Capcom has finally offered a look inside Resident Evil 9, giving fans a clearer idea of where the upcoming entry fits into the franchise timeline.

Resident Evil Requiem — the ninth and arguably most intense mainline installment of the iconic survival horror franchise — has received new developer commentary and gameplay details. Koshi Nakanishi (director), Tomonori Takano (art director), and producers Masachika Kawata and Masato Kumazawa say fans can expect a game driven by “addictive fear,” with horror placed firmly at the center of the gameplay experience.

The development team also shed light on the series’ new protagonist, Grace Ashcroft, an FBI intelligence analyst who is introverted and easily frightened — a character type that marks new ground for the Resident Evil franchise. Grace experiences the horror just as the player does, and over the course of the story, she learns to confront and overcome her fears. While timid, she’s trained in firearms and uses her deductive reasoning to stay calm under pressure.

Capcom has gone to great lengths to bring realism to unprecedented levels, including fine-tuned details such as Grace’s face turning red when she’s hanging upside down or the natural flow of her hair — modeled with the help of a custom wig for reference. Players will be able to freely switch between first-person and over-the-shoulder third-person perspectives. Choose first-person for intense, immersive horror, or third-person for more action-oriented moments.

Resident Evil Requiem takes place 30 years after the U.S. government launched a sterilization missile to destroy Raccoon City and contain the T-virus outbreak. It serves as a kind of requiem — a tribute to the many characters who either perished or were forever changed by the original disaster. With the franchise celebrating its 30th anniversary in March 2026, Requiem acts as a thematic milestone for the series itself.

Resident Evil Requiem is set to release on February 27, 2025 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC.

Source: Gematsu