Players can expect an equal dose of both Grace Ashcroft and Leon S. Kennedy in the upcoming Resident Evil Requiem, in what sounds like an episodic structure.
Director Akifumi Nakanishi and Producer Masato Kumazawa explained the dual-protagonist system in an interview with Automaton.
Nakanishi said: “In terms of gameplay, Grace and Leon’s playable sections are almost equally split. The structure is similar to Resident Evil Revelations.”
The Revelations games followed an episodic structure, jumping between multiple playable characters, various settings, and different points in the story’s timeline.
Nakanishi explained that the split will allow for two distinct styles of gameplay, with Grace’s segments representing traditional survival horror and Leon’s providing RE4-style action-horror.
“I’ve said before that Leon isn’t well suited to horror. Since quiet sections where you cower before monsters don’t fit him, his chapters focus on intense, adrenaline-pumping action. Grace’s sections, on the other hand, are the scarier ones. We’re really emphasizing the difference in their experiences this time,” he said.
“It’s almost like having two games with completely different types of tension mixed together. Early on, we worried players might not be able to keep up, but now we feel that the contrast gives the game a unique rhythm, like jumping into a cold bath after sitting in a hot sauna (laughs).”
Kumazawa added: “After a scary segment, the action feels even more exciting. And after an action segment, the horror feels even more terrifying. I think it’s a combined experience only possible by merging two completely different styles of gameplay.”
There was also some discussion about Leon’s new ride. Capcom officially collaborated with Porsche to give our hero a unique choice of transport.
Kumazawa said: “We made it his personal car, a Cayenne Turbo GT custom-built to suit the game’s world. It’s a one-of-a-kind car. We hope to show footage of it at some point.”
A new trailer for the game debuted yesterday at The Game Awards, showing Leon wielding an axe and a chainsaw in his fight against infected hordes.
Resident Evil Requiem’s release
Resident Evil Requiem will launch on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Steam on February 27th, 2026.
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Written by Reece Heather
A veteran Zelda Universe editor and First-class journalism graduate, Reece emerged with a Nintendo 64 and a lifelong obsession after a narrow escape from Santa’s Naughty List in 1998. Outside of games, he’s reading Punisher comics, being bossed around by his cocker spaniel, and cornering innocent bystanders to rant about the importance of game preservation.
