During the Nintendo Partner Direct on February 5, 2026, Capcom unveiled a trailer for Resident Evil Requiem, highlighting gameplay on the Switch 2 with notably inaccurate shots from Leon Kennedy. The event also announced amiibo figures for protagonists Leon and Grace Ashcroft, set to launch in summer 2026. The game arrives on February 27, 2026, across multiple platforms including the Switch 2.
The Nintendo Partner Direct on February 5, 2026, showcased Resident Evil Requiem, the ninth main entry in Capcom's survival horror series and a spiritual successor to Resident Evil Outbreak. Developed with the RE Engine, the game launches on February 27, 2026, for PC, PS5, Xbox Series, and Nintendo Switch 2. Players control Leon S. Kennedy and newcomer Grace Ashcroft, an FBI agent and daughter of journalist Alyssa Ashcroft, as they investigate mysterious deaths linked to the 1998 Raccoon City incident. Their story unfolds in an abandoned hotel, blending tension, exploration, and horror.
The trailer emphasized Leon's "physical prowess" and ability to "fire from a distance using handguns and rifles," yet featured clips of missed shots and poorly timed attacks, such as Leon wielding a zombie's chainsaw but striking a bed railing instead. This contrasts with a recent Capcom trailer showing graphic violence, suggesting Nintendo edited footage to tone down gore for its family-friendly image. Similar patterns appeared in past Directs, like edited Witcher 3 clips in 2019 and subdued Doom gameplay in 2017.
Additionally, amiibo figures of Grace, depicted with a black backpack and brown jacket, and Leon holding a hatchet were revealed for summer 2026 release, sold separately. Scanning them on Switch 2 unlocks special in-game weapon skins. The game was first announced at the Game Awards 2025, following a PlayStation Store leak.
A hands-on preview at Paris Games Week praised the demo's crisp graphics, fluid lighting, and intense hospital chase sequences, where players solve puzzles to escape a pursuing monster while avoiding noise and light. Alex Donaldson of Eurogamer noted in a preview: "All told, this final hands-on can consider mission accomplished: I left it far more excited for RE9 than I went in." The synopsis teases: "Requiem for the dead. Hell for the living."
