Resident Evil Requiem launches on February 27, 2026. Capcom is going back to where the series began: Raccoon City. Leon S. Kennedy returns to a place he barely escaped decades ago.
- Quick Guide: What to Play Before Requiem
- Why These Games Are Worth Playing
- Resident Evil Requiem Prep List: From Essential to Optional
- The Deeper History: Umbrella and Its Origins
- Extended Cast Prep (If You Want the Bigger Picture)
- Grace Ashcroft’s Background
- Suggested Schedule To Finish Before Launch
- Why Requiem Feels Like an Ending
- Two Characters, Two Styles
- Who Else Might Appear?
Alongside him is Grace Ashcroft, a new FBI analyst with ties to the city’s forgotten survivors. Requiem focuses on the next outbreak and the consequences tied to what was buried and left unresolved.
For returning fans and newcomers alike, this is the right time to brush up. You do not need to play every Resident Evil game, but picking a few key entries gives you the context that matters most for Requiem and helps the story feel clearer and more connected.
Quick Guide: What to Play Before Requiem
• One game only: Resident Evil 2 (Remake)
• Two or three games: Add Resident Evil 4 (Remake) and Resident Evil 3 (Remake)
• Full route: Add Resident Evil (HD Remaster) and consider Resident Evil 6 for background context
• Grace’s side: Watch a recap of Resident Evil Outbreak and File #2
Why These Games Are Worth Playing
Capcom built Requiem around three key themes. Each one ties back to a part of the franchise that shaped its emotional tone.
- The Raccoon City Outbreak
Requiem looks back thirty years to the 1998 disaster. Understanding what happened helps you appreciate why some characters never moved on. - Leon’s Long Road
Leon’s arc stretches from confused rookie to hardened investigator. Requiem might be his last trip through old nightmares, and that means looking at what shaped him. - Grace Ashcroft’s Family Connection
Grace is not random. Her mother Alyssa survived the outbreak and died during the collapse. That legacy gives Grace a reason to go back and face what her family couldn’t outrun.
Resident Evil Requiem Prep List: From Essential to Optional
Not every game carries the same weight, and replaying everything in release order is rarely the best use of time.
This ranking focuses on how much each entry adds in terms of context, themes, and payoff, moving from the ones that matter most to those that are purely optional.
Resident Evil 2 (Remake)
The single most important game to replay. You see the T-Virus outbreak firsthand and follow Leon through his first mission, Claire through her desperate search, and the unraveling of Umbrella’s cover-up.
This is where the emotional and thematic groundwork is laid.
RESIDENT EVIL 2 Remake
Release Date: January 25, 2019
Genres: Shooter, Adventure
What stays with you: the RPD station, the feeling of helplessness, and the bond between Leon, Claire, and Sherry. Requiem builds directly on these memories.
Resident Evil 4 (Remake)
Leon is no longer reactive here. He’s in control but broken in new ways. His combat style, his personality, and his moral edge are fully formed.
This is the Leon you’ll be playing in Requiem.
Resident Evil 4 Remake
Release Date: March 24, 2023
Genres: Shooter, Puzzle, Adventure
What stays with you: the parasites, the creeping dread, and how far Leon will go to stay human while the infection threatens to take over. Requiem hints at similar internal conflict.
Resident Evil 3 (Remake)
A shorter game, but it expands Raccoon City’s downfall. Jill’s perspective shows the civilian side of the collapse.
While Leon was locked in the station, Jill was on the streets, fighting monsters, corruption, and time.
RESIDENT EVIL 3
Release Date: April 03, 2020
Genres: Shooter, Adventure
This game fills out the world around RE2 and shows how fast the city fell apart.
The Deeper History: Umbrella and Its Origins
This is where the series starts laying its groundwork. Before the outbreaks spread and cities fell, everything traces back to one place and one company, and this entry shows how it all began.
Resident Evil (HD Remaster)
Set before the city outbreak, this game takes you to the mansion incident: the first contact with Umbrella’s twisted bio experiments.
The setup for the entire series starts here.
Resident Evil HD Remastered
Release Date: January 19, 2015
Genres: Shooter, Adventure
What stays with you: isolated tension, early virus prototypes, and characters like Wesker and Chris. Requiem’s rumored antagonist is a former Umbrella scientist, which gives this background extra weight.
Extended Cast Prep (If You Want the Bigger Picture)
This part is less about core plot and more about context. It fills in gaps around returning characters and family ties that may surface later, especially if Requiem pulls from older threads instead of sticking to a tight, standalone story.
Resident Evil 6
Not critical for understanding Requiem’s core story, but useful for following returning characters.
Leon, Ada, Chris, and Sherry all play major roles here. It’s messy but informative.
Resident Evil 6
Release Date: March 22, 2013
Genres: Adventure
If Requiem includes legacy cameos, having this context can help those moments land better.
Grace Ashcroft’s Background
Grace’s mother Alyssa was one of the leads in Resident Evil Outbreak and File #2. These PS2-era titles covered the outbreak from a civilian perspective.
Alyssa’s story ends at the Wrenwood Hotel, the same place Grace is investigating in Requiem.
RESIDENT EVIL 7
Release Date: January 23, 2017
Genres: Shooter, Puzzle, Adventure
Since those games are not easily available today, watching a full video recap or cutscene walkthrough is the best option. Focus on Alyssa’s arc, her decisions, and the events that shaped her legacy. This will give Grace’s role more emotional clarity.
Suggested Schedule To Finish Before Launch
• Week 1: Resident Evil 2 Remake
• Week 2: Resident Evil 4 Remake
• Week 3: Resident Evil 3 Remake and an Outbreak recap
• Week 4: Resident Evil HD Remaster or Resident Evil 7, depending on your interest in horror pacing
Keep the schedule flexible. Prioritize understanding over speed. The right context matters more than checking boxes.
Why Requiem Feels Like an Ending
Requiem arrives thirty years after the original outbreak, and that timing feels intentional. The trailer shows familiar sights from Resident Evil 2, damaged streets, the RPD building, and old flyers from 1998, which ties the story back to its roots instead of treating them as simple references.
Leon returns not on assignment but on instinct. He’s no longer just chasing orders or escorting survivors. He’s chasing closure. That shift in tone signals something personal, something final. This could be the closing chapter of his story.
Two Characters, Two Styles
Leon and Grace offer different playstyles. Leon’s segments will likely use a third-person camera with action-heavy mechanics similar to Resident Evil 4. Expect headshots, melee takedowns, and enemy waves.
Grace plays slower, smarter, and with fewer resources. Her sections are first-person by default. Think limited ammo, hiding spots, and tense exploration. She’s not built to overpower threats. She’s built to survive them.
Switching between them may give the game a split structure, where you jump from power fantasy to survival horror and back again.
Who Else Might Appear?
Capcom has not confirmed the full cast, but anniversary artwork has shown several familiar faces. Ada Wong, Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, and Sherry Birkin are all strong possibilities. Each of them has personal and narrative ties to Leon or Raccoon City.
Sherry, for example, last appeared in Resident Evil 6. Her bond with Leon is deep, and her presence could bring closure. Ada is an almost guaranteed wildcard. Chris might represent the larger war against bioterrorism. These characters could serve a larger role by reinforcing the legacy that Requiem is aiming to bring to a close.