Summary
- Resident Evil: Requiem brings the series back to Raccoon City, now a barren wasteland filled with horrifying secrets.
- The game may feature returning beloved characters like Carlos Oliveira, Sherry Birkin, and Ada Wong.
- Expect thrilling gameplay and rich character stories in the immersive new era of survival horror set to debut in 2026.
It's been more than two years since Capcom released the immensely successful Resident Evil 4 Remake, but the series and story are finally moving forward with a brand new mainline game. Titled Resident Evil: Requiem, this game is going to be returning to where it all started; Raccoon City, though considering the area has been flattened by the bombs that went off in the second and third games, it looks more like a barren wasteland these days, but one which no doubt still contains its fair share of horrifying secrets.
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The announcement trailer gave players a glimpse into some of the new characters, primarily the protagonist Grace Ashcroft, though nothing has been confirmed about returning members of the cast. Considering how many characters in the series have a connection to Raccoon City, it seems highly likely that at least a few familiar faces will make their return in Resident Evil: Requiem, especially these icons listed below.
1 Carlos Oliveira
It Would Be Great To See What Carlos Has Been Up To Since Escaping Raccoon City
- First Appearance: Resident Evil 3 (1999)
Despite being one of the few lucky survivors who were able to escape Raccoon City before the bombs dropped, Carlos sadly hasn't been seen in the series since the third game. That being said, as someone who previously worked under Umbrella before finding out that they were pulling the strings behind the scenes, Carlos had a bubbling hatred for the company that destroyed Raccoon City from the inside out.
Umbrella may no longer be in the story, at least in its original form, but Carlos still has a very strong connection to Raccoon City, considering the zombie outbreak changed his life forever. Pair this with the fact that he's a fan-favorite character who many fans have been begging to make a return, and it would be a real treat to see Carlos show up for the latest installment.
2 Sherry Birkin
Sherry May Be Forced To Confront Her Horrific Past
- First Appearance: Resident Evil 2 (1998)
Capcom has a bad tendency of forgetting about side characters after they are introduced in their debut game, and while this seemed to have been the case with Sherry, who was only a child in Resident Evil 2, she surprisingly reappeared later down the line in the sixth game. As a well-known hero who also possesses regenerative abilities due to her father, Sherry is still considered a pretty key character in the wider story, but could it be time for the fun and lucky agent to face her past?
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Since Sherry was still only a child during the Raccoon City incident, and ended up losing both her parents during the fiasco, it's a place that holds a lot of meaning to Sherry for all the wrong reasons. If the game revolves around extracting remnants of Birkin, for example, then it's probable Sherry will be called in for the job, considering how knowledgeable she is about his research, and him as a person.
3 Claire Redfield
Claire Could Return To Where Her Adventure Began Back In Resident Evil 2
- First Appearance: Resident Evil 2 (1998)
Raccoon City is where Claire's horrific series of adventures would begin. After entering the city in the hopes of finding her missing brother Chris, Claire would quickly find herself wrapped up in a horrific outbreak where she is forced to take down swarms of not only zombies, but also mutants, all while protecting a defenseless young girl named Sherry.
After managing to make it out of Raccoon City, Claire joined up with a group named TerraSave, which is designed to help survivors of similar outbreaks by providing them with support and resources. This could set up a pretty interesting reason for Claire to make her way back to Raccoon City if there are somehow still people there, but of course, it would also make sense, considering Raccoon City was the starting line for Claire's involvement in the series.
4 HUNK
If Anyone Is Equipped To Re-Enter Raccoon City, It Would Be The Grim Reaper Himself
- First Appearance: Resident Evil 2 (1998)
After successfully getting his hands on the G virus under orders from Umbrella, HUNK barely managed to make it out of Raccoon City in one piece. However, outside of some fun cameos and prequels, HUNK hasn't been seen in the mainline story for several years, but as someone who is known for embarking on suicide missions and somehow making it out alive every time, no one would be better suited to the task of entering the long forgotten city than HUNK.
