Resident Evil Requiem’s game director shares new details about the game’s future, including the missing Ada Wong issue in the base game, while also teasing what’s ahead with the upcoming DLC content.
Resident Evil Requiem Director Talks Ada Wong and Upcoming DLC in New Interview
Where is Ada Wong?
Resident Evil Requiem (RE9) is far from over, as more content is planned for the game’s future, including a major story expansion and DLC mini-games. Game director Akifumi Nakanishi and Capcom producer Masato Kumazawa answered some of the burning questions from fans.
In an interview with Japanese gaming website denfaminicogamer.jp, Nakanishi and Kumazawa discussed behind-the-scenes details of the game’s development. One topic was about the franchise’s elusive Ada Wong, a major character who is notably absent in Requiem despite being closely tied to Leon Kennedy in the series, both romantically and professionally.
Nakanishi acknowledged that "various characters came up" (translated from Japanese) during the development period, but the team held back from adding more characters beyond Leon and Grace. He explained that there were no opportunities for other characters to appear, stating that "there weren’t any scenes where it was necessary."
Kumazawa added that they also wanted to include "that character," but the RE9 development team was "already satisfied with how Leon and Grace’s story turned out," effectively ending the long-running debates within the team.
The drama surrounding Leon Kennedy’s mysterious ring was also addressed in the interview, with the team saying they did not expect fans to go wild with speculation. They explained that it was originally meant to signal that "Leon got older," and not to imply a happy marriage with Ada Wong, as some in the RE9 community had speculated.
Nakanishi also added that "the identity of his partner isn’t important," suggesting there were no clear plans for Leon to end up with Ada Wong, as many fans had vehemently believed. However, the game director said he was impressed by the community’s reaction and did not expect such a massive response. He added that including a scene focused on Leon and his ring would "overshadow everything else."
DLC Hints
RE9’s upcoming DLC was also discussed in the interview, where Nakanishi confirmed that the upcoming mini-game is expected to release after Japan’s Golden Week, which ends on May 6. This means players can likely expect it to arrive within the next few weeks.
Nakanishi mentioned that players will need to finish the main game before accessing its DLC mini-games and "sharpen [their] tomahawks." There is still no concrete information on what the first DLC will be about, but fans speculate that this could be the highly anticipated Mercenaries mode, where players take down enemies in relentless, timed challenges.
The Mercenaries mode has long been a fan-favorite feature in the mainline Resident Evil series, adding extra replay value for players who want to keep taking down swarms of enemies in increasingly difficult stages. It was previously included as post-game content in Resident Evil 4 Remake and Resident Evil Village.
Celebrating Resident Evil Requiem’s Success
The interview with denfaminicogamer.jp also serves as a celebration for Capcom, as RE9 has sold 6 million copies since launch, marking a major milestone for the company and making it its fastest-selling title to date.
Nakanishi explained the factors behind its success, saying the game appeals to both casual and hardcore players due to the developers’ focus on "moving the player’s emotions," adding that its dual protagonist setup offers a "wider range of emotional fluctuations for the player than ever before."
The interview also touched on development challenges, including cutting content that felt "out of tempo," or adjusting scenarios to better enhance emotional catharsis for players.
As for its dual perspective, the interview revealed stats from each player’s initial playthroughs, showing that 90% enjoyed Leon’s segments in third-person, while 60% experienced Grace’s sections in first-person. According to Nakanishi, players across Japan and Asia generally prefer third-person gameplay overall.
Resident Evil Requiem (RE9) is now available on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2. To stay up to date with the latest information about the game, check out our article below.
Sources:
Resident Evil Requiem Devs Talk About DLC and Game Development
Resident Evil Requiem Sales Exceed 6 Million Units
