Our first look at Resident Evil Requiem gameplay is here as Capcom explains why Leon wouldn’t have made for a good protagonist

The Resident Evil Requiem segment was easily the most anticipated in June’s Capcom Spotlight showcase. We did, indeed, get a fresh look at the upcoming horror title, but it wasn’t the all-out gameplay demo many of us hoped for.

It did, however, reveal some insight into why Capcom has chosen to take the sequel in the direction it has.

Part of why the Resident Evil Requiem segment was a little underwhelming is that it took the form of a Creators’ Message developer diary-style video. Though there was some gameplay footage, it was mostly interspersed with talking heads.

Capcom developers confirmed a few elements in the video, and offered an answer to one mystery that’s been on many fans’ minds. The game’s protagonist, Grace, is indeed the descendant of the Ashcroft family from the Resident Evil Outbreak series.

The story of Requiem is intended as a break from the Winters family arc, and Capcom felt like reconnecting with the larger overarching story about Raccoon City and Umbrella. It also happens to be the series’ 30th anniversary, so it fits.

Given that setting, why is Leon Kennedy not the protagonist of Requiem, given his history with the city and its iconic police station? The answer is actually quite simple: Capcom wanted someone to be easily frightened for the game to work, and Leon isn’t that.

That’s actually another element that played a role in choosing Grace Ashcroft as the protagonist, as her actions are meant to mirror that of the average player. Ashcroft is not very experienced in the field, which makes her relatable. As an FBI agent, however, she’s also trained to use firearms, so it strikes a balance that would be missing had Leon been the protagonist.

As many of the Requiem previews out of Summer Game Fest revealed, of course, the game will indeed be playable entirely in both first and third-person. Capcom told the PlayStation Blog that the decision wasn’t actually influenced by the third-person DLC released for Resident Evil Village, more the fact that the developer found that players tend to stick to either first-person or third-person exclusively.

Resident Evil Requiem arrives February 27, 2026 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.