Thirty years. That is how long Capcom has been building the world of Resident Evil, stacking layer upon layer of viruses, conspiracies, fallen cities, and broken heroes into one of gaming’s most tangled and rewarding lore universes. Resident Evil Requiem, also known as RE9, is where all of that history comes home.

The game launched on 27 February 2026 and follows two playable protagonists, Grace Ashcroft and Leon S. Kennedy, across the ruins of Raccoon City and a new location called Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center. Leon first set foot in Raccoon City as a rookie cop back in 1998. He returns here in 2026, older, harder, and carrying nearly three decades of survival on his back. Grace, meanwhile, carries a connection to those same 1998 events through her mother, Alyssa Ashcroft, a journalist who lived through the city’s collapse.

Whether you are jumping into the series for the first time or returning after years away, knowing where Resident Evil Requiem sits in the timeline changes how the entire story hits. This guide breaks down exactly when the game takes place, what came before it, and why all of that history still matters.

When Does Resident Evil Requiem Take Place?

Resident Evil Requiem takes place in 2026, making it the most current entry in the Resident Evil series timeline at the time of its release. This is roughly 28 years after the original Raccoon City outbreak of 1998, which serves as the foundational event of the entire franchise.

The game sits chronologically after the events of Resident Evil Village (2021) and before the Shadows of Rose DLC, which takes place in 2037. Capcom’s mainline games have historically been set in the year they release, and Resident Evil Requiem follows that tradition.

Key timeline placement facts:

• Resident Evil Requiem takes place in 2026
• Resident Evil Village (RE8) takes place in 2021, making Resident Evil Requiem approximately five years later
• The Shadows of Rose DLC for Resident Evil Village takes place in 2037 and remains the furthest chronological point in the series
• The Raccoon City incident at the core of the Resident Evil franchise took place in 1998, meaning Resident Evil Requiem takes place roughly 28 years after those events
• The game’s Leon S. Kennedy has lived through the events of Resident Evil 2 (1998), Resident Evil 4 (2004), Resident Evil 6 (2012 to 2013), and now Resident Evil Requiem (2026)

Do You Need To Play Resident Evil 7 And 8 Before Resident Evil Requiem?

This is one of the most common questions from fans preparing to jump in. The confirmed answer is that the Ethan Winters storyline from Resident Evil 7: Biohazard and Resident Evil Village is largely its own self-contained arc. However, both games do take place before Resident Evil Requiem in the timeline, and they contribute important lore context.

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard takes place in 2017 and Resident Evil Village takes place in 2021. Resident Evil Requiem appears to pull from the wider Resident Evil legacy rather than being a direct sequel to the Ethan Winters arc specifically. Community discussion following launch confirms that players can follow the story of Resident Evil Requiem without having played Resident Evil 7 or Resident Evil Village, though those games do add context around characters like Chris Redfield and broader Umbrella mythology.

However, there are certain games that matter significantly more for understanding Resident Evil Requiem’s story. The most important titles to know are Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 3, Resident Evil 4, and Resident Evil 6, all of which directly follow Leon S. Kennedy.

Grace Ashcroft’s story connects back to the Resident Evil Outbreak games through her mother, Alyssa Ashcroft.

The Full Resident Evil Timeline: Everything That Led To Resident Evil Requiem

Here is a full chronological breakdown of the key events across the Resident Evil series and how each one connects to Resident Evil Requiem.

July 1998: The Spencer Mansion Incident (Resident Evil 0 and Resident Evil)

The story of Resident Evil begins in July 1998 in the Arklay Mountains outside Raccoon City. S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team goes missing during a routine investigation into a series of cannibalistic murders in the area. Medic Rebecca Chambers survives alongside a convict named Billy Coen and discovers a facility operated by the Umbrella Corporation, a pharmaceutical company secretly developing bioweapons using a disease called the T-Virus.

The following day, S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team arrives to find Bravo Team. The group includes Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, and Albert Wesker. They discover the Spencer Mansion is another Umbrella research site. Wesker reveals himself as an Umbrella mole, unleashes an experimental creature called Tyrant on his own team, and fakes his death. The surviving S.T.A.R.S. members escape as the mansion self-destructs.

Connection to Resident Evil Requiem: This incident marks the origin of Umbrella’s downfall and the beginning of the T-Virus spreading beyond containment. Resident Evil Requiem returns to the region of Raccoon City, where all of this began.

September to October 1998: The Raccoon City Outbreak (Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 3, and Resident Evil Outbreak)

By September 1998, the T-Virus reaches Raccoon City through the contaminated water supply and the city descends into chaos. This period is the most important stretch of Resident Evil history for understanding Resident Evil Requiem.

Leon S. Kennedy arrives in Raccoon City on his very first day as a police officer and immediately faces a city overrun by the undead. He meets Claire Redfield, who is searching for her brother Chris. The two are separated and fight their way through Raccoon City’s infested police department. Leon encounters Ada Wong, who claims to be an FBI agent but is actually a mercenary pursuing a second viral strain called the G-Virus, created by Umbrella scientist William Birkin. Leon and Claire eventually escape the city.

