The February 2026 release of Capcom's Resident Evil Requiem is fast approaching, and what better way to foster fans' anticipation than by releasing the Resident Evil showcase? Hosted by Capcom, the event took place on 15 January 2026 at 2 PM EST and gave gamers a better look at Resident Evil Requiem ahead of its February launch.
The 12-minute-long Resident Evil showcase special was streamed via Capcom's Twitch and YouTube channels and served fans with the latest Resident Evil series news and information. Its YouTube trailer said, 'Tune in on January 15 at 2 pm PT / 10 pm GMT for the Resident Evil Showcase and be one of the first to see brand new gameplay and news for Resident Evil Requiem.'
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Gamers last heard about Resident Evil Requiem at The Game Awards on 11 December 2025, when a 1998 character's comeback (Leon Kennedy) was revealed. A little over a month's worth of wait lets fans into Resident Evil Requiem before the game officially launches next month.
Fan Expectations
CGM broke down the Resident Evil Showcase highlights, including Leon Kennedy's reveal and updated gameplay elements for Resident Evil Requiem, with two playable modes: one for each character, Grace and Leon.
Director Koshi Nakanishi also shared in CGM's report, 'Grace's parts are more similar to Resident Evil 2 & 7...whereas Leon's part is closer to the thrilling tension featured in Resident Evil 4. By combining Grace's horror and Leon's action and allowing you to play them side-by-side, we created an experience with an emotional range unlike any other Resident Evil to date.
After the gameplay elements, however, when fans were waiting for a shadow-dropped demo at the end of the showcase, they were greeted with none, sparking disappointment. As shared by Men's Journal, this marks the first time no demo was released for a new mainline entry in the Resident Evil series.
The resident evil showcase was just Leon showing off his new watch and car like he’s going through a mid-life crisis pic.twitter.com/IV3se9Lua4
— ✨Palletlover✨ (@Palletlover) January 15, 2026
The 12-minute showcase consisted of information about Resident Evil Requiem that had already been revealed. Apart from the additional first, second, or third-person camera perspective options, fans were expecting a demo.
Some fans took to social media, particularly X and Reddit, when their excitement was quickly overshadowed by disappointment. One user posted on the r/residentevil subreddit following the Resident Evil Showcase launch: 'What was that showcase, I mean I'm excited for the game, but it was a lot of ads and I wasn't expecting a demo since last year they already said they weren't planning on it. But I guess I just expected more.'
A user named BakedXenon said,' The actual gameplay was great, but they were hyping up.. that? It was mostly commercials for merchandise and stuff we've already seen. They were telling people to react to it for what lmao.' Another user's dismay was expressed in the thread, saying, 'It's a shame they didn't release a demo; the previous two instalments both had one.'
Users on Reddit and other social media platforms all have the same thing in common: they expected a demo but were instead given commercials and information already shared.
Resident Evil 9 showcase impressions:
— ValyriaN (@ValyrianFPS) January 15, 2026
- Love that zombies have their human personalities intact to an extent
- Leon's gameplay looks super satisfying
- Executions look satisfying
- Love that you can set camera perspective separately
Can't wait for release 🔥 pic.twitter.com/jAqqfBxcfb
With just a few weeks until the arrival of the much-anticipated title, Resident Evil Requiem, we can half expect community expectations to continue appearing on our feeds. Meanwhile, pre-orders for the game remain open, and fans can await further updates. The reception of one of the most anticipated games of this year depends greatly on how Capcom can balance marketing strategy and engagement.
