Everything we know after Resident Evil Requiem’s big reveal

Capcom unveiled Resident Evil Requiem (aka Resident Evil 9) at Summer Game Fest, and everyone immediately had more questions.

Requiem appears to reimagine the Resident Evil series, building on concepts introduced in the original game while shifting the focus back to horror over action. Rumors point to Requiem being a conclusion to existing storylines and a fresh jumping-on point for the franchise’s future, a direction strongly hinted at in the trailer.

With a February 2026 release date incoming, here’s everything we know about Resident Evil Requiem so far.

Protagonist Grace Ashcroft has ties to Resident Evil Outbreak

In the trailer released June 6, we meet Grace Ashcroft, the protagonist of Resident Evil Requiem, a technical analyst for the FBI, writing about a diseased individual being found at an abandoned government office. She’s interrupted by her boss, who is assigning her to a murder case at the Wrenwood Hotel. She receives horrific flashbacks of the dilapidated hotel before her boss says that’s where Grace’s mother was murdered. He then mentions that Alyssa Ashcroft (from Resident Evil Outbreak) died eight years ago and that it’s time for her to face the past.

Though Grace and Alyssa share a last name, their exact relationship remains unclear. Many assume Alyssa is Grace’s mother, but it’s never explicitly said.

There are first- and third-person modes

A gameplay demo featured during Summer Game Fest revealed that the game will be playable in both first- and third-person perspectives, and that players can switch between them. The demo itself takes place during one of the sequences in the trailer, with Grace latched to medical table, very much afraid as she attempts to navigate the creepy house she’s in before running into a big, snarling monster lady. After seemingly meeting her demise, the game starts again, showing Grace in third-person mode.

Grace is not a fighter

During the SGF presentation, representatives from Capcom described Grace as a protagonist who doesn’t know her way around a gun, making her much different from the average Resident Evil protagonist. Despite being a return to form of its survival horror origins, Capcom says the ninth mainline Resident Evil promises “deeply terrifying aspects of psychological horror with pulse-pounding action.” So, although she won’t be as skilled as Leon S Kennedy, fans should still expect some action to go along with their survival horror.

The story and setting

Tasked with investigating the Wrenwood Hotel, FBI technical analyst Grace Ashcroft must investigate all the deaths happening around that location, the same place where her mother was murdered.

Although it’s unclear where the hotel is located, it also appears players will visit the remnants of Raccoon City, following the bomb that dropped there at the end of Resident Evil 2. We see a crater from the bomb in the middle of the city before getting a glimpse of the wrecked police department.

“Prepare to escape death in a heart-stopping experience that will chill you to your core,” it says on Resident Evil Requiem’s website. “A new era of survival horror begins in 2026. Technological advancements combined with the development team’s depth of experience combine in a story with rich characters and gameplay that’s more immersive than ever before.”

Capcom is really touting the fidelity of this title, promising “spine-chilling realism like never before, with complex character details like lifelike facial expressions, realistic skin textures, and even high-fidelity sweat droplets that are sure to keep players on the edge of their seats.”

Resident Evil Requiem platforms

Resident Evil Requiem is set to launch on PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC in February 2026, marking the series’ full leap into next-gen. Unlike Resident Evil Village and earlier entries, this ninth mainline installment has been developed exclusively for current-gen platforms, leaving behind the PS4 and Xbox One.

When is the Resident Evil Requiem release date?

Resident Evil Requiem releases on Feb. 27, 2026.