- Key Update: Resident Evil Requiem’s new zombies retain traces of humanity, making them the series’ most unsettling infection yet.
- Latest Update: January 20, 2026
- Capcom’s recent Resident Evil Showcase confirmed that infected characters retain their former human selves, adding a morally complex gameplay experience.
- Unlike previous infections in the series, such as the T-Virus or Plaga, Requiem’s strain preserves a sense of humanity.
- The game’s central plot element, Elpis, may be linked to this mysterious virus, or it could be a man-made BOW, though details are still unknown.
Resident Evil Requiem comes out in a few more weeks, and we are already dreading the way Capcom showcases their new type of zombies.
One of the biggest mysteries in Resident Evil Requiem is how this new zombie infection affects its hosts. Capcom confirmed in the recent Resident Evil Showcase that those affected will “retain their former personalities,” creating a morally unsettling encounter for players since they still have traces of humanity left in them.
Apart from what we’ve seen in the recent showcase, not much was revealed about what causes the new undead to retain some of their older selves. In the trailer, we’ve seen how this virus affected the inhabitants of the Wrenwood Hotel; maids still cleaning dirty toilet mirrors, chefs waiting for the next meat to cut, and a bellboy stuck in the same pattern of turning the lights off and on again.
Eagle-eyed fans also notice that some of these zombies have black tears coming out of their eyes, hinting that while they are clearly infected, they may have felt pain and sorrow during the process, but are unable to act on their own. One particular example is during Leon’s brief snippet from the showcase, which deals with what appears to be a singer lunging at him, with tears still swelling in her eyes. All of it seems bizarre, and it is perhaps Capcom’s most twisted take on the zombie formula.
Previous infections from older Resident Evil titles barely have any humanity stored when a person has contacted the virus. The T-Virus outbreak caused almost all residents of Raccoon City to turn into mindless flesh-eating hordes, whereas the Plaga in Resident Evil 4 is a mind-controlling parasite that transformed them into terrifying insect-like abominations. Other variants, like Resident Evil 6’s C-Virus or Code Veronica’s T-Veronica, erase nearly all traces of humanity in their hosts.
The only infection in a Resident Evil game that maintains a semblance of humanity is the Mold. It turned its hosts into mind-controlled beings, forcing them to do things beyond their will. But unlike Requiem’s case, there’s no sorrow embedded in their system; only mindless killing machines.
Not much is certain about Resident Evil Requiem’s new virus strain, but it’s already shaping up to be the series’ most terrifying infection ever. There’s a hint of sadness to their demise, which makes taking them down feel morally wrong. The bigger monsters seen in the trailer, like the new ‘stalker’ type enemy, might also retain some of their old personality. This could mean why it’s adamant on taking Grace, probably to “protect her.”
There’s also the matter of Elpis, which is Resident Evil Requiem’s major plot point. No one knows whether this is a type of virus or a man-made BOW (Bio Organic Weapon), but it could be the possible key linked to this new infection.
We may never know until we play the game ourselves.
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