Gamescom’s Opening Night Live just gave us a much deeper look at Resident Evil Requiem’s protagonist, and it’s exactly the kind of tragic backstory that makes returning to a horror location feel properly cursed. The new trailer focuses entirely on Grace Ashcroft’s past, showing us the traumatic events that connect her to the hotel where she’ll eventually return as an FBI technical analyst.
A Bratty Teen’s Worst Nightmare
The trailer opens with a teenage Grace who’s clearly more interested in her laptop than anything else around her. She comes across as a bit of a brat, totally absorbed in her work while her mother tries to get her attention. It’s a stark contrast to the composed FBI analyst we saw in the original reveal trailer – this Grace is still just a kid who has no idea what’s about to happen.
The power cuts out, and that’s when things go completely sideways. Grace and her mother rush downstairs where they encounter what looks like a butler trying to get the power back up. Without warning, someone puts a bag over his head and slits his throat right in front of them.
Family Secrets and FBI Cases
Grace and her mother try to escape, but her mom gets caught. What’s particularly interesting is that her mother seems to know more about what’s happening than Grace does, likely because the mom is Alyssa Ashcroft from Resident Evil Outbreak. We’ll probably piece together the full story through those classic Resident Evil notes scattered throughout the game.
The walking sections in the trailer were shown in first-person, though we already know players will have the choice to switch to third-person perspective if they prefer the traditional over-the-shoulder view.
What’s Next
We already know from the original trailer that adult Grace returns to this same location as an FBI technical analyst, assigned to investigate the very place where her mother died.
We’ll likely learn more about Resident Evil Requiem in the coming months, and it’s already shaping up to be our most anticipated game of 2026.
Resident Evil Requiem is set to launch February 27, 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Check out our original coverage of the reveal announcement to see how far Grace has come from that terrified teenager to a capable FBI analyst ready to face her past. Check out the trailer below:
