Resident Evil Requiem is a single-player survival-horror game that brings Grace Ashcroft and Leon S. Kennedy into a new investigation tied to Raccoon City. Survival horror is a game style built around managing limited supplies, avoiding threats, solving puzzles, and choosing when to fight.
If you want to know what is confirmed, the key details are separated from spoiler-free story context and reported expansion news. That distinction matters because rumors about new content can sound like official announcements, while the main game already has a complete story. You can choose how much plot detail to read before you start.
Key Takeaways
- The game launched on February 27, 2026, for four platforms.
- Its October 2026 story follows Grace and Leon.
- Grace’s chapters stress careful survival; Leon’s favor action.
- Both leads support first-person view and third-person view.
- Capcom confirmed an expansion was in development.
- Reported expansion details are not confirmed features.
Use the spoiler-free story section first if you want the premise without the ending revealed.
Resident Evil Requiem: Release Date, Story & Everything Confirmed
Resident Evil Requiem launched on February 27, 2026, for four platforms, and PS4 was not among them. The final release list includes Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S.
Some U.S. console players could begin at 9 p.m. PT on February 26, because the local unlock times crossed midnight. The IGN launch-time report lists that console timing and separate PC times.
Requiem launched on four platforms, but not on PS4. A February 26 start was a time-zone difference, not an earlier release date.
| Platform | Platform type | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| Nintendo Switch 2 | Console | February 27, 2026 |
| PlayStation 5 | Console | February 27, 2026 |
| Windows | PC | February 27, 2026 |
| Xbox Series X/S | Console | February 27, 2026 |
Platforms and launch timing
Each platform’s listed release date was February 27, 2026. Console unlocks were listed for 9 p.m. PT on February 26 and midnight ET on February 27.
Steam’s PC schedule listed either 7 p.m. or 9 p.m. PT. Those conflicting times mean the PC timing differed from the console schedule and was not consistent across listings.
Is Requiem available on PS4?
No. Requiem did not release on PS4, even though a September 3, 2025 report said a PS4 version might be planned.
At that time, the announced platforms were PS5, Xbox Series, and PC. The final list added Nintendo Switch 2, but not PS4. The same distinction applies to Nintendo Switch: the listed console is Switch 2, not the original system.
Treat any PS4 listing based on the 2025 speculation as unconfirmed, not as a released version.
When does the story take place in the Resident Evil timeline?
Requiem’s story is set in October 2026, after the events of Resident Evil Village. The precise interval is 28 years after Raccoon City’s destruction, making the date a useful anchor for the series timeline.
Use October 2026 and 28 years as the exact story framing. A separate series recap calls it 30 years after the city’s destruction, which works as a rounded or alternate description, not exact arithmetic.
| Game | Release year | Position in this guide’s chronology |
|---|---|---|
| Resident Evil 7 | 2017 | Before Village |
| Resident Evil Village | 2021 | Before Requiem |
| Resident Evil Requiem | 2026 | October 2026 story setting |
The series’ release years and story years do not always match. Resident Evil 7 came out in 2017, and Village followed in 2021.
Requiem is the ninth main game and follows Village. That makes it the next mainline story after the 2021 game, though the wider series includes many other entries.
For the broader Resident Evil timeline and story details, keep release dates separate from the events shown in each game. Raccoon City’s destruction remains the key point for placing this story.
Use the October 2026 setting and 28-year interval when you need the game’s precise timeline.
What happens in the Resident Evil Requiem story?
The mystery begins with deaths among people connected to the Raccoon City incident and leads Grace back to the hotel where her mother died. The premise links a new case to Grace’s past, while Leon pursues a related investigation.
The main story moves from the Wrenwood Hotel to Rhodes Hill, Raccoon City, and an underground facility. Read the premise below without major reveals, or continue to the clearly marked plot summary.
The premise without major spoilers
Grace investigates deaths among survivors of the Raccoon City disaster. The case takes her to the Wrenwood Hotel, where Alyssa Ashcroft was murdered eight years earlier.