In fact, considering HUNK often acts as more of an antagonist than a hero, it could even open up the potential for some interesting boss fights. HUNK making an appearance would also help to confirm who exactly he's working for these days, considering Umbrella has been long gone since Resident Evil 4.
5 Ada Wong
The Fan-Favorite Spy Is Always Showing Up In The Strangest Of Places
- First Appearance: Resident Evil 2 (1998)
Though Ada was only a side character in Resident Evil 2, it's been clear over the years that Capcom has made a real attempt to present her as one of the main characters of the series. After all, she's appeared in most mainline games and even a few of the movies, and while there were heavy rumors that she would also make a cameo in Resident Evil Village, this didn't end up being true in the end.
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That being said, Ada does have a habit of showing up in the strangest of places, such as when she randomly popped up in the village to help out Leon in Resident Evil 4. It was great seeing Ada in the remake of Resident Evil 4, but it would be nice to get an idea of what she's up to in the current day, since the last time fans saw her in the main timeline was Resident Evil 6.
6 Nikolai Zinoviev
Seeing Nikolai Show Up In Raccoon City Would Be Extremely Nostalgic
- First Appearance: Resident Evil 3 (1999)
There have long been discussions among fans about whether the insidious mercenary known as Nikolai really did make it out of Raccoon City alive or not. This is made especially vague in the remake of Resident Evil 3, which seems to be Capcom's attempt at saving him for a future installment, and if there was any game for him to make a reappearance, it would definitely have to be Resident Evil Requiem.
Seeing Nikolai getting up to his old sneaky antics while roaming around the remnants of the city would be all so nostalgic for long-time fans. At the same time, he would also serve as a great antagonist, since he's someone who can always keep players guessing as to what his true intentions are and why he's even back in Raccoon in the first place.
7 Jill Valentine
A New Mainline Appearance From Jill Is Long Overdue
- First Appearance: Resident Evil (1996)
While Jill acted as the main protagonist of the remake of Resident Evil 3, in terms of the main storyline within the games, she hasn't actually been seen since Resident Evil 5, which is more than ten years ago by this point. Since Jill has seen a massive resurgence in popularity thanks to her Resident Evil 3 remake iteration, it's not outlandish to say that she has a big chance of making it into Resident Evil Requiem as a leading member of the cast.
It's important to remember that Jill is also an eyewitness to the Raccoon City incident, and is one of the only people who can speak openly about the monsters she faced, including the bulking behemoth known as Nemesis. Therefore, she could play a crucial role in the game's story, though whether she'll be playable or not is a different matter entirely.
8 Leon S. Kennedy
It Might Be Time For Leon To Relive His First Day On The Job All Over Again
- First Appearance: Resident Evil 2 (1998)
There are just too many factors in play for Leon not to make an appearance in Resident Evil Requiem. Not only was he in Raccoon City when the city went to hell in Resident Evil 2, but since he's now been a special agent under direct orders from the government for many years, if they were going to send anyone back into the city, it would be him. It would honestly be pretty emotional to see Leon venturing through the same areas that he did back when he was a rookie cop, but there's another big reason why Leon should return.
Leon hasn't appeared in the mainline games since they moved over to the RE engine, only remakes. Instead, Chris, who many considered to be the other face of the franchise, has been taking up a lot of the spotlight in the recent Winters saga, so it only makes sense that Leon would now get his time to shine after being absent from the main story since Resident Evil 6. If Capcom wanted to go a step further, they could even experiment with making Leon a kind of antihero or even an antagonist, kind of like they did with Chris in Resident Evil Village.
OpenCritic Reviews
- Released
- February 27, 2026
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Intense Violence, Blood and Gore, Strong Language, In-Game Purchases
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Publisher(s)
- Capcom
- Engine
- RE Engine
- Franchise
- Resident Evil
- Number of Players
- Single-player
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Unknown
