The February 27, 2026, release date for Resident Evil Requiem is slowly approaching. Consequently, Capcom has become more forthcoming with details. In a major update, producer Masato Kumazawa confirmed that the upcoming game will feature characters from the franchise’s past. However, he also shut down some heavy speculation.
Since the initial announcement, fans have wondered about connections to the wider franchise. Resident Evil Requiem returns players to Raccoon City. Capcom previously confirmed that the new protagonist, Grace, is the daughter of Alyssa Ashcroft from Resident Evil Outbreak. Grace is now an FBI agent. She is investigating strange deaths at the Wrenwood Hotel, the same place her mother died suspiciously eight years prior.
Thankfully, Kumazawa assured fans they do not need to replay Outbreak to understand the story. The 2004 PS2 title is hard to find today. Simply understanding the mother-daughter connection is enough knowledge to start the game.
In a recent interview with Well Played, Kumazawa addressed the topic of cameos directly. He confirmed that “some characters from the past” will appear. Specifically, characters involved in the original Raccoon City incident will impact the story. However, he warned fans not to overhype these appearances.
Furthermore, Kumazawa addressed the rampant rumours regarding ‘Leon Kennedy‘. Recent leaks suggested an older, grizzled Leon would feature in the game. Kumazawa explicitly called this speculation “fake news”. He firmly denied the rumours and questioned the legitimacy of the leaked images.
Kumazawa also shared insights into the game’s 6-year development cycle. Surprisingly, Resident Evil Requiem began as a multiplayer game. The team actually found the prototype quite fun. Eventually, they pivoted to a classic single-player horror experience. Despite the change, Kumazawa admitted that the team brought some elements from the multiplayer build forward into the current version.
Fans will have to wait until February 27, 2026, to see exactly which familiar faces made the cut.