Leon investigates the same trail from another angle. Their work draws them toward Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center and a mystery tied to Victor Gideon and the Connections.
You can read a fuller spoiler-free story and character overview before deciding whether to continue. The main game’s plot does not include the reported expansion story.
Full plot summary with spoilers
Major spoilers follow. The sequence below covers the main revelations and ending, so stop here if you want to discover them during play.
- Victor takes Grace to Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center.
- Grace and Leon encounter Emily and the Girl.
- The investigation reaches Raccoon City and the underground ARK facility.
- Grace learns Elpis is an antiviral, not the weapon Zeno expects.
- Grace and Leon defeat Victor and escape; Emily and Sherry are cured afterward.
Alyssa’s recordings reveal that she adopted Grace. The password Grace uses is “hope,” a small word that gains meaning through the family truth.
Elpis can neutralize viral weapons, changing the stakes of the search. The ending turns the search for a bioweapon into a choice to use Elpis to cure rather than control.
Who are Grace Ashcroft and Leon S. Kennedy?
Grace Ashcroft is the new FBI analyst at the center of the investigation, while Leon S. Kennedy arrives as a seasoned DSO agent. Grace is the new protagonist, and Leon is the returning series character.
Both are playable characters, but they enter the case with different histories and temperaments. Grace’s link to Alyssa connects the story to Resident Evil Outbreak.
Grace Ashcroft’s role
Grace works as an FBI intelligence analyst. She is analytical and introverted, which shapes how she approaches a case built around clues, danger, and painful memories.
Her mother, Alyssa Ashcroft, survived the events of Resident Evil Outbreak. Alyssa was murdered at the Wrenwood Hotel eight years before Grace’s investigation brings her back there.
That family tie gives longtime fans a connection to an older side of the franchise. New players can follow Grace’s case without knowing every detail of Alyssa’s past.
Leon S. Kennedy’s role
Leon is a DSO agent responding to a bioterrorism case. His role recalls years of field work, making him a familiar character for fans who have followed the series.
Grace and Leon share the campaign, but they do not replace each other. Grace carries the new character arc, while Leon brings an established history to the investigation.
Grace’s connection to Alyssa makes the Wrenwood Hotel case personal before she knows what the investigation will uncover.
How does gameplay differ between Grace and Leon?
Grace’s chapters emphasize survival with limited resources, while Leon’s chapters lean into direct action and more available equipment. The shift changes what you need to watch from one chapter to the next.
The campaign alternates between Grace and Leon, rather than letting you choose one protagonist for the full story. Both characters also support first-person view and third-person view.
| Character or mode | Core play style | Key tools or demands |
|---|---|---|
| Grace | Resource-focused survival | Crafting, puzzles, scarce supplies |
| Leon | Action-focused combat | Firearms, hatchet, parries, upgrades |
| Shared controls | First-person or third-person | Switchable perspective for both |
Grace’s resource-focused survival
Grace has fewer supplies, so every shot and healing item matters. You may need to avoid a threat rather than spend ammunition trying to clear a path.
Her chapters ask you to assess enemies before acting. A room that looks safe may still hold a threat, and a puzzle can offer a way forward without a fight.
Grace can craft items, ammunition, and injectors using infected enemy blood. That system gives defeated enemies another use, but it also asks you to weigh the danger of getting close.
Her survival-horror sections are built around careful choices. Save resources for threats you cannot avoid, and check nearby paths before committing to combat.
Leon’s action-focused combat
Leon has a larger arsenal, including firearms and a hatchet. He can use melee attacks, parries, and enemy weapons to answer close-range threats.
His combat allows more direct pressure than Grace’s sections. Customizable equipment gives you ways to adjust his loadout, while upgrades support his action-heavy approach.
The game’s two styles keep familiar survival-horror tools beside faster fights. A player who enjoys careful exploration may prefer Grace’s sections, while Leon offers more chances to push forward.
Expect a shift in pace when control passes between the two characters, not just a change in who is on screen.
Should you use first-person or third-person view?
