Rumors about Resident Evil 9 have been swirling for a long time, with it purported to be a huge next step for the long-running series.
Resident Evil Requiem was revealed at Summer Game Fest 2025 along with its release date of February 27, 2026. It appears set to feature a brand-new protagonist, and is being held as a "bold shift for the franchise" by Geoff Keighley, host of Summer Game Fest. The trailer shows an FBI agent named Grace Ashcroft being sent on an assignment to investigate a mysterious illness causing multiple deaths. She's sent to the Remwood Hotel, the site of her mother's murder, where things get predictably terrifying and violent.
Resident Evil Requiem Revealed At Summer Game Fest 2025
RE's Next Big Leap
Over the course of Summer Game Fest, Capcom appeared to be leading into a Resident Evil reveal during a message about the franchise's 30th anniversary, but fans were left wanting when it turned out to be nothing but a nice message from the developers, promising more when RE turns 30 next year. However, Resident Evil Requiem ended up being Summer Game Fest's final reveal, with an emotional Keighley clearly honored at the opportunity to show the game off first.
The trailer is about three-and-a-half minutes, but offers no gameplay, despite the relatively close release date in February. New Resident Evil protagonist Grace Ashcroft is presented as an expert "technical analyst" working for the FBI, and will have to confront her extremely traumatic past while investigating the deaths, which have pathological similarities. The latter half of the trailer is largely standard Resident Evil fare, with bone-chilling imagery and thick atmosphere. There's even a prototypical shot of a door – classic Resident Evil.
Resident Evil Requiem Is Going Back To Raccoon City
Where It All Started
There are a series of shots that show Resident Evil Requiem will return to where it all began: Raccoon City. This could align with rumors of RE9 having an open world, but there has yet to be any confirmation. This does, however, lend credence to other rumors that suggest Resident Evil Requiem is aiming to be a finale of sorts for the franchise thus far. If so, it would wrap up 30 years of disparate storylines, all of which have been loosely connected through Umbrella and its d organizations.
Resident Evil Requiem's trailer shows the derelict RPD building, with the D having fallen off, but another clear indicator is a sweeping overview of a destroyed city next to a massive crater. Raccoon City was destroyed by a missile strike following the T-Virus outbreak in an attempt to contain it. The ninth RE game feels like a long time coming, even though Village is just four years old. Resident Evil Requiem is set to be a huge next step for the franchise when it releases in February 2026.
Source: Resident Evil/YouTube
