Given that Resident Evil Requiem stars Alyssa Ashcroft’s daughter, Grace Ashcroft, many are wondering if they’ll need to play Resident Evil Outbreak and Resident Evil Outbreak: File 2 (both of which Alyssa is a playable character in) to understand Requiem’s story. According to Requiem producer Masato Kumazawa, those who didn’t play the older titles will be able to enjoy the new game just fine.
In an interview with Stevivor, Kumazawa said that the development team made sure players who did and did not play Resident Evil Outbreak and its sequel “will both be able to enjoy (Requiem) as much as they can.” Whether this means that all players will experience the same level of enjoyment or that veterans will understand subtle hints referencing Outbreak and Outbreak: File 2 is currently unknown, but it looks like Capcom has put a lot of effort into making Requiem’s story as accessible as its swappable first-person and third-person perspectives.
Going back to Requiem’s characters, Kumazawa admitted that the reason they chose to feature Alyssa was simply because she was a victim of the Raccoon City incident. A reporter by profession, Alyssa is unlike Leon Kennedy, Claire Redfield, or Jill Valentine – all of whom have some experience in firearms and combat. While Alyssa underwent combat training post-Raccoon City Incident, her constant search for the truth made her easy to introduce as a protagonist.
“The reason why we chose Alyssa was because she was just a victim of the Raccoon City incident. She had a clear aim, a clear motive, so she was very just easy to introduce in this scenario.”
When it comes to Alyssa’s daughter, Grace, Kumazawa said her personality was made to be completely different from that of seasoned survivors like Claire Redfield and Rebecca Chambers. The developers envisioned Grace to be more scared and vulnerable than her counterparts, which would be able to give players “a new type of scare and experience” when compared to controlling characters like Claire or Rebecca.
When asked about the importance of Resident Evil Outbreak and Resident Evil Outbreak: File 2 in the larger celebration of the franchise’s 30th anniversary, Kumazawa said that, similar to the first online Resident Evil titles, the spin-offs and their stories are important parts of the franchise’s history. While this doesn’t confirm if any spin-off remakes are in the works, it’s nice to know that Capcom holds them in such high regard.
Resident Evil Requiem is set to release on February 27, 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Windows (Steam).
