Japanese gaming giant Capcom has been tasting success after success recently, with Monster Hunter Wilds being the latest example. With several tentpole franchises under its care, the most iconic one is likely to be Resident Evil. After giving fans opportunities to revisit the past with remakes, it is now time for the series to move forward with Resident Evil Requiem.
The ninth mainline entry takes us back to where it all began: Raccoon City. More intriguingly, Capcom has described the game as a significant shift for the series. Seeing how the games transitioned from tank controls to third-person before successfully moving into a first-person horror experience, the developers definitely know how to change things up.
During the Summer Game Fest showcase, host Geoff Keighley explained that Resident Evil Requiem marks a “bold shift for the franchise both in tone and gameplay.” We can look forward to “high-stakes cinematic action” on top of the survival horror that we know and love.
This will play out through the perspective of a seemingly new playable character in Grace Ashcroft, an FBI technical analyst. Investigating a series of unknown deaths, she will be returning to Raccoon City, where her mother was murdered. If you have played Resident Evil Outbreak, Alyssa Ashcroft would be a familiar name, as she was a reporter on the scene during the original outbreak.
Considering that the city was destroyed by a missile strike back in 1998 following the zombie outbreak, Raccoon City is nothing like what we remember. Seeing the Raccoon City Police Department in ruins is one for the memories. It will be interesting to see why and how the series brings players back, but at the very least, it already looks impressive from a visual standpoint.
Powered by the RE Engine and using the best of what current generation consoles can offer, Resident Evil Requiem will deliver lifelike facial expressions, improve textures, and even high-fidelity sweat to make you feel every bit of tension that comes your way.
We can expect to hear more in the coming months, with a playable public demo set to be unleashed at Gamescom later this year.
Resident Evil Requiem launches on February 27, 2026, for PlayStation 5, PC, and Xbox Series X.
