„It's best for the fans” Resident Evil Requiem producer on return to Raccoon City

In a new interview with Well Played, Resident Evil Requiem’s producer, Masato Kumazawa, spoke on several topics, including why the series is finally returning to Raccoon City. If you’ve been following the Resident Evil series, you know that the games have not returned to Raccoon City since Resident Evil Outbreak in 2003. All of that will change on February 27th, 2026, when Resident Evil Requiem is scheduled to be released. Kumazawa said that returning to the city is “best for the fans.”

Resident Evil Requiem producer says returning to Raccoon City is “best for the fans.”

Thankfully, in the interview, Kumazawa doesn’t just leave it there. He elaborates, saying, “When you compare it to the last main entries, Resident Evil 7 and Village, it went far away from Raccoon City and Umbrella. By portraying these outskirts… I believe that going back to Raccoon City and back to the main part of the story, it’s best for the fans. They will probably enjoy the story of what happened and uncover further.” Based on this, it seems the team felt it was finally time to return and give fans more of the story of the place that started it all.

With the return to Raccoon City, of course, fans are curious if any other characters will be returning to the series. At the top of everyone’s mind is the iconic protagonist from Resident Evil 2, Leon Kennedy. Kumazawa didn’t share any specifics and warned fans not to “over-expect or hype it.” However, when asked if more characters from Resident Evil Outbreak would appear in Requiem, Kumazawa said, “…yes, there are going to be some characters from the past series to come in… We can’t promise you anything about that, but the only thing I can say is that there will be characters that have been involved in the Raccoon City incident involved in the game.” Which is not that surprising, given Requiem’s protagonist is Grace Ashcroft, the daughter of Alyssa Aschcroft, who starred in Outbreak. We’ll have to wait to learn about any other characters, though.

Kumazawa also shared some thoughts on whether there are any plans for a remake of Outbreak, or a game similar to it in the future: “…eventually down the road I would like to make one, but at the moment no.” So, the future of a multiplayer co-op Resident Evil doesn’t look too bright, but Kumazawa added: “[if] there’s a need from the gamers or they want more like Outbreak, then maybe yes.” If fans want more of this, they will have to let the Resident Evil team know.

Resident Evil Requiem

February 27, 2026

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