At the same time, Jill Valentine tries to escape Raccoon City while hunted by Nemesis, a biological weapon designed to eliminate surviving S.T.A.R.S. members. A mercenary named Carlos Oliveira helps Jill, who is infected with the T-Virus during the chaos but later cured. The two escape the city just before the United States government launches a missile strike to destroy Raccoon City and suppress all evidence of the outbreak.

During this same period, the Resident Evil Outbreak games follow several Raccoon City civilians trying to survive the collapse of the city. One of those survivors is Alyssa Ashcroft, an investigative journalist for the Raccoon City Times. Alyssa escapes the city alive and later publishes an exposé on Umbrella’s activities, becoming a key figure in the company’s eventual downfall.

Connection to Resident Evil Requiem: Alyssa Ashcroft is the mother of Grace Ashcroft, one of the two main protagonists of Resident Evil Requiem. Resident Evil Requiem also returns to the ruins of Raccoon City and the Raccoon City Police Department, bringing the story full circle nearly three decades after these events.

Late 1998: Code Veronica and The Wider Umbrella Conspiracy (Resident Evil: Code Veronica)

Three months after Raccoon City, Claire Redfield is captured by Umbrella operatives and imprisoned on a remote island run by Alfred Ashford. Another outbreak occurs, Claire escapes, and the events eventually lead to a confrontation involving a new viral strain called the T-Veronica Virus. Chris Redfield arrives and discovers that Albert Wesker is still alive and now superhuman thanks to an experimental virus he secretly infected himself with. Wesker escapes with a viral sample. Chris and Claire survive and vow to continue fighting Umbrella.

Connection to Resident Evil Requiem: This chapter broadens Umbrella’s reach beyond Raccoon City and confirms that the conspiracy is global. It also establishes Wesker as a persistent threat across the series.

Autumn 2004: Bioterror Goes International (Resident Evil 4)

Six years after Raccoon City, Umbrella has collapsed due to legal action, financial ruin, and the fallout from the Raccoon City incident. Leon S. Kennedy is now a government agent with years of field experience. He travels to rural Spain to rescue the kidnapped daughter of the US President and discovers a parasite-controlled cult called Los Illuminados, infected by a biological organism called Las Plagas. Ada Wong reappears on her own mission. Leon defeats the cult’s leader, rescues the President’s daughter, and escapes.

Connection to Resident Evil Requiem: Resident Evil 4 transforms Leon from a rookie cop into the experienced operative we see in Resident Evil Requiem. His skills, combat instincts, and history with Ada Wong all trace back to this entry.

2009: Wesker’s Downfall (Resident Evil 5)

Chris Redfield, now operating under the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance (BSAA), travels to Africa to stop a bioweapons deal. The investigation uncovers that Wesker is still working with an evil pharmaceutical company called Tricell, developing a new strain of the Progenitor Virus called Uroboros. Chris discovers that Jill Valentine is still alive and being used as a mind-controlled test subject by Wesker. Chris and his partner Sheva rescue Jill and ultimately kill Wesker in a volcano.

Connection to Resident Evil Requiem: Wesker’s confirmed death at this point closes a chapter of the series, though his legacy continues through characters like Jake Muller. The BSAA, co-founded by Chris, remains an active presence in the series leading into Resident Evil Requiem.

2012 to 2013: A Global Outbreak (Resident Evil 6)

Resident Evil 6 covers multiple storylines simultaneously. A new organization called Neo-Umbrella develops a viral strain known as the C-Virus. Leon is called into action after the US President, turned into a zombie, requires neutralization. Chris leads BSAA operations overseas. A new character named Jake Muller, revealed to be Albert Wesker’s son, enters the picture. All storylines converge and all the main characters survive, going their separate ways after the threat is contained.

Connection to Resident Evil Requiem: Leon’s arc through Resident Evil 6 adds to the weight of history he carries into Resident Evil Requiem. The developers confirmed that the Leon in Resident Evil Requiem has lived through the events of Resident Evil 6.

2017: The Mold and the Bakers (Resident Evil 7: Biohazard)

A new protagonist named Ethan Winters searches for his missing wife Mia in rural Louisiana and finds her imprisoned by the Baker family, all of whom are infected by a fungal organism called the Mold. The Mold is separate from the T-Virus family of strains but connects back to Umbrella mythology in ways revealed in the following game. Ethan rescues Mia and destroys the source of the infection. Chris Redfield arrives at the scene, now operating under a team with an Umbrella logo, revealed to be Blue Umbrella, a reformed offshoot of the collapsed corporation.

A newspaper clipping from journalist Alyssa Ashcroft appears in the Baker house, confirming she was still active as a reporter and investigating disappearances in Louisiana at this time.

Connection to Resident Evil Requiem: This entry reconfirms Alyssa Ashcroft as an active figure in the Resident Evil universe just years before Resident Evil Requiem begins. The discovery of the Mold and its connection to Umbrella’s founding mythology also feeds directly into the next chapter.

