Resident Evil Requiem is Capcom’s ninth mainline survival-horror installment, released on February 27, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, with Nintendo Switch 2 support added at launch. It follows FBI intelligence analyst Grace Ashcroft and veteran agent Leon S. Kennedy as separate investigations converge on the legacy of the Raccoon City Incident.
Capcom designed Requiem as an entry point for newcomers. Earlier games add context, especially for Leon, Raccoon City, Umbrella, and the Ashcroft family, but the director says you do not need to have played any previous Resident Evil title to understand this story. The main practical choice is which character’s very different gameplay loop suits you: Grace survives through caution, scarcity, and crafting, while Leon brings firearms, melee combat, parries, and customizable equipment.
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What is Resident Evil Requiem about?
The official premise begins with a body discovered at an abandoned hotel in the American Midwest, amid a mysterious series of deaths. Grace Ashcroft, an FBI intelligence analyst, is assigned to investigate because the hotel is where her mother was murdered eight years earlier. At the same time, veteran agent Leon S. Kennedy is sent after a police officer disappears.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteTheir cases eventually intersect as they investigate links to the Raccoon City Incident. That structure lets the game tell a personal mystery through Grace while reconnecting the wider series narrative through Leon, Raccoon City, and the secret history of the Umbrella Corporation.
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- Grace Ashcroft, an FBI intelligence analyst who is introverted and easily scared, representing a new type of character for the Resident Evil series. Grace will experience horror from the same perspective as the player as she learns to overcome her fears throughout the course of the story.
- For the first time ever in Resident Evil history, players will be able to freely switch between both first- and third-person perspectives throughout the game.
- An Anniversary to Remember: With March 2026 marking the Resident Evil series’ 30-year anniversary, Resident Evil Requiem marks its own milestone in the franchise.
- Pre-orders for Resident Evil Requiem are now open, with the bonus of Grace’s costume: Apocalypse. Please note that the picture weapon does not come with the costume, but it can be obtained in-game.
Producer Masato Kumazawa described the goal as returning to “a story that continues the overarching narrative rooted in Raccoon City and the secret machinations of the Umbrella Corporation.” The wording confirms a connection to the franchise’s central history without revealing the game’s later twists.
Who is Grace Ashcroft?
Grace is an FBI intelligence analyst and the game’s newer protagonist. Her investigation is personal: the abandoned hotel at the center of the case is where her mother was killed eight years earlier.
Grace is Alyssa Ashcroft’s daughter. PlayStation’s official character description identifies Alyssa as a Raccoon City survivor who worked as a reporter and continued investigating Umbrella after the outbreak. Alyssa’s history also connects the Ashcroft family to the Resident Evil Outbreak games, making Grace a bridge between that side of the series and the new story.
Kumazawa said Capcom wanted a relatable character with a personal connection to Raccoon City. Grace is therefore not presented as a replacement for established heroes; she is the viewpoint through which newcomers can discover the setting and long-time players can see its consequences affecting another generation.
Is Leon in Resident Evil Requiem?
Yes. Leon S. Kennedy is one of the two playable protagonists. He is described as a Raccoon City survivor and a seasoned agent of the Division of Security Operations. In Requiem, he is dispatched after a police officer goes missing, a case that eventually leads into the same investigation as Grace’s.
Leon’s presence supplies continuity with the mainline games, but Capcom has not required players to know every detail of his career. The confirmed premise establishes his role, his Raccoon City background, and his professional experience; it does not publicly confirm every plot connection or reveal how his story resolves.
How are Grace and Leon connected to Raccoon City?
The connection is both familial and investigative. Grace is Alyssa Ashcroft’s daughter, so her family history reaches back to the outbreak and to Alyssa’s reporting on Umbrella. Leon personally survived the Raccoon City Incident and now returns as an experienced agent. Their separate cases converge while examining events tied to the ruined city.
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- A NEW ERA OF SURVIVAL HORROR — Experience the ninth mainline Resident Evil adventure, blending terrifying survival horror with pulse-pounding action in an immersive new chapter.
- TWO INTERTWINED JOURNEYS — Experience the story through FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft and legendary agent Leon S. Kennedy, each bringing a distinct gameplay style to the nightmare.
- SURVIVE AS GRACE ASHCROFT — Step into terrifying survival horror as FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft faces deadly threats and fights to escape death.
- TAKE ACTION AS LEON S. KENNEDY — Dive into pulse-pounding action with legendary agent Leon S. Kennedy as the two protagonists’ journeys collide.
- RETURN TO RESIDENT EVIL — Enter the latest mainline chapter of Capcom’s iconic survival horror series for a chilling experience built around fear, tension, and action.
Capcom’s director Koshi Nakanishi said the game is “designed to be welcoming to complete newcomers who don’t know anything about the Raccoon City Incident or haven’t played any Resident Evil titles before.” That is an important qualification: Requiem continues an overarching story, but it is not marketed as a test of encyclopedic series knowledge.
Which story links are officially confirmed?
