Capcom cut a whole chapter from Resident Evil Requiem that would have taken place shortly after the beginning of the game.
According to Requiem director Koshi Nakanishi, Capcom excised a “phantom” Chapter 2 during development — similar to how the company also cut Resident Evil 7’s second gameplay chapter.
“I’ve mentioned in interviews before that there was a phantom Chapter 2 for Resident Evil 7 that was cut during development,” Nakanishi told Japanese website Denfaminicogamer (via machine translation). “It was a scene where you move from the first annex to the main building, but actually, there was also a phantom Chapter 2 for Resident Evil: Requiem.”
Frustratingly, Nakanishi did not go into further detail on what this cut chapter of Requiem would have entailed — or which of the game’s two characters it would have followed. Still, the director did discuss why Capcom often cut content it ultimately felt was not up to scratch.
“In the process of finalizing the game’s structure, we make a lot of choices, like ‘Let’s move this scene further in the story,’ ‘Let’s cut this part out completely,’ or ‘Let’s add a different element here.’ Of course, we don’t just suddenly cut things out at the end of development; we often make repeated revisions during the initial, rough draft stage. In that process, it’s quite common for entire chapters to disappear.
“It’s similar to editing text or video,” Nakanishi continued. “We shoot a lot of footage, arrange it, and think about whether the intended message comes across, how the tempo and interest are, and then we cut out anything that’s unnecessary. Surprisingly, sometimes the overall result is better if certain elements are omitted. Subtraction is really important. Of course, the person who produced it will be disappointed and may even get angry, but if the result is good, everyone will be satisfied. Conversely, that means we have to take responsibility for the result.”
It’s interesting to consider where this chapter might have taken place. The game begins with Grace Ashcroft exploring Wrenwood Hotel, before Leon is briefly introduced in an action-heavy sequence set on Wrenwood’s busy streets. The action then moves to the Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center, where Grace has been captured. After a long section of gameplay there, fans get more from Leon, before the pair head to Raccoon City.
The game’s first third is heavily focused on Grace, which makes the idea that Leon might have once featured more widely here seem possible. Perhaps a more substantial section on the Wrenwood city streets was planned? Or, maybe, more of Rhodes Hill was set to be included. Leon’s gameplay here feels limited, in order to keep the tension high while Grace remains underpowered. Here’s hoping more will be revealed at a later date.
Elsewhere in the same interview, Nakanishi reflected on Requiem’s viral “Final Puzzle” mystery that fans worked together to solve over the game’s first few days. “Wow, that was quick,” Nakanishi said when he saw the solution had been deduced — having previously thought it would last “for at least two weeks.” Other Capcom developers, meanwhile, believe no-one would notice it at all.
Next up for Resident Evil Requiem will be next month’s addition of a new mode, which Nakanishi has said will require you to have beaten the main game in order to play.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at [email protected] or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
