The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), once a cornerstone for gaming announcements, has faded into history, making way for new showcases that capture the industry’s evolving landscape. Among these, the Summer Game Fest has emerged as a significant platform, recently unveiling a lineup of both anticipated and lesser-known titles set to grace consoles, gaming laptops, and PCs in the coming months. However, it was the reveal of Resident Evil Requiem, also known as Resident Evil 9, that truly captivated the audience.
Who is Grace Ashcroft?
The spotlight in the trailer shines on a character named Grace Ashcroft, an FBI agent tasked with investigating a crime scene at the Wrenwood Hotel—the very site of her mother Alyssa’s tragic murder. For long-time fans of the franchise, Alyssa Ashcroft is a familiar name, having survived the events of Resident Evil: Outbreak, an online-only title released in 2004 for the PlayStation 2. In that game, players navigated the harrowing landscape of Raccoon City, controlling eight survivors as they sought escape from the impending doom of a zombie outbreak. Alyssa, a newspaper reporter, not only survived but later chronicled the chaos in Raccoon City and the mysterious disappearances in Dulvey Parish, Louisiana, which were referenced in Resident Evil 7.
While the exact location of the Wrenwood Hotel remains undisclosed, the trailer tantalizingly hints at a return to the ruins of Raccoon City, a setting that has been pivotal in the franchise’s history. The first three installments of Resident Evil focused on the outbreak within this city, yet none of the main series entries have revisited its origins since.
Will any other popular Resident Evil characters show up?
The narrative arc of the last two mainline games—Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil Village—introduced players to a new protagonist, Ethan Winters, who had minimal connections to earlier storylines. Nevertheless, these titles welcomed back the beloved character Chris Redfield, a staple of the franchise.
Speculation is rife that another iconic figure, Leon Kennedy, may make a return in Resident Evil Requiem. Leon first appeared in Resident Evil 2, where he faced a zombie outbreak on his first day as a rookie cop. He later embarked on a daring mission in Resident Evil 4 to rescue the President’s daughter from a sinister cult in Spain, and reappeared in Resident Evil 6, where he joined forces with various franchise characters to combat bioterrorism. Although Leon did not feature in the trailer, his presence remains a possibility, and fans are hopeful that his enigmatic counterpart, Ada Wong, might also grace the storyline.
Resident Evil Requiem is set to launch on February 27, 2026, for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, with details about its availability on the anticipated Switch 2 yet to be revealed.