First Look at Resident Evil Requiem Gameplay: Why Capcom Chose to Pass on Leon as Protagonist

So picture this: Capcom’s big reveal in June – the Resident Evil Requiem bit. Everyone was buzzing, thinking we’d get blown away by a crazy new gameplay demo. Spoiler alert, we didn’t. But hey, it was, um, insightful? Yeah, let’s go with that.

What’s wild is, instead of heart-pounding gameplay, we get this Creators’ Message video. You know, those diary-style things with developers chatting away? Sure, there were snippets of gameplay thrown in, but mostly just folks talking.

And in this chitchat, some light was shed on a mystery. Grace, the newcomer, descends from the Ashcroft family of Resident Evil Outbreak fame. Who knew, right? The Requiem tale takes a detour from the Winters family saga, veering back into the grand narrative of Raccoon City and Umbrella. Oh, and it’s the 30th anniversary of the series. How’s that for timing?

Now, you’d think Leon Kennedy would be starring in Requiem, especially with his ties to Racoon City. But surprise, surprise – he’s off the table. The rationale? Capcom’s looking for a character who actually gets scared. Like, Leon’s too chill, I guess.

Grace Ashcroft, on the other hand, brings that average player vibe – not super seasoned in survival horror, but as an FBI agent, she can handle a gun. So she’s going to panic just enough to keep things interesting. Relatable, right?

Oh, and speaking of gameplay, you can dive into Requiem in either first or third-person. Capcom wasn’t phased by the third-person DLC from Resident Evil Village – they basically realized folks just pick a perspective and stick with it. Makes sense.

Mark your calendars, folks. Resident Evil Requiem’s hitting the shelves on February 27, 2026 – PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S. Time to dust off your controllers and maybe, just maybe, don’t get your hopes too high this early.