February 2021: The Village and Mother Miranda (Resident Evil Village)

Ethan Winters and Mia settle in Eastern Europe, but their lives are disrupted when Chris Redfield and his team intervene. Ethan wakes in a village overrun by monsters, all connected to a cult leader named Mother Miranda, a centuries-old figure infected by the Mold who worships a fungal entity called the Megamycete. The most significant revelation in this game is that Oswell E. Spencer, the founder of Umbrella, was once a student of Mother Miranda, and the entire Umbrella Corporation, down to its logo, was inspired by her teachings. This means the Mold storyline is not separate from Umbrella’s history but is its very foundation. Ethan sacrifices himself to destroy the Megamycete. Chris escapes with Ethan’s daughter, Rose.

Connection to Resident Evil Requiem: Resident Evil Village establishes that the Mold and the T-Virus family of strains share a common origin. Resident Evil Requiem arrives five years after these events, and the community believes threads from this game may continue in Requiem’s wider story.

2026: Resident Evil Requiem

Resident Evil Requiem takes place in 2026, the year of the game’s real-world release. The story brings Leon S. Kennedy back to the ruins of Raccoon City, which was destroyed by a government missile strike in 1998 and has remained a buried site of trauma for survivors ever since. Leon’s reason for returning connects to a condition affecting survivors of the original Raccoon City incident, tied to prolonged exposure to the T-Virus. This search for answers draws him into Resident Evil Requiem’s central conflict.

Grace Ashcroft, the daughter of Alyssa Ashcroft from the Resident Evil Outbreak games, joins Leon as a co-protagonist. The story also takes players through the Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center, a new location introduced in this entry.

2037: Shadows of Rose (Resident Evil Village DLC)

The furthest point in the current Resident Evil timeline is the Shadows of Rose DLC, set in 2037. In this chapter, a now-teenage Rose Winters explores a memory realm connected to the Megamycete and has a final encounter with the consciousness of Mother Miranda. Rose is confirmed to be under observation by a mysterious agent at the DLC’s conclusion, suggesting her story continues. This DLC does not directly connect to Resident Evil Requiem but gives context for where the series universe is heading beyond 2026.

Resident Evil Timeline: Full Chronological Order At A Glance

Here is a complete at-a-glance order of the key Resident Evil games by in-universe date:

Year	Event	Game
July 1998	Spencer Mansion Incident	Resident Evil 0 and Resident Evil
Sept to Oct 1998	Raccoon City Outbreak	Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 3, Resident Evil Outbreak
Late 1998	Code Veronica and Wider Umbrella	Resident Evil: Code Veronica
2004	Rural Spain, Las Plagas	Resident Evil 4
2005	T-Abyss and BSAA Formation	Resident Evil: Revelations
2006	Wesker Hunt Begins	Resident Evil 5: Lost in Nightmares DLC
2009	Wesker’s Death in Volcano	Resident Evil 5
2011	Claire and Prison Island	Resident Evil: Revelations 2
2012 to 2013	C-Virus Global Outbreak	Resident Evil 6
2017	Mold and Baker Family	Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
2021	Miranda and the Village	Resident Evil Village
2026	Raccoon City Ruins and Rhodes Hill	Resident Evil Requiem
2037	Rose Winters and the Megamycete	Shadows of Rose DLC

What You Need To Play Before Resident Evil Requiem

You do not need to play every Resident Evil game before starting Resident Evil Requiem. However, certain titles give you the clearest foundation for understanding the story and its characters. Here is a practical guide to what matters most:

Essential:

Resident Evil 2 covers Leon’s origin story, the RPD, Claire, Ada Wong, and the fall of Raccoon City. This entry has the most direct relevance to Resident Evil Requiem’s setting and protagonist.

Resident Evil 4 shows Leon’s transformation from rookie survivor into seasoned government agent and remains one of the most important games for understanding who he is in Resident Evil Requiem.

Helpful for context:

Resident Evil 3 and the Resident Evil Outbreak recap cover the wider Raccoon City collapse and introduce Alyssa Ashcroft, Grace’s mother.

Resident Evil Village gives the clearest picture of where the series mythology stands heading into Resident Evil Requiem, including the Umbrella origin story and the Mold connection.

Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil 6 complete Leon and Chris’s arcs through the series’ global bioterror era.

Optional but rewarding:

Resident Evil 0 and Resident Evil 1 provide Umbrella’s origin story. Resident Evil 7 adds Alyssa Ashcroft’s newspaper clipping and the Mold’s introduction. Both are worth playing as complete experiences but are not strictly required for following Resident Evil Requiem’s plot.

Final Thoughts

Resident Evil Requiem does not arrive in isolation. It carries nearly three decades of franchise history into its story, from the T-Virus experiments of 1998 to the Mold mythology of 2021. Understanding where the game sits in the Resident Evil timeline transforms it from a standalone horror experience into a genuine closing chapter for one of gaming’s most enduring sagas.

The fact that Leon S. Kennedy, who first appeared as a rookie cop in Raccoon City in 1998, now returns to those very ruins in 2026 is not accidental. Resident Evil Requiem is built on that weight of history, and the more of it you carry into the game, the more powerful it becomes.