Resident Evil Requiem: Capcom on spin-offs, scary factor and the meaning of the name "Requiem"

12/18/25 - Gamemeca spoke with producer Masato Kumazawa from Capcom about Resident Evil Requiem (PS5, Xbox Series, Switch 2, PC). The interview is about spin-offs, the meaning of the name "Requiem", which Resident Evil titles you should play beforehand and why Requiem won't be as scary as Resident Evil 7.

Resident Evil Requiem brings Leon S. Kennedy and Grace Ashcroft together as equal main characters and tells their story as a continuous, causally linked story arc. The playing time is divided almost half between the two protagonists, as Kumazawa emphasizes: "The plot is divided exactly equally. In Resident Evil 6, for example, there were separate storylines for Leon, Chris and Jake. In this game, on the other hand, the two characters are part of a single, coherent story. Depending on the situation, the perspective from which the plot is told and played changes."

Grace's sections serve a game feel that is oriented towards Resident Evil 2: Her chapters rely on dense atmosphere, claustrophobic situations and psychological tension. The developers conceived Grace as an initially anxious character whose inner development is a central part of the narrative: step by step, she grows beyond her fear, whereby this transformation was deliberately designed as a cathartic process. Grace's perspectives deliver the most oppressive passages of the game and contribute significantly to the emotional depth.

Leon's gameplay, on the other hand, relies heavily on mechanics reminiscent of Resident Evil 4: He has sophisticated body techniques, melee attacks and action-oriented sequences that act as a counterpoint to Grace's horror phases.

this point, Kumazawa is asked whether Leon and Grace can be seen on screen at the same time as Leon and Ashley in Resident Evil 4: "If I answer this question specifically, I would anticipate some of the joy," Kumazawa answers. "Grace and Leon don't act completely independently of each other within the story. There will be scenes in which they meet, and others in which they act separately again. How Leon drives the plot forward can be eagerly awaited. However, you shouldn't expect a permanent accompaniment like in Resident Evil 4 or its remake."

Since Leon is the most popular character in the series, there are fears that Grace could take a back seat in the game. Kumazawa is asked what the attraction is to play with Grace at all. "The special appeal of Grace lies in the development of the most fearful character in the entire series. Step by step, she works her way out of her fear, which gives a strong feeling of catharsis.

Since there was no comparable character before, a close bond with her develops over time. During the game tests, we were able to clearly understand this development of Grace. It is important for us to clearly highlight their strengths, while at Leon we want to convey a different kind of fascination," says Kumazawa.

The title "Requiem" carries several levels of meaning: For Grace, the motif is directly linked to her mother's past and the attempt to cope with old traumas. At the same time, "Requiem" can be read as a symbolic funeral mass for Raccoon City or for the victims of past events. This ambiguity gives the plot narrative depth, as Kumazawa explains. In addition, there is a central secret about Leon, which links the personal and the overarching plot and increases the dramatic tension. "We don't want to reveal what the Requiem means for Leon at this point," says Kumazawa.

Capcom deliberately calibrated the relationship between horror and entertainment. Resident Evil 2 served as a stylistic guideline, because it strives for a balanced mix of oppressive moments and satisfying action. Internally, the team considered Resident Evil 7 to be too extreme in terms of immediate fear reactions; as a result, scenes that could trigger severe physical numbness in the player were avoided. "Director Koshi Nakanishi has often emphasized that he thought Resident Evil 7 was too scary, so they decided to reduce the fear factor in Requiem a bit. Resident Evil 2 was chosen as the benchmark," Kumazawa adds,

Requiem is aimed at veterans of the series as well as newcomers: Previous knowledge deepens understanding, but is not a prerequisite. But the remakes of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3 in particular provide useful context to Leon's background and to the Raccoon City events that took place around three decades ago and are thematically taken up in the new narrative - it's worth taking another look here.

"Resident Evil 2 and the Resident Evil 3 Remake show the human side of Leon and recreate the original titles very carefully. In addition, both games are directly related to the events in Raccoon City," explains Kumazawa.

Capcom clarifies that Requiem does not mean the end of the franchise. The game is supposed to be part of a longer-term roadmap; further sequels and possible spin-offs remain open, such as an in-depth account of the events in Raccoon City

"Since we can't fully reveal the story of Resident Evil Requiem yet, it's hard to make concrete statements about possible spin-offs. Many players are likely to wonder what state Raccoon City is in, why it happened and what processes and stories are behind it. A spin-off would be interesting, but there are currently no concrete plans for this," says Kumazawa.

Nvidia's CEO has confirmed that the US chip giant will build its huge campus for up to 10,000 employees in Kiryat Tivon.

Nvidia CEO and founder Jensen Huang said, "Israel is home to some of the world's most brilliant technologists and has become Nvidia's second home. Our new campus will be a place where our teams can collaborate, invent, and build the future of AI. This investment reflects our deep and enduring commitment to our families in Israel and their unique contributions to the AI era."

The company has bought Israeli startup Mellanox in 2016, and since then bought 4 more in the country, with its offices spreads across Israel. Nvidia also plans to build one of the biggest data centers in middle-east in Israel, with a new super-computer for its own use.

Jensen has shown great support, always mentioning Avinatan Or in quarterly briefings, an employee, who was kidnapped with his girlfriend Noa Argamani on 10/7. She was rescued in a daring operation, while he was released just a few months ago after 738 days in captivity