Resident Evil Requiem continues to pull back the curtain, just slightly, with a new batch of gameplay footage revealed during this week’s Capcom Spotlight event.
While we didn’t get an extended demo or a surprise Leon Kennedy cameo, we did get our first real look at how this ninth mainline entry in the survival horror series will play, and the early signs point to a chilling return to form.
The gameplay footage is brief, but loaded with atmosphere, and showcases new protagonist Grace Ashcroft, an FBI technical analyst who clearly isn’t in Quantico anymore. We see Grace creeping through narrow corridors with nothing but a lighter to keep the darkness at bay, her cautious footsteps echoing into the void.
In another clip, she turns a corner only to find a hulking, malformed humanoid creature looming ominously in the shadows, still, silent, and terrifying. Later gameplay shifts into more traditional survival horror territory. Grace now wields a handgun and investigates a toolbox up-close in that familiar Resident Evil inspection screen style.
Capcom notes that Ashcroft is not a soldier but someone who approaches horror with “calm, deductive reasoning,” a small detail that sets her apart from past action-heavy protagonists. While she can defend herself, the tension in Requiem doesn’t come from overwhelming power, but from being just barely equipped to survive.
Capcom also confirmed that Resident Evil Requiem will feature full support for both first- and third-person perspectives, and players can switch between them at will via the Options menu. According to the developers, first-person is best for “tense, realistic gameplay,” while third-person offers better situational awareness and a more action-forward experience.
The story takes place thirty years after the missile strike that destroyed Raccoon City, a time jump that puts Requiem well ahead of previous titles chronologically.
That explains the massive crater seen in the announcement trailer and frames the game as a kind of memorial. Capcom describes Requiem as “a eulogy to those who came before.” There are no official signs yet of legacy characters like Leon or Claire, but with months to go until release, the possibility remains open.
Resident Evil Requiem launches February 27, 2026, for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. If this early glimpse is any indication, Requiem might just be the perfect fusion of psychological horror and survival action that longtime fans have been waiting for.
