with none of them connecting anything with DMC2. The story is practically begging to be set after DMC2 at this point, apparently a much older dante has given the DMC business to Nero and has just "left" as in left to Uroboros city? Plus, it actually fixes the ending of DMC2 where dante just leaves earth unprotected. It makes much more sense that Dante would go to hell knowing that Nero is taking care of DMC business.

All of this is baffling to me because DMC3 is the gold standard of video game prequels, it fleshes out Vergil's character and sets up for all the events of DMC1 and yet DMC4 ignores DMC2 like its plague and now we have DMC5 which i doubt will ever acknowledge DMC2's existence.

To be fair he wasn't really leaving it unprotected. Lucia and the Protectorate are still around and assuming they were still alive, so were Trish and Lady.

 

[berto]

Dante riding the motorcycle at the end as DMC2 ended with Dante riding a motorcycle into Hell

Yeah, but the motorcycles look nothing alike.

I think this is the tower where the portal opened in DMC2 or what's left of it:

Those towers also look nothing alike. Different size, shape, color and distance from each other.

those demonic tentacles Nero is seen fighting are nowhere to be seen

Well, yeah. That's because he's driving towards them. If we could see them it'd mean Dante'd be driving away from them.


I wouldn't mind if this took place after DMC2 but the evidence just isn't there.

Spring will be here before long. That's a little under a year. I'm sure they'll tell us well before that.

 

[xMobilemux]

Yeah, but the motorcycles look nothing alike.

Did you catch the last part of my post? It's just a theory, but it's possible.

Those towers also look nothing alike. Different size, shape, color and distance from each other.

The tower has likely been destroyed just like the rest of the city, maybe the power of the portal destroyed it. Also the fact that there aren't any other towers that high supports the theory too.

Well, yeah. That's because he's driving towards them. If we could see them it'd mean Dante'd be driving away from them.

The trailer gives off the vibe that the tentacles are across the entire city where the damage is, we can't see any in that scene with Dante, also the damage to the city doesn't look recent, plus there's that shot of the city being flooded, there's no flood in Dante's scene.
Not to mention the entire area is barren, no people, no demons, nothing.

This is all just theories though, yeah I'll be a bit bummed if it isn't post DMC2, but I'll still love the game fine if it's another prequel.

 

[ROCKMAN X]

To be fair he wasn't really leaving it unprotected. Lucia and the Protectorate are still around and assuming they were still alive, so were Trish and Lady.

Even the combined might of Lucia&Trish won't be able to fight off stronger demons like Despair Embodied or the new DMC5 demon villain who is stated to be stronger than Mundus. Earth will always need Sparda's progeny to fight off the stronger demons, its kind of prophetic at this point.