The following connections are established by Capcom or official platform descriptions:
| Connection | What is confirmed |
|---|---|
| Raccoon City | Grace and Leon investigate cases that converge on the Raccoon City Incident and its aftermath. |
| Alyssa Ashcroft | Grace is Alyssa’s daughter. Alyssa survived the incident, became a reporter, and continued investigating Umbrella. |
| Leon Kennedy | Leon is a Raccoon City survivor and a DSO agent sent to investigate a missing police officer. |
| Umbrella | The producer says the narrative remains rooted in Raccoon City and Umbrella’s secret machinations. |
| Shared locations | Actions can carry between protagonists in locations both characters visit: enemies killed by Grace remain dead for Leon, and items left on the ground remain available. |
These facts do not establish every rumored character appearance, creature, timeline detail, or ending. Treat plot descriptions beyond the official synopsis and interviews as speculation unless Capcom confirms them.
Do I need to play the earlier Resident Evil games?
No. The director explicitly says newcomers can start with Requiem. The game introduces Grace, frames Leon’s role, and explains the investigation around Raccoon City well enough to serve as a standalone starting point.
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Previous games are useful if you want additional context rather than necessary homework:
- Resident Evil 2: optional background for Leon’s first connection to Raccoon City. Check whether a listing is the original release or a remake before buying.
- Resident Evil 3: optional context for the city and the outbreak’s wider impact; distinguish the original from its remake in store listings.
- Resident Evil 6: optional background on Leon as an established government agent.
- Resident Evil Outbreak: optional context for Alyssa Ashcroft and the civilian side of the Raccoon City disaster.
You can begin with Requiem and return to those games later if a particular character or historical reference interests you. Playing them first is not presented as a prerequisite by Capcom.
How does Grace’s gameplay work?
Grace’s sections emphasize vulnerability and judgment rather than sustained firepower. Supplies are limited, so every encounter asks whether you should fight, hide, distract an enemy, or leave the area and conserve resources.
Rank #3
- DELUXE EDITION CONTENT — Includes the full game plus five costumes, four weapon skins, two screen filters, two charms, the Raccoon City Classic Audio Pack, and Letters from 1998.
- A NEW ERA OF SURVIVAL HORROR — Experience the ninth mainline Resident Evil adventure, blending terrifying survival horror with pulse-pounding action in an immersive new chapter.
- TWO INTERTWINED JOURNEYS — Experience the story through FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft and legendary agent Leon S. Kennedy, each bringing a distinct gameplay style to the nightmare.
- SURVIVE AS GRACE ASHCROFT — Step into terrifying survival horror as FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft faces deadly threats and fights to escape death.
- TAKE ACTION AS LEON S. KENNEDY — Dive into pulse-pounding action with legendary agent Leon S. Kennedy as the two protagonists’ journeys collide.
Resource scarcity
Grace has fewer tools for forcing her way through a room. Ammunition and healing materials must be managed around the next threat, not spent automatically whenever an enemy appears. The intended tension comes from deciding which danger is worth confronting.
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Her crafting system lets her make items and ammunition from materials found during exploration. She can also create one-hit injectors from infected blood. Those injectors provide a powerful emergency option, but obtaining and using resources remains part of the risk calculation rather than a replacement for careful play.
Fight-or-flee decisions
Grace’s loop rewards reading an environment and choosing a route. A technically possible fight may still be a poor choice if it consumes supplies needed for a later section. This makes her campaign closer to traditional survival-horror decision-making than to a straightforward action shooter.
How does Leon’s gameplay work?
Leon’s segments are built around greater combat capability. He uses firearms and melee attacks, can parry incoming threats, and may turn enemy weapons against them. His attaché case organizes a broader set of equipment, while customizable weapon parts let you tune firearms to your preferred approach.
Weapons and melee
Leon can engage enemies directly with guns or close-quarters attacks. Parrying adds a timing-based defensive option, allowing skilled players to interrupt or answer attacks instead of only retreating.
Enemy weapons
The ability to use enemy weapons changes how you evaluate a fight. An encounter may offer an opportunity to improve your immediate firepower, not merely a drain on ammunition.
Attaché case and weapon parts
The attaché case makes inventory arrangement part of preparation. Weapon-part customization gives Leon a more flexible combat toolkit than Grace’s scarcity-focused loadout. The two systems are intentionally complementary rather than interchangeable.
Rank #4
- Platform: Xbox Series X
- Genre: Action - Horror
- Condition: New and Sealed
- Edition: Standard
Grace versus Leon: what is the gameplay difference?
| Aspect | Grace Ashcroft | Leon S. Kennedy |
|---|---|---|
| Primary tension | Vulnerability, limited supplies, and deciding whether to fight or flee | Managing direct engagements and selecting the best weapon or melee response |
| Combat emphasis | Avoidance, careful positioning, and selective attacks | Firearms, melee attacks, parries, and enemy weapons |
| Resource system | Crafted items, ammunition, and one-hit injectors made from infected blood | Attaché-case inventory and customizable weapon parts |
| Player fantasy | An analyst surviving a dangerous investigation through preparation and restraint | An experienced agent capable of confronting threats directly |
| Story role | Personal investigation tied to her mother and the hotel | Professional investigation triggered by a missing police officer |
Neither campaign is simply an easy and hard mode. They are different survival-horror rhythms: Grace makes uncertainty and conservation central, while Leon gives you more ways to control a confrontation.
