Resident Evil 9 Already Disappoints Some Players Right After Its Announcement

Resident Evil fans finally got what they've been wanting for a long time! No, we're not talking about news about the next film in the series, but the announcement of a new original game. At Summer Game Fest, Capcom finally unveiled the ninth installment in the main franchise. Entitled "Requiem," it will follow a new heroine never seen before. However, she definitely resembles characters fans know well, and that doesn't really please.

Fans expected better for Resident Evil 9

This is big news for fans of the franchise! Resident Evil 9, known as "Requiem," is real. More than that, it was made official at the conclusion of the big Summer Game Fest event. What's more, Capcom didn't do things by halves. In addition to offering a sumptuous and tense trailer, the studio has already set a release date. The title is therefore officially scheduled for February 27, 2026 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

However, not everything was entirely convincing with the announcement of Resident Evil 9. In fact, some players were surprised by the name "Grace" during the trailer. At first glance, the character's polar blonde hair was considerably reminiscent of that of Rose, Ethan Winters' daughter, whom we play in the RE Village DLC. More than that, the two young women share light eyes and a round face... a bit like most of the heroines in the franchise, ultimately.

This is what some Resident Evil fans criticize: too much resemblance between the female protagonists. In addition to the various reactions on social media, a subreddit was created to document this. Several responses agree that Grace Ashcroft looks similar to Jill Valentine and Rose Winters:

"I was confused when he called her Grace, I thought it was an older version of Rose."
"Before they called her Grace, I really thought it was Jill."
"She has the exact same eyes as Rose."
"Those eyes, I really thought it was Jill."

Of course, some responses tend to qualify these statements, not seeing the resemblance. But others instead try to find an explanation. For example, some speculate that this impression for Resident Evil 9 comes from the RE Engine, the traditional engine of the license.

However, one can easily argue against this assumption that the same observation has not been made for the male characters of recent games, whether it be Leon, Chris, or even Ethan Winters whose face may have been revealed after the fact. Therefore, if there is a resemblance between the heroine of Resident Evil 9 and others, it would rather be due to artistic choices.