Resident Evil 9 leak confirms a series icon has risen from the grave

A short look into the gameplay of Resident Evil 9—otherwise known as Resident Evil Requiem—has leaked online and the footage revealed a classic enemy is back to the mainline series (not counting remakes) for the first time since Resident Evil 6 in 2012.

The zombie, the iconic enemy that haunts the halls of the Spencer Mansion, the streets of Raccoon City, and the nightmares of players, is back and biting in Resident Evil 9. 

First leaked online from what seems to be a Japanese television show, the roughly 30 second clip shows Grace Ashcroft, the newest series protagonist, exploring a dimly lit building when she’s attacked by two shambling zombies. Seemingly unperturbed by bullets, the zombies lunge at Grace in a way that’s most similar to the combat of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3’s remakes.

Resident Evil returns to the classic formula with Raccoon City

The return of the T-Virus infected zombies is huge for the series, though not entirely unexpected or surprising given the game’s setting in Raccoon City, the teeth-gnashing title screen, and the (rumored) return of Leon S. Kennedy in some sort of supporting role. The last few games in the series, RE7 and RE8: Village, featured wildly different enemy types from humanoid mold monsters to vampires and werewolf-like creatures, which means the return of zombies should feel refreshing after so much time with other monsters.

The reappearance of zombies does raise other questions for the series. How involved is the Umbrella Corporation? Will other series icons besides Leon return to fight the undead? How are there even new people to infect in Raccoon City after the city was nuked decades ago? For answers to these questions, players will just have to wait and play RE9 when it releases.

When is Resident Evil 9 coming out?

Resident Evil 9 is set to release on Feb. 27, 2026 after many long years of anticipation. Not too much has been revealed so far about what sort of enemies players might face and how Raccoon City will be involved once again.

The protagonist of the game, Grace Ashcroft, is an intelligence analyst for the FBI who seems more comfortable working at her desk than out in the field. Sent to investigate a series of mysterious deaths, Grace returns to the hotel where her mother was murdered almost a decade earlier. 

A short demo of officially released gameplay shows Grace exploring a run-down building, likely the hotel, while being pursued by a giant, unkillable stalker (a Resident Evil staple).

The addition of zombies with this relentless pursuer means players will have an experience closer to RE2 than ever before, especially with the return to Raccoon City. This next step in the franchise, which looks back at its beginnings, promises to be both thrilling and absolutely terrifying.