Can I play Resident Evil Requiem in third person?
Yes. Both Grace and Leon can be played in first-person or third-person perspective. You are not restricted to first person for Grace or third person for Leon.
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Kumazawa explained that Capcom offered both views because players have different preferences. The choice affects more than the camera: animation, balance, interface presentation, and sound design all need to work in each perspective. Switching viewpoints therefore changes how an encounter feels, even when the underlying objective is the same.
If you prefer to see a character’s full movement and equipment, third person provides that framing. If you want a closer, more enclosed view of corridors and threats, first person delivers that perspective. The best choice is personal, and the game supports both protagonists with both options.
Do actions carry between Grace and Leon?
Some actions do, when both characters use the same location. Nakanishi confirmed that enemies Grace kills remain dead when Leon later visits that area, and items left on the ground remain available to the other protagonist.
This is a practical form of continuity, not a promise that every room, action, or item is shared across the entire game. It means your behavior can shape a later visit: clearing a threat early may make Leon’s route safer, while leaving a useful item behind can preserve it for the next character.
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How scary is Resident Evil Requiem?
The director said, “Overall, this game may be scarier than Resident Evil Village, but it alternates between tension and relief, so it isn’t a continuous, suffocating experience.” That describes a deliberate pacing pattern rather than a constant intensity level.
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- Resident Evil Requiem is the ninth title in the Resident Evil main series. Prepare to escape death in this breathtaking experience that will shake you to the core.
- A new era of survival horror begins in 2026. Technological advancement combined with the vast experience of the development team in combining stories with finely crafted characters and gameplay ensure a more immersive experience than ever before.
- Experience the classic survival horror of the series through combat, investigation, puzzles, and resource management. The gameplay allows you to freely switch between first-person and third-person perspectives and experience the horror from the angle that best suits your playing style.
- It all begins when a corpse--the victim of an unknown disease--is found in an abandoned hotel. Grace Ashcroft, crime analyst at the FBI, is commissioned with the investigation. But the location of the corpse is exactly the place where her mother died eight years ago.
- Nervous of being confronted with her past, Grace sets out for the hotel. As it turns out, the case is linked to the truth behind the misfortune of Raccoon City, the biological catastophile that once shocked the world. Is this chapter finally drawn a final line?
Grace’s limited resources and vulnerable encounters support sustained anxiety, while Leon’s stronger combat options provide moments of control. Alternating pressure and relief also gives exploration and story scenes room to breathe. Players seeking relentless action should expect survival-horror tension; players worried about uninterrupted dread should know that the game includes breaks in intensity.
What engine does the game use?
Capcom’s June 2025 release announcement says Requiem uses the RE ENGINE, the technology underpinning the publisher’s modern Resident Evil development. The announcement identifies the engine but does not, by itself, establish platform-specific performance targets or visual settings.
What platforms is Resident Evil Requiem on?
| Platform | Availability confirmed |
|---|---|
| PlayStation 5 | Released February 27, 2026 |
| Xbox Series X|S | Released February 27, 2026 |
| PC | Released February 27, 2026 |
| Nintendo Switch 2 | Added at launch in Capcom’s later platform details |
The confirmed platform list does not include PlayStation 4, Xbox One, or the original Nintendo Switch. Before purchasing, verify the platform label, edition contents, and regional listing in your local storefront. The official PlayStation product page has displayed Standard and Deluxe editions and a demo listing, but prices and availability can change by region and date.
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Capcom announced on March 16, 2026 that Resident Evil Requiem had sold more than 6 million units. That is Requiem’s reported sales figure as of that announcement, not a forecast or a franchise total.
For context, Capcom reported more than 170 million Resident Evil game units sold worldwide as of March 31, 2025, and later reported more than 183 million as of December 31, 2025. Those figures cover the entire series and should not be confused with Requiem’s individual sales. Capcom also said additional game content was planned, but the announcement did not provide a detailed description or release date, so it should not be assumed to mean a specific story expansion.
Is Resident Evil Requiem a good starting point?
Yes, if you want a modern survival-horror game with a self-contained investigation and optional links to a larger mythology. Newcomers get a clear entry through Grace’s case and Leon’s assignment. Returning players get recognizable anchors in Leon, Raccoon City, Alyssa Ashcroft, and Umbrella without the game requiring a recap marathon first.
Choose Requiem with realistic expectations: Grace and Leon do not play the same way, both camera perspectives are supported, and the story’s confirmed connections are broader than any unverified online theory. If you want resource pressure and cautious exploration, Grace’s chapters are the stronger fit. If you prefer weapon handling, parries, and direct confrontations, Leon’s chapters provide that experience.
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