Capcom usually gives players an early taste of its major releases, but Resident Evil Requiem arrived without the kind of public demo fans have come to expect from the series. Now, 89 days later, the survival horror game can finally be tried for free on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Switch 2, with separate sections starring Grace Ashcroft and Leon S. Kennedy.

Capcom usually does not leave players completely in the dark before its biggest releases. Previous Resident Evil entries often received demos that let fans sample the tone, structure and gameplay direction ahead of launch. With Resident Evil Requiem, however, the company chose a different strategy and kept the main playable systems under wraps until release. That stood out because the ninth mainline-style entry in the series relies on two sharply different pillars: Grace Ashcroft’s more vulnerable survival horror sections and Leon S. Kennedy’s more action-focused sequences.

The decision clearly did not damage the launch in any major way. Resident Evil Requiem sold more than seven million copies in 54 days, meaning Capcom’s gamble worked from a business perspective. Now the publisher has changed course and surprisingly released a free demo of the game. The trial version is available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Switch 2, and includes two distinct sections: one centered on Grace Ashcroft and another built around Leon S. Kennedy. Both take place inside Rhodes Hill Asylum, one of the full game’s major early locations, and they show how Capcom tried to balance panic, investigation, survival and harder action inside the same survival horror framework.

The Demo Shows Both Protagonists, but It Does Not Start at the Beginning

The most important catch is that the demo does not begin at the very start of the full game. Capcom has not chosen the opening Rhodes Hill street sequences for both characters, but later asylum sections with a stronger horror atmosphere. That creates one clear drawback: save files cannot be transferred to the full game. It may be frustrating at first, but the decision makes sense because the demo skips both characters’ prologues and focuses instead on showing the split identity of Resident Evil Requiem as quickly as possible.

• The demo is available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Switch 2.
• It lasts around 40 minutes.
• Grace Ashcroft and Leon S. Kennedy each have their own playable section.
• Both sections take place inside Rhodes Hill Asylum.
• Save data cannot be transferred to the full game.
• The PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC versions are 15 GB.
• The Switch 2 version is 5.2 GB.

Grace’s section begins after Victor Gideon kidnaps her, forcing her to escape from the threat known as The Girl while trying to survive the increasingly oppressive spaces of the asylum. Leon’s section, by contrast, focuses on the former Raccoon City agent arriving at the facility and runs up to the point where his path intersects with Grace’s. In a short amount of time, that structure makes clear why the dual-protagonist setup works: Grace’s side emphasizes vulnerability and fear, while Leon’s half leans harder into armed survival and classic action horror.

Leon Must Die Forever Is Already There for Full-Game Players

Alongside the demo, owners of the full game already have access to the first additional content, Leon Must Die Forever. This is not a traditional story DLC, but a combat-focused minigame built around replayability and randomness, with Leon S. Kennedy at the center. The concept recalls the Mercenaries-style modes from the wider Resident Evil series, but with a more roguelike structure: Leon clears combat challenges across selected maps from the base game, while stage order and available upgrades can change from run to run.

Leon Must Die Forever only unlocks after players complete the main story, which makes its purpose clear. Capcom is using it to strengthen post-game replay value rather than to introduce newcomers. The new demo serves a different function: it tries to pull uncertain players into Resident Evil Requiem, while the minigame gives existing players a faster, harsher, more combat-driven reason to return. In that sense, Capcom is keeping the game alive from two directions at once: late access for those still undecided, and new pressure for those who have already survived Rhodes Hill.

The Resident Evil Requiem demo is therefore not a full opening slice with transferable progress, and it is not a cautious teaser either. It is a focused, two-character sample designed to show how Grace’s more fragile horror and Leon’s harder action gameplay sit next to each other. The delay is still difficult to understand given Capcom’s usual habits, but players can now finally judge the game directly rather than relying only on trailers, reviews and sales figures.

Source: 3DJuegos, Capcom, Gematsu