Resident Evil Requiem’s release date brings us a fresh entry in Capcom’s acclaimed survival horror series, promising to both evolve its modern formula and take us back to a very familiar place. Also known as Resident Evil 9, the title is likely to dial up the horror, asking us to return to Raccoon City, where we witness the devastation that followed the now-iconic outbreak and, perhaps, uncover a new threat.
RE9 introduces a new protagonist, Grace Ashcroft, an FBI analyst sent to investigate a body plagued by a mysterious disease that was found inside the abandoned Wrenwood Hotel – the place where her mother was murdered eight years ago. This setup allows for revelations both personal and far-reaching, as Capcom teases “uncovering the hidden truth behind the outbreak in Raccoon City.”
Resident Evil Requiem Release Date
Resident Evil Requiem’s release date was confirmed as part of its official unveiling during 2025’s Summer Games Fest livestream. It is currently slated to occur on February 27, 2026.
- Resident Evil Requiem release date: February 27, 2026
Resident Evil Requiem Hands-on Impressions from GamesCom 2025
Resident Evil is a franchise that has constantly shifted, and Resident Evil Requiem is no different. In many respects, Resident Evil Requiem represents another seismic shift in the franchise: one that pulls on the same threads as Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, but seeks to craft a more orchestrated and cinematic horror experience that leans on the likes of PT and Outlast.
Ahead of Gamescom, we got to play a demo of Resident Evil Requiem and came away impressed by how the franchise has managed to take a strong shift towards horror again after Resident Evil Village, and how haunting and scary the experience was.
Set in Raccoon City decades after its destruction, Grace Ashcroft is dispatched to a Wrenwood Hotel to investigate a series of deaths. This hotel is also the place where her mother, Alyssa Ashcroft, died.
She finds herself tied up and has to make her way through the initial halls of the Wrenwood Hotel in search of a way out and details about the murders that have taken place. What ensues is a haunting walk through a hotel lobby as you search for keys and fuses to unlock the door to the central atrium of the hotel.
The atmosphere that is built up here is fantastic, thanks to some substantial upgrades to the RE Engine. Lighting, texture quality, and sound are all amped up to 11, and it helps sell the constant danger and terror Grace feels as she slowly stumbles through the halls of the hotel.
If the whole game looks like this, then I do not doubt that Resident Evil Requiem will be one of the best-looking games released this decade. The detail in every pixel on screen was astounding, and it married incredibly well with the sound and lighting, which were on another level.
Grace’s trip in the Wrenwood Hotel is quickly interrupted by a vast, horrifying, malformed woman chasing after her. Her form fills up the corridors as she weaves through the halls of the hotel, and her footsteps create almighty thumps. The closest analogy is the mutant infant found in House Beneviento in Resident Evil Village. She is truly horrifying, and Grace is forced to hide and crouch behind desks in a much more passive playstyle in the vein of Alien Isolation, where you can throw bottles to distract the woman and dart into rooms to hide.
The puzzles and gameplay flow are very similar to Resident Evil 2, except the playstyle is much more passive. You don’t have a gun, and we imagine the more actiony side of Resident Evil will be found in the other half of the story, which is heavily rumored to feature Leon.
In reality, this demo was limited in scope; it felt similar to the initial section in the house in Resident Evil 7, and I imagine there is a lot more Capcom is keeping under wraps. But I was thoroughly impressed by how well the atmosphere and horror were amped up to create a refreshing Resident Evil experience that didn’t feel like anything else in the modern era of the franchise.
There is a lot still being kept secret about Resident Evil Requiem, but it made a strong first impression, and I have no doubts that it will be another incredible experience that sits alongside Capcom’s stellar lineup in recent years.
Resident Evil Requiem Gameplay
Resident Evil 9’s gameplay will feature at least one major difference when compared to its predecessors.
Capcom has confirmed that Resident Evil Requiem allows us to freely switch between the first and third-person perspectives as we venture through Raccoon City.
The series did, of course, rely on a third-person perspective before Resident Evil 7 gave it a much-needed shake-up. Having both available as a part of RE9’s gameplay at launch is bound to please fans of both the older and newer games.
We also know that Resident Evil 9 continues to focus on the “series’ classic survival horror through combat, investigations, puzzles, and resource management.”
Its first trailer includes shots of dark, narrow corridors, intricate interiors, as well as exterior areas that showcase the devastation Raccoon City suffered, and there is a good chance that we’ll get to experience all of them in some capacity.
RE9 will very likely pit us against human and monstrous opponents, given how we did get a glimpse at the silhouettes of what could be one of the main human baddies as well as a large, lumbering monster with a decidedly unnerving smile.
Its third trailer confirmed that Leon S. Kennedy is set to return as a playable character, using firearms, roundhouse kicks, and chainsaws to dispatch opponents, while also revealing the name of one villainous figure we’ll encounter: Victor Gideon.
We’d also wager 10 Umbrella Dollars that some sort of dangerous virus is also involved, enhancing these foes.
Director Koshi Nakanishi later confirmed that Grace’s parts will more closely resemble those in Resident Evil 2 and 7, while Leon brings RE4-inspired action-packed sequences to Resident Evil Requiem.
Interestingly enough, some of the zombies we’ll face “retain characteristics from when they were alive,” which is bound to make for a considerably creepier journey through the game’s environments.
Resident Evil Requiem also “puts a unique spin” on the series’ crafting system, requiring us to collect infected blood when creating specialized injectors.
Resident Evil Requiem Price and Platforms
Resident Evil Requiem’s release date sees the survival horror game launching simultaneously on PC, PS5, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Series X/S. Its standard edition is priced at $69,99/€69,99/£59.99. Its Deluxe Edition, which includes several costumes, gun skins, charms, and more, will set you back $79,99/€79,99/£69.99. Pre-ordering either edition unlocks the Apocalypse costume for Grace.
Resident Evil Requiem Trailer
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