Resident Evil Requiem: Big Mama, Grace’s Journey, and the Leon Question

Capcom’s upcoming Resident Evil Requiem made waves at Gamescom 2025, offering a terrifying demo that both honored the franchise’s roots and teased bold new directions. Players were introduced to Grace Ashcroft, the daughter of Resident Evil Outbreak survivor Alyssa, who now carries her mother’s legacy into a story that reconnects with Raccoon City and Umbrella’s darkest secrets.

The demo’s most striking element is the monstrous stalker fans have nicknamed “Big Mama.” Unlike past pursuers such as Mr.

X, Nemesis, or Lady Dimitrescu, this towering figure was deliberately designed to overwhelm through sheer size. Director Koshi Nakanishi explained that the team scaled her up from an originally smaller concept, turning her into a nightmare players instantly recognize as a lethal threat. Her relationship with light adds an unnerving twist: illuminated rooms can repel her – until they don’t. As Nakanishi noted, horror thrives on establishing rules, then breaking them to yank safety away at the worst moment.

Requiem carefully balances its suffocating tension with moments of release. Grace begins terrified and inexperienced, but over time gains weapons and confidence, echoing the series’ tradition of blending survival horror with cathartic bursts of combat. Producer Masato Kumazawa described this as a “rollercoaster curve” – huge spikes of anxiety followed by equally powerful relief.

Fan theories are already rampant. Many speculate Big Mama might secretly be Alyssa herself, twisted into a monster. Others insist the creature’s screams echo Lisa Trevor’s. Capcom, however, remains coy. The developers admit they’re aware of the speculation but stress that some of the demo’s audio is placeholder, hinting that answers will only come at release. Their silence around Leon S. Kennedy is just as calculated. While rumors insist he’ll appear, Capcom refuses to confirm, amplifying anticipation by leaving fans to argue endlessly online.

The decision to center Grace, a new protagonist, serves multiple purposes. She’s both a narrative bridge to Alyssa’s fate and an entry point for newcomers who don’t need decades of lore to enjoy the game. At the same time, longtime fans will find the return to Umbrella and Raccoon City packed with callbacks, mysteries, and revelations timed for the series’ 30th anniversary.

Capcom stresses that Requiem isn’t just backward-looking nostalgia. While Raccoon City looms large, the game promises areas beyond it and answers to some long-standing questions. Yet, as the developers tease, not every mystery will be solved – because Resident Evil’s future is still unfolding.