Six weeks before release, Capcom shows new gameplay for Resi 9. We break down how Leon and Grace differ.
More than six weeks before the official release of the highly anticipated Resident Evil Requiem, Capcom revealed a whole host of new information at a showcase on January 15, 2026. The focus was on the two heroes of the ninth main installment of the series: Leon S. Kennedy and Grace Ashcroft.
How do the two protagonists play and how do their styles differ? We’ve summarized the most important information for you.
Action hero Leon returns
Since his reveal, we are finally getting to see more gameplay from Leon. Director Koshi Nakanishi says that Capcom even toyed with the idea of making Resident Evil 9 with Leon only. The idea was rejected because the developers assumed that a pure horror game with a fearful Leon would not work.
Instead, the two heroes now play completely differently. Let’s take a look at Leon first:
- Action like in Resi 4 : After parts 2, 4, and 6, Leon is an experienced Biohazard veteran and is no longer easily intimidated by zombies and mutants. His passages are action-packed and over-the-top. The horror aspect takes a back seat – Leon’s sections are intended to serve as a kind of breather.
- Tomahawk : Leon has a battle axe that he can use to parry enemy attacks or fend off aggressive colleagues in close combat.
- Focus on gunplay : Leon can shoot different limbs of zombies to force them to their knees or make them stumble, for example. Once a zombie is weakened, it can be taken out with a melee attack – for example, by kicking it in the jaw with the sole of Leon’s foot. Ouch.
- Chainsaw : Some zombies wield special weapons that they can drop. This is good for Leon, who can also make use of them. Vrrr, vrrr!
Grace as a horror contrast
- Horror like in Resi 2 and 7 : Grace’s sections place greater emphasis on an eerie atmosphere, sneaking, and resource management. Grace herself is also clearly more fearful and cautious than Leon.
- Sneaking and managing resources : Unlike the brute-force Leon, Grace has to sneak through corridors, think twice about every bullet, and still face creepy enemies. Fortunately, she’s not quite as helpless as she was in the gamescom demo. However, she still has to constantly weigh up whether she should attack and take out an enemy or flee.
- Requiem : Grace has a special weapon that shares its name with the game. The revolver has limited ammunition, but it packs quite a punch.
- Crafting : Grace can craft items herself. To do this, she uses the blood of infected people, which she collects with special tools. So it can be worthwhile to take out a zombie in order to obtain this resource.
- Silent elimination : The showcase also shows Grace sneaking up behind a zombie and bursting it with a kind of syringe.
What else was announced?
- United story: Although we alternate between the roles of Leon and Grace, both storylines are later united and tell a coherent story in which the heroes’ paths cross.
- Requiem takes place after Resident Evil 6: This means that Leon is still working as a DSO (Division of Security Operations) agent and fighting bioterrorism.
- New type of zombie: Some undead creatures have not lost their old habits even after their transformation. For example, there is a maid zombie who manically tries to keep the environment clean. The zombies’ routines are designed to help you avoid, distract, or silently take them out.
- The camera can be switched from third-person to first-person perspective at any time.
- Difficulty levels: You can choose between “modern” and “classic.” In classic mode, you need ink ribbons to save your progress on typewriters with Grace.
- New collaboration with Hamilton: No, I’m not talking about my guinea pig, but the American watch brand. Two limited edition models will be released to coincide with the game’s launch, one for Leon and one for Grace.
We’ll see how Resident Evil Requiem ultimately plays and whether the developers’ vision comes to fruition when it’s released on February 27, 2026, at the latest. We’ll of course keep an eye on this survival horror game for you.
