Resident Evil Requiem's marketing has left me itching to play the game — while no demo is frustrating, here's why I think it may pay off

1. Gaming

Resident Evil Requiem's marketing has left me itching to play the game — while no demo is frustrating, here's why I think it may pay off Features By Isaiah Williams published 14 February 2026

Itchy. Tasty.

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(Image credit: Capcom)

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There's not much time left now for Capcom's highly anticipated Resident Evil Requiem, which is set to launch on February 27. The marketing for this game has been noticeably different from Capcom's usual structure, leaving me frustrated and antsy to get my hands on the game.

Fan favorite Leon S. Kennedy was only revealed in late 2025, after months of Capcom holding it as Requiem's big secret (or, more accurately, its worst-kept secret) close to its chest, along with many other aspects of the game.

We're now just weeks away from launch, and the game's appearance at PlayStation's February State of Play gave me hope that a demo would be shadow dropped. Capcom hasn't missed a single demo for its mainline Resident Evil games, starting from the original Resident Evil, leading up to the eighth instalment, Resident Evil Village.

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It's also worth noting that Capcom usually launches its Resident Evil demos two weeks before launch, just like it did with 2023's Resident Evil 4 remake. This latest State of Play happened on February 12, leading into February 13, which is exactly two weeks before the RE9's February 27 launch, so you'd think there would be a demo, right?

Well, unfortunately, there isn't one (at least for now). And no Resident Evil Requiem demo before launch is a huge disappointment, especially since many PC gamers like myself are intent on finding out how the game performs on different PC configurations, and at the very least getting the same demo experience many had at major events like Gamescom 2025.

However, I'm beginning to believe that the omission of a demo and Capcom's secrecy may very well make the wait for February 27 worthwhile.

Requiem likely has a major surprise

Image 1 of 2(Image credit: Capcom)(Image credit: Capcom)

While the fourth trailer gives us a hint at another major character (obviously it's Sherry Birkin) and a few other major details that you can read more on in our trailer coverage, it still feels like we've barely seen anything this game truly has to offer in terms of its story and gameplay.

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I've always theorized that there's much more to Capcom's 25th anniversary artwork, which features the Resident Evil franchise's main characters (as you can see above), and with how much of Requiem Capcom is hiding even after the game's 4th trailer, I'm confident that we may very well be seeing the return of Jill Valentine, Claire Redfield, and Ada Wong.

Without diving into too many details, one key takeaway from the trailer is the reveal of the 'Raccoon City Syndrome', which is what Leon S. Kennedy and, supposedly, Sherry Birkin are infected with. As far as we know, this virus – which looks set to be some sort of strain from the T-virus – has infected all survivors of the Raccoon City outbreak and has been lying dormant in their bodies for years.

This at least guarantees some involvement of legacy characters, including Carlos Oliveira, and with potential fears of a data mining leak from a demo, it suggests Capcom is waiting for launch for players to experience a major reveal themselves.

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Blind playthroughs are the best ones

(Image credit: Capcom)

As much as I want a Requiem demo, I can appreciate that waiting just a little longer will make the experience so much more satisfying. I say this because 22 hours of the overall 420 hours I've spent playing the Resident Evil 4 remake were solely in the game's demo, from multiple replays.

I have no doubts that many others and I would've likely done the same thing with a Requiem demo, which runs the risk of making the playable section stale once the final experience arrives. In a worst-case scenario, as aforementioned, data miners could end up spoiling the game's events, which is exactly what happened withVillage.

Resident Evil Requiem seems to be the most story-heavy game in the franchise so far, and the most popular character, Leon S. Kennedy, is quite literally dying due to the dormant virus becoming active after decades.

Capcom has clearly made efforts to make Requiem's gameplay as dynamic as possible from what we've seen so far, and it's the first game since RE4 that has me incredibly impatient to play – and it's creeping up on Crimson Desert to be my most anticipated game of 2026.

I only have one more request: Capcom, if we're not getting a demo in an attempt to avoid potential spoilers, please don't then place any major reveals in a launch trailer, as that may just defeat the entire purpose.

I'm very much looking forward to February 27, and fortunately, it's right around the corner, releasing on PS5, Xbox Series X and Series S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.

The best horror games for scares, frights, and screamsOur top horror game picks

➡️ Read our full guide to the best horror games1. Best overall:Alien: Isolation2. Great for multiplayer:Dead By Daylight3. Best remake:Dead Space4. Best story:Alan Wake 25. Best Resident Evil:Resident Evil 7: Biohazard

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Isaiah WilliamsSocial Links NavigationStaff Writer, Computing

Isaiah is a Staff Writer for the Computing channel at TechRadar. He's spent over two years writing about all things tech, specifically games on PC, consoles, and handhelds. He started off at GameRant in 2022 after graduating from Birmingham City University in the same year, before writing at PC Guide which included work on deals articles, reviews, and news on PC products such as GPUs, CPUs, monitors, and more. He spends most of his time finding out about the exciting new features of upcoming GPUs, and is passionate about new game releases on PC, hoping that the ports aren't a complete mess.

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