A new leak claims Resident Evil 9 will feature open-level Raccoon City exploration, vehicle travel, and major combat upgrades inspired by The Last of Us Part II, plus some story teasers.
Resident Evil Requiem is just days away from its next big showing at Gamescom Opening Night Live 2025 on August 19. Capcom has already confirmed the game’s switchable first-person and third-person camera options, but a lot about its gameplay and story is still under wraps. Now, a well-known Resident Evil leaker has shared some new tidbits about what fans might see in terms of gameplay upgrades, along with new story hints.
The game is officially set to release on February 27, 2026, for PS5, Xbox Series X | S, and PC, but right now there’s still a ton of mystery surrounding how it will play. Capcom has only shown short glimpses so far, and while the Gamescom presentation should clear up some of that, these new leaks are giving players plenty to think about.
Resident Evil Requiem Leaker Claims Open-Level Raccoon City and Big Combat Changes
This new batch of information comes from Dusk Golem, a well-known Resident Evil insider who has accurately shared series details in the past. According to them, Capcom has been working to make Raccoon City feel like a large, open-level area. On top of that, you’ll apparently be able to use a vehicle to get around the city, which would be a first for the series in this way.
Dusk Golem also says that Leon’s combat sections are getting “huge innovations” with some inspiration from The Last of Us Part II, but still keeping their own unique style.
“They’ve been working hard to achieve having good performance on open-level designed areas like Raccoon City, along w/a vehicle to travel around it. The combat with Leon has seen huge innovations, honestly, some Last of Us Part 2-isms, but also its own innovations,” they said.
Leaked Resident Evil Requiem Story Teasers
Alongside the gameplay details, Dusk Golem also touched on some of the story elements. They claim to know the identities of the main trailer characters, including the stalker monster, hooded figure, and shadowy figures, as well as the main virus or infection in the game and why Grace Ashcroft’s blood is important.
“As of this moment, I know who all the characters in the first trailer are (who the stalker monster is, who the hooded figure is, who the shadowy figures who pop up briefly are),” the post reads. “I know a framing device the story uses in a huge way that I haven’t seen anyone guess yet.
“I know who the playable characters are, I know roughly their role in the story, but not precisely where their stories go, I know what the main virus/infection in the game is & what it does, I know why they need Grace’s blood, I know a big way this all ties to Umbrella.”
According to the leaker, Resident Evil 9 is planned as the final numbered entry in the series, wrapping up everything tied to Umbrella, Raccoon City, and the long-running virus storyline. The idea is to close out decades of interconnected plots so the franchise can move toward new characters and fresh horror ideas without being tied down by the old timeline.
“Resident Evil 9, they plan to make the last numbered RE game. RE9 is a conclusion chapter… It will be the end of the timeline of everything to do with Umbrella, Raccoon City, its legacy & long history, & free them up to make major changes to the franchise,” they said.
This isn’t the first time Dusk Golem has shared big Resident Evil Requiem claims. Just yesterday, they claimed that the game will serve as Leon S. Kennedy’s last major role in the main series, effectively his send-off.
As with any leak, it’s worth taking all of this with a grain of salt until Capcom officially confirms it.
What do you think about these new details? Would you like to see an open-level Raccoon City with vehicle travel in Resident Evil 9? Let us know in the comments below!
