Capcom has finally revealed the next mainline game in the Resident Evil series – and it’s called Resident Evil Requiem. Unveiled during the Summer Game Fest showcase (after a short tease), Resident Evil Requiem is the official title for Resident Evil 9 and will serve as the ninth installment of the mainline series of games. The game also marks a return to the franchise’s horror roots – and most importantly, a return to the haunted ruins of Raccoon City.
Insider Gaming took part in a 30-minute hands-off demo for the game, and was able to learn more about the latest game in the long-running series.
Introducing Grace Ashcroft
The protagonist is a brand-new face: Grace Ashcroft, an FBI technical analyst whose investigation into a string of killings leads her into the shadow of her late mother’s past – Alyssa Ashcroft, a name which should be familiar to many fans of Resident Evil, as she was a journalist from Resident Evil Outbreak. That’s a surprising and welcoming nod to the series’ lore, which will undoubtedly bring in plenty of nostalgia for long-time fans of the series.
Grace isn’t armed to the teeth. She’s not trained for war. And that’s exactly the point. Requiem puts players in the role of someone unprepared — someone who has to think, explore, and most importantly, survive.
Survival Horror Gameplay At Its Best
Capcom describes Resident Evil Requiem as survival horror first, with “high-stakes cinematic action” woven throughout. Players can expect stealth mechanics, dynamic enemy AI, and photo-realistic visuals powered by the RE Engine. All of which were on full display during the 20-minute+ presentation. Despite the pre-recording, I was fully convinced that the game looked extremely polished at a little over 8 months away from release, as it played and looked extremely impressive from the gameplay side. Cutscenes were smooth and were difficult to differentiate between live action and a video game, which is something that the RE Engine strives to do, and accomplishes extremely well in the preview we saw.
Something that will excite a lot of fans is the confirmation that yes, you will be able to play this game in either first person or third person. And what is even more exciting is that the perspectives can be changed on demand instantaneously from the pause menu. If you’re not into first-person games but want to play, you’ll have your chance simply by changing the option immediately upon launching the game. Or if you are the type of player that enjoys a dynamic perspective switching from first and third person perspectives, similar to how Indiana Jones And The Great Circle was, you’ll get your opportunity to do just that – on demand.
But what made Resident Evil Requiem stand out the most to me was the survival horror that Grace faces on every step that she takes. I could feel my shoulders tensing up as she peeked around the corner of each room and made her way down the dark, narrow hallway. And I mean – DARK to the point that the darkness nearly swallowed her into the abyss. Capcom does survival horror right, and this game will do its job of scaring the hell out of you early and often, I guarantee it. At the end of the day, this is all about tension, exploration and fear.
When Will We See More?
Resident Evil Requiem is looking fantastic, and after that teaser, fans can’t wait to see more. Capcom announced that a playable demo will be available at Gamescom 2025 in just a few months, and as the embargo lifts today, there might be an opportunity that more gameplay gets shown off to the general public, if not an additional trailer. After Gamescom, the march towards what will undoubtedly be my pick for horror game of the year will be on. With Grace Ashcroft at the centre, deep nostalgic callbacks, and a return to Raccoon City, Resident Evil Requiem is shaping up to be one of the boldest entries in the franchise, and a true return to survival horror form, and I can’t wait to see more!
Resident Evil Requiem is set to launch on February 27th, 2026, for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. For more details on RE9, why not read the theories on how fans believe that Leon Kennedy is making a return to the franchise, and details on how the official announcement nearly broke the internet
"A2TheP" Albert Perkins is a writer and the host for Insider Gaming's Insider Today daily news round-up. Albert has been in the video game industry for the better part of…
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