Resident Evil Requiem Breaks Records
Resident Evil Requiem shattered records, selling 5 million copies in 5 days for ~$350M revenue—marking the best single-player launch for the franchise. The game's success signals strong demand for traditional single-player horror experiences in an increasingly multiplayer-focused market.
The impressive launch of *Resident Evil Requiem* outpaced its recent predecessors, selling more in its first five days than *Resident Evil 4 (2023)* did in its initial week. The last title to hold the franchise's first-week sales record was *Resident Evil 6*, which sold 4.5 million copies. *Requiem's* immediate success was also reflected in its player engagement, hitting a peak of 344,000 concurrent players on Steam, a new high for the series. This ninth mainline installment marks the 30th anniversary of the *Resident Evil* franchise, which first launched in 1996. The series is Capcom's best-selling franchise, with over 170 million copies sold worldwide as of March 2025. *Requiem's* release pushes the total franchise sales closer to the 190 million unit mark. *Requiem* features dual protagonists: new FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft and returning fan-favorite Leon S. Kennedy. The gameplay is split between Grace's more traditional survival horror segments and Leon's action-oriented sequences, a design choice that critics have praised for balancing the series' different styles. Players can also switch between first-person and third-person perspectives. Developed on Capcom's proprietary RE Engine, the game was lauded for its photorealistic visuals. Prior to its launch, *Resident Evil Requiem* had already generated significant buzz, winning four awards at Gamescom 2025, including "Most Epic." Looking ahead, leaks suggest that a downloadable content (DLC) expansion is already in late development. Rumors indicate this new chapter will focus on Leon S. Kennedy and may be released as early as summer 2026, potentially to coincide with the launch of new *Resident Evil* Amiibo figures on July 30th.
