The dev team behind Resident Evil Requiem showed of some new gameplay footage to the public, and oh baby was it pretty! Pitched as the most immersive mainline entry in the series, Requiem intends to lean far more into the horror aspects of the franchise while both introducing new characters and environments, as well as giving players the chance to revisit some familiar stomping grounds and perhaps get some further insight into other beloved characters.
Director Koshi Nakanishi, Art Director Tomonori Takano, and Producers Masachika Kawata and Masato Kumazawa, took the stage to better explain what players can look forward to from the upcoming sequel that they say will be fueled by “addictive fear,” with horror at the heart of its gameplay and narrative direction. The team revealed more details about Grace Ashcroft, FBI intelligence analyst, daughter of Alyssa Ashcroft, and Requiem‘s new protagonist.
Grace is a bit on the introverted side and is fairly jumpy and easily spooked. This type of character hasn’t been explored much in the Resident Evil series, as the overwhelming majority of the games’ protagonists have been mostly brave, specially trained, and ready for action. Grace on the other hand is more timid and meek, though trained with firearms as per protocol for her position within the FBI, she will likely rely more on her analytical skills of rational reasoning and deduction to handle whatever threats and obstacles are thrown her way.
This also means that the rumors of the always popular Leon Scott Kennedy returning as a protagonist in Requiem isn’t going to happen, though not for the reasons you may think. It was revealed that the team had initially considered Leon’s inclusion, but for a more horror focused direction with the upcoming sequel, it wouldn’t work trying to convince players that Leon “Where’s Everyone Going? Bingo?” Kennedy is afraid of anything after all of the bioweapons and general atrocities he’s encountered up to this point. So, maybe next time we’ll see a return of some of the pretty boy special agent, but for now we get to explore someone new. Director Koshi Nakanishi explained the decision by stating:
“We always thought about making Leon the protagonist but making a horror game based around him is difficult. He wouldn’t jump at something like a bucket falling. No one wants to see Leon scared by every little thing. So, he’s actually quite a bad match for horror.”
Utilizing the gorgeous and ever impressive RE Engine, the team has worked tirelessly to ensure that the level of realism and detail is unprecedented, including incredible animations and graphical nuances that will bring the characters, the enemies, and the world to life with an immersion like no other in the series. The gameplay showed off during the Spotlight featured the different camera perspectives that the player will be able to choose from, this time including the choice between both first-person and third-person.
As a very active member in the Resident Evil fan community, camera perspective in the series is something that players have been divided over for years, and now the option will be provided from the jump. Good on Capcom, I say! Now we just need to convince them to add fixed-camera back into the mix, but perhaps I’m being too greedy.
As previously revealed at Summer Game Fest, Resident Evil Requiem will take place about 30 years after the targeted destruction of Raccoon City to contain the viral outbreak. Requiem is meant to be somewhat of a eulogy for the characters who either lost their lives or were changed forever due to the initial outbreak, and I’m hoping that in an effort to further honor these characters, Capcom will release Resident Evil Outbreak remakes using some of the assets from their other RE Engine sequels and remakes.
With players finally getting to return to the place where it all began, Raccoon City, and with a new playable character who is a direct relation to one of the Outbreak protagonists, hype will be at an all-time high around the Outbreak games and now would be the perfect time to strike while the iron is hot! But I digress…
Release Date: February 27, 2026
Official Website: residentevil.com/requiem
