Resident Evil Requiem trailer premieres during State of Play; early copies surface

Capcom previewed the fourth trailer for Resident Evil Requiem at Sony’s State of Play, and the build‑up to the game’s February 27, 2026 launch turned urgent when physical copies began appearing in stores ahead of release. Reports from multiple community posts and an industry insider prompted immediate spoiler warnings from fans and outlets.

The new trailer centers gameplay and story around two protagonists, Leon S. Kennedy and Grace Ashcroft, and closes with a clear return to Raccoon City. TechRadar and other outlets highlighted a line heard over Leon’s comms in the trailer: “It’s been a while since you’ve been back there,” which cuts to the back of a short blonde head typing at a keyboard, a shot that has reignited speculation that Sherry Birkin may appear. Bloody Disgusting told readers to “wait until the end to get a shot of Leon arriving back at his old stomping grounds.”

Gameplay details teased in the trailer and hands‑on notes show a broader scope than some expected. Bloody Disgusting described sequences putting Leon in a hospital where Grace is kidnapped, and reported a perspective swap mechanic that lets players switch between first-person for immersion and third-person for more dynamic action whenever you’d like. TechRadar added that the trailer hints at new playable locations beyond the hospital and RCPD, increasing the scale implied by earlier reveals.

Character descriptions vary across reporting, so the picture of Grace Ashcroft is not settled in public materials. Bloody Disgusting labels Grace an FBI analyst, while Fangoria describes her as an investigative reporter and says she is the daughter of Resident Evil Outbreak’s Alyssa Ashcroft. Fangoria also places the story 30 years after a missile strike destroyed Raccoon City and suggests Leon may have “succumbed to whatever viral monstrosity is in store this time,” language that frames the trailer’s darker beats.

The early‑sale reports began circulating in earnest after an industry insider posted a photo of a shrink‑wrapped Deluxe Edition and wrote, “I can personally verify there is at least one person out there who bought Resident Evil Requiem from a store selling early.” That post, attributed to Resident Evil insider Dusk Golem, and a separate Reddit image reportedly tied to PLAION, were cited as evidence that physical copies are already in the wild. One outlet noted, “The link appears broken at the time of writing,” underscoring gaps in source continuity as the community scrambled to confirm provenance.

Community reaction has been swift: headlines urged players to “Brace yourselves for leaks,” and advised fans to mute keywords or log off social platforms to avoid spoilers in the run up to launch. One prominent preview from IGN included a hands‑on reflection: “After getting hands-on with a total of about four hours of Resident Evil 9 Requiem at this point, and sharing that experience with colleagues, I’m more excited for the series than I have been in recent memory. It’s the old mixed with the new, but all in a modern package with two protagonists I already like a lot.”

Resident Evil Requiem is scheduled to arrive February 27 on Nintendo Switch 2, PC via Steam and Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Key outstanding items for verification include Grace Ashcroft’s official role, confirmation of any Sherry Birkin appearance, and Capcom or retailer comment on the alleged early sales; those details remain to be clarified as launch day approaches.