Resident Evil fans are diving into a fresh batch of images that allegedly reveal content cut from Resident Evil Requiem, including a weapon merchant, side missions, and more. Requiem is known to have undergone significant changes during development—its director recently mentioned that an entire early chapter was scrapped as the story evolved. Now, new images have surfaced showcasing additional abandoned ideas.
The images come from Japanese Resident Evil streamer umesooooo and have been widely shared by notable leaker Dusk Golem, effectively vouching for their authenticity. Fans have plenty to analyze, such as a weapon upgrade screen featuring an early version of the Requiem revolver and a shadowy figure in the background that resembles a new take on the infamous Resident Evil 4 merchant. In the final game, players upgrade guns through a menu and make purchases via an in-game touchscreen—technology's impact on jobs, indeed.
Another image reveals a list of side missions similar to those in Resident Evil 4 Remake, which would have allowed players to earn credits (in the final game, kills provide credits). The missions include inspecting a warehouse (possibly the one early in Raccoon City), obtaining fuses, investigating a gas station (likely in Raccoon City), and opening a BSAA container. There's also mention of Leon obtaining a blood collection kit, with images showing him holding the same syringe-like device Grace uses to collect infected blood. However, instead of using it as a crafting resource, the suggestion is that Leon can inject it for bonuses—and potentially overdose, causing negative effects. In the final game, only Grace can collect blood, and she certainly doesn't inject herself.
Other images appear to show a version of Requiem's in-game map with two characters visible, leading some fans to speculate it dates from a version where Leon and Grace explored together more extensively. In the final game, they are mostly separated except for a few brief sections. Fans have also spotted evidence of a red herb (absent in the final game), special purple bullets for the Requiem (possibly replaced by the Hemolytic Injector), and what looks like a detective-style mechanic for examining a body.
Next up for Resident Evil Requiem is a new mode arriving this month, requiring players to have beaten the main game to access. Further down the line, Capcom is working on a story expansion—and who knows, some of the cut gameplay mechanics might make a comeback there.