Choose first-person for a closer, more enclosed feel, or third-person when you want a wider view of the action. First-person suits tense exploration, while third-person can help you track threats around Leon.
Neither view is locked to one character. You can use either perspective for Grace or Leon, so these are play-style suggestions rather than fixed rules.
Grace’s chapters default to first-person, which puts nearby clues and dangers close to your view. That can make a dark hallway feel more enclosed, especially when supplies are low.
Leon’s chapters default to third-person. The wider view can make it easier to read combat space and spot movement around him.
Switching perspective changes how much of the character and nearby space you see. It does not change who you control or remove the need to watch for threats.
Try each view during a low-pressure area before settling on the one that keeps you most aware of threats.
What should you play before Resident Evil Requiem?
You can start with Requiem, but Resident Evil 7 and Village make the closest two-game lead-in. Earlier games add context, though the story does not require you to know every past event.
The short route is Resident Evil 7, Resident Evil Village, then Requiem. Add older entries if you want more background on Leon or Alyssa.
A short route for newcomers
The official game description allows new players to jump in. Still, the closest lead-in follows the two most recent main games before Requiem.
- Play Resident Evil 7 to begin the recent story arc.
- Continue with Resident Evil Village.
- Play Requiem after Village.
This route keeps the number of games manageable while giving you the most direct background. You do not need years of franchise knowledge to follow the new case.
The deeper route for returning fans
Two optional games add useful character context. Resident Evil 2 gives you more of Leon’s history, while Resident Evil Outbreak connects to Alyssa Ashcroft.
- Add Resident Evil 2 for Leon’s earlier story.
- Add Resident Evil Outbreak for Alyssa’s connection to the series.
Outbreak is a side entry, not a required chapter in the mainline sequence. Its value here is the link between Alyssa and Grace, rather than a plot point needed to understand every scene.
Choose the shorter route if you mainly want the immediate lead-in, and add Outbreak if Alyssa’s history matters to you.
What has changed since launch?
The clearest confirmed post-launch gameplay addition is Photo Mode, added on March 27, 2026. It gives you a pause between tense scenes to frame a screenshot.
Photo Mode is the named gameplay addition here; the other confirmed milestones are sales figures, not new game features.
- Photo Mode arrived on March 27, 2026.
- The game sold five million copies in five days.
- It sold more than eight million copies within six months of release.
Photo Mode lets you pause a scene and adjust the camera and visual elements before taking a screenshot. You can set up an image without needing to capture a fast moment during combat.
The sales milestones show how many players bought the game during its early run. They do not tell you whether its pacing, combat, or horror will match your taste.
Treat a sales milestone as a measure of reach, not as a guide to whether the game’s horror style will suit you.
Is a Resident Evil Requiem story expansion confirmed?
Additional story content was confirmed to be in development, but the specific Last Days details remain reported rather than established here as confirmed features. The distinction matters because a reported target date does not prove a release happened.
Capcom confirmed development of additional story content. A report named an expansion, but its details should not be treated as official features or a released product.
What Capcom confirmed
Capcom confirmed additional story content was in development. That confirms work on an expansion, but it does not confirm every detail later attached to it.
No claim about the title, cast, modes, or release date follows from that development update alone. Keep the confirmed statement separate from the reported plans.
What the Last Days report claimed
A report said the expansion was called Last Days and targeted September 2026. That date has passed, but a target alone does not establish that the expansion launched.
The report claimed the story would continue shortly after the main campaign. It also named Leon, Ada Wong, and Alyssa Ashcroft as featured characters.
Other reported claims included the return of Mercenaries mode and a multiplayer mode. Treat the title, date, cast, and modes as reported details, not confirmed features.
The word expansion describes downloadable story content, but it does not establish availability. Check for a dated release announcement before treating the reported September target as a launch date.
Is Resident Evil Requiem right for you?
Expect frequent violence or gore and mature content, so this is not a gentle introduction to horror games. The intensity is part of the experience, not just a brief feature of one scene.
Check the PC requirements against your own hardware before installing. The minimum and recommended specifications list Windows 11 and DirectX 12.
