Resident Evil Requiem already has me on 'Team Grace'

For me, and probably many others, the surprise reveals Resident Evil Requiem Closing the Summer Games Fest 2025 was my favorite moment in showcase. After several teasing throughout the presentation, I was ready to accept that we would not see the project until Game Awards at the earliest. But I'm so happy that I got stuck to watch the end of the show, for that Resident Evil Requiem Trailer gave me enough to ignite the hype for its February 27 2026 release date.

After hearing rumors of Leon Kennedy return to the lead role in the next Resident evilI had assumed that he would make a performance in this trailer. But I almost forgot this opportunity because I was too focused on gathering every bit of Lore that I could from the short scenes chosen to show off Resident Evil Requiemdebut. In the end, I was much more invested in learning more about the newcomer Grace Ashcroft and her story with the franchise after it was revealed that her mother was Alyssa Ashcroft by Resident Evil OutbreakAnd I think I already like her more than any modern RE Protagonist so far.

Family

Resident Evil Requiem gives fans two things they have asked for

At Summer Game Fest, Capcom shows the first game for Resident Evil Requiem and reveals how the ninth game will satisfy fans, new and old.

Grace Ashcroft is much more interesting to me than Ethan Winters, and I loved Resident Evil Village

I want to start by saying that I am a huge advocate for Resident Evil 7 and VillageAnd I love how these games updated the series. But I always felt that Ethan Winters was something of a black sheep among Resident evil main characters. While I like that he is not a special elite agent like Chris Redfield or Leon Kennedy – I think it gives him a unique perspective and increases the horror factor for the player – I never really felt a connection to his character.

It almost feels like Capcom wanted to create a self -insight for players to control, given the change to a first personal perspective in Resident Evil 7But how Ethan was designed felt like just half a measure. He still has his own personality, dialogue and connection to the game's events, so he can't really be considered a real player stand-in. But at the same time, Capcom seems to be involved in never showing Ethan's real face, as evidenced by how it is still hidden both in the game and on official art after Resident Evil VillageThird Personal Location Update.

Putting a face against a name immediately puts grace above Ethan in my eyes

Without ever seeing Ethan's face, there is a barrier that remains between the player and the character that makes me feel that I don't really know Ethan as if I do other iconic Resident evil main characters. It is therefore the introduction of grace that Resident Evil RequiemThe protagonist was a healthy breath for me. Although her intro may not have been too exciting, it created her identity as an FBI analyst and immediately established its connection to the rest of the series through her mother, Alyssa Ashcroft.

To know that Grace has trauma tied to the events in Resident Evil Outbreak helps me to imagine her role in the franchise without even having played Denial. This leaves just enough room for a certain level of mystery while teasing enough a connection to get me theoretization of how her story could play. It is the perfect amount of backstory for a revealing trailer to set up to make me invest in a character without destroying too much of their bow premature.

Family

Resident Evil Requiem doesn't look like Classic Resident Evil, and that's okay

Resident Evil Requiem introduces a boldly new chapter for the series, which can pave the way for a new and scary story.

I am still excited about Leon Kennedy's rumored return, but Grace has already stolen the show

Of course the elephant still in the room when discussing Resident Evil Requiem is Leon's leaked role as a second protagonist. Believe me, I will be as excited as someone to see Leon back after being recovered with his action hero-style en-liners in Resident Evil 4 remake. But it is equal, if not more, exciting to see a whole new character develops into what can potentially be another fan favorite main character with the Grace's backstory opportunities.

Leon has had several opportunities to grow into a star and rightly deserves once in the limelight. However, I believe that Grace has the power to share the limelight with a character of Leon's star power because of her roots that embed her story in the franchise from the start, and Capcom's willingness to go all-in to create a character that can be completely seen in a third personal perspective for her to stay power. The Ashcroft name has a lot of emphasis in Raccoon City, and it is just that a return to where the series started would include focus on that family.

Grace feels like the resident evil heroine that I've been waiting for since Jill Valentine and Claire Redfield

The Resident evil The series has always produced memorable video game heroes, even as far back as the original, with Jill Valentine who puts the stars investigation of Spencer Mansion in perspective for players. Claire Redfields Heroics to save Sherry Birkin during the T-Virus eruption Resident Evil 2 Built on the foundation of strong female joints in the series and sets the bar high in the future. While other heroines like Resident Evil 5Sheva Alomar has continued the tradition of the series' female protagonists, no one has had the same depth as Jill and Claire.

The closest to the modern series has come to create a unique and complex female leadership like Jill and Claire was Rose Winters in Resident Evil VillageS dlc. But with it seems that the short experience was a single-and-made excursion for Rose, I feel that she never reached her full narrative potential. Grace, on the other hand, provides another opportunity for Capcom to create a new heroine from the emotional complexity of existing existing Resident evil Lore, and I can't wait to see how her story develops in Resident Evil Requiem.