Original Version of Resident Evil Requiem Included Open-World and More Familiar Characters - Details Revealed

The original concept for Resident Evil 9—which ultimately received the subtitle Requiem—is known to have differed significantly from the game’s final version. This primarily concerns its focus on the online component. And now, we’ve learned plenty of other details about the original vision for the ninth installment.

This information was shared by Dusk Golem, a well-known franchise insider. According to him, the game was originally titled Resident Evil Apocalypse and was intended to be the first installment in the series to feature a full-fledged open world. The story was set to take place on a fictional island in Singapore, and it featured more action elements than horror. Capcom also planned to use the RE Engine, which is used in Dragon’s Dogma 2 and Monster Hunter Wilds, and the infection meter from Resident Evil: Outbreak was being considered as one of the game’s mechanics.

Resident Evil Apocalypse was originally planned to feature Leon S. Kennedy, Ada Wong, Jill Valentine, Sheva from Resident Evil 5, as well as two new characters. However, Leon didn’t trust Jill because of her connection to the BSAA, and Sheva didn’t trust Ada Wong. Incidentally, the BSAA were to serve as the game’s main antagonists, and Chris Redfield would have been under arrest following the events of Resident Evil Village; Sheva, meanwhile, intended to rescue him.

Ultimately, Capcom rejected a number of ideas during development, determining that the project lacked horror elements and had too many leads. At one point, when the decision was made to keep Leon as the sole playable character, Jill was considered as a non-playable partner, but she was completely cut from the game. These plans were partially mentioned in the book Biohazard 30th Special Mook —specifically, the emphasis on online play and why Grace ultimately appeared in Resident Evil Requiem as a new playable protagonist alongside Leon.

It’s already clear that Capcom made the right decision, and Requiem has become one of the most important entries in the Resident Evil series. Critically, the game is one of this year’s best, and financially, it holds the title of the fastest-selling Resident Evil game in history. The studio is also officially working on DLC; details are scarce at the moment, but its writer, Haris Orkin, recently mentioned it will reveal more about Oswell E. Spencer. Early rumors suggested players would be able to fully explore his mansion from the original Resident Evil.