Steam’s content notice for Requiem describes frequent violence or gore and general mature content. Players looking for mild scares may find its tone too intense.
The listed minimum PC requirements are:
- Operating system: Windows 11.
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 3500 or Intel Core i5-8500.
- Memory: 16 GB RAM.
- Graphics card: AMD Radeon RX 550 XT 8GB or NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 6GB.
- DirectX: Version 12.
The recommended PC requirements are:
- Operating system: Windows 11.
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 5500 or Intel Core i7-8700.
- Memory: 16 GB RAM.
- Graphics card: AMD Radeon RX 6600 8GB or NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Super 8GB.
- DirectX: Version 12.
Frequent violence or gore and mature content make Requiem a poor fit if you want mild horror. Check your exact PC parts before installing.
Compare your exact graphics card and processor against the relevant row before installing on PC.
Conclusion
Resident Evil Requiem’s defining contrast is the shift between Grace’s cautious survival and Leon’s action-heavy chapters. The change in pace gives the campaign two different ways to face danger.
Keep reported expansion details separate from confirmed content. If you want to preserve the story’s reveals, choose the spoiler-free premise rather than the full plot summary.
The clearest next step depends on how you want to meet the game: go in fresh, or learn the ending before playing. If you want to preserve the reveals, read only the spoiler-free premise before starting the game.
FAQ
What year did each Resident Evil come out?
The numbered mainline Resident Evil games came out in 1996, 1998, 1999, 2005, 2009, 2012, 2017, 2021, and 2026. Those years match Resident Evil through Resident Evil 7, then Village and Requiem. This list leaves out spin-offs and remakes, so it is not a full release history. Remake dates also differ from the original games’ release years.
Which Resident Evil game is in PS4?
Resident Evil 7, Village, and the Resident Evil 2, 3, and 4 remakes are PlayStation 4-era options. Requiem is not available on PS4. If you want the closest story lead-in on that console, Resident Evil 7 and Village are the two recent main games before Requiem. The remakes offer earlier stories and updated versions of those entries.
Can you play RE9 early?
Some U.S. players could start at 9 p.m. PT on February 26, 2026, while the ET release date was February 27. That was the same global launch crossing time zones, not a separate early-access period. The listed Steam PT times conflicted, with 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. both appearing. Console timing was clearer for U.S. players.
What is the best order to play the Resident Evil games?
A short lead-in is Resident Evil 7, then Village, then Requiem. That order follows the recent main story without asking you to play the whole franchise first. Add Resident Evil 2 if you want more of Leon’s background. Add Resident Evil Outbreak if Alyssa’s connection to Grace interests you. Those two extras are useful context, not required steps.
What is the hardest Resident Evil game?
Resident Evil 2 on a high-difficulty mode is a challenging choice, though no one game is hardest for every player. Tight supplies, strong enemies, and limited saves can raise the pressure. That experience differs from the standard campaign, which gives you more room to learn. Your comfort with aiming, puzzles, and resource planning affects the challenge.
Why is RE3 so hated?
Not everyone dislikes Resident Evil 3. Common criticisms of the remake focus on its shorter campaign and changes from the original game. Some fans wanted more of the original’s locations and scenes. Other players prefer the remake’s faster action and tighter pace. The disagreement often comes down to whether you value a longer survival-horror run or brisk combat.
What is the most disgusting Resident Evil game?
Resident Evil 7 is a strong pick if you want body horror and disturbing scenes. That is a taste-based judgment, not an objective ranking. Its grim tone and graphic moments can feel more upsetting than the action in some other entries. If you dislike gore, check its content notice before playing, since your tolerance will shape the experience.
Is RE2 or 3 scarier?
Resident Evil 2 is the better pick for sustained survival-horror tension, while Resident Evil 3 feels faster and more action-focused. The choice also depends on how you react to pursuit, tight spaces, and sudden attacks. If constant pressure scares you, RE2 may feel more intense. If you prefer momentum between scares, RE3 may suit you better.
