Some unspoken truth, it seems, lies at the heart of the upcoming Resident Evil Requiem.

If that wasn’t already clear in the lead-up to the release of the hotly anticipated ninth main game in Capcom’s Resident Evil series, the massive steel briefcase we received in the mail this week spelled it out.

You just needed a black light to see it.

The oversized steel briefcase came wrapped in a yellow “Police Line Do Not Cross” tape and with a worn sticker affixed to one side that read “Requiem for the dead. Nightmare for the living.”

Opened up, the case featured a white type-on-black recreation of a newspaper of sorts with an article about Racoon City. The bottom, bulkier side of the case featured a sort of Russian nesting doll of game-themed goodies, including a Babadookesque children’s book, a lighter, a key, and a sealed forensic bag.

The article on the inside lid of the case featured a handful of paragraphs repeated over and over, a bit like zombie-themed lorem ipsum dummy text. The incomplete story seems centered around the survivors of the 1998 viral outbreak in Racoon City that kicked off the nearly three decades of death and infection. 

One unnamed survivor notes that it’s been 30 years since “it happened” and that they still don’t know anything. Unfortunately for them, it sounds like it might be a while before they receive any sort of closure. The lockdown on the town, which was set to be lifted in 2026, is now extended to 2040, according to the article, because “safety still cannot be guaranteed.”

The rest of the article lays out the 1998 “catastrophic incident” for which Umbrella was blamed, and which, despite local police's efforts, spiraled out of control. It also notes the missile strike sterilization of the town. There are reversed images of the town, an unnamed person, and some fingerprints, but that’s about it.

The other side of the case is topped off with an evidence bag that apparently was submitted by the FBI, and contains information recovered by Grace Ashcroft. Inside the thick, sealed bag was a single sheet, seemingly torn from a book, featuring an image of a demolished town, and a welcome to those chosen to experience the next chapter of Resident Evil. The letter notes that “some stories were buried. Some truths were never meant to surface again.”

Next up is what appears to be a children’s book titled Shadow Ghost by Harriett Jones. Inside the six-page book, we’re introduced to the Shadow Ghost hiding in the dark, staying from the light, watching you. The final two pages include a message handwritten in red ink or blood: “Stay in the light!”

Nested under the book is a framed Resident Evil Requiem “Cherub Key” 65 of 190, and a flashlight/blacklight combo.

The next layer featured a small box with a brass lighter, the front and back of which are engraved with the image of a building and the year 1966. A little label in the box reads “authorized access only.”

Lifting up the foam that held the nesting items revealed a giant black sleeve featuring a metal plate with what appeared to be screenshots of the game showing Leon driving a Porsche, along with in-game images of the Porsche itself.

Finally, under that envelope is a picture of the game’s protagonists, Leon and Grace, and the game’s title. 

But when you shine the included blacklight in the box, you’ll discover a handwritten message: “Truth changes things.”
A delightful tease setting the stage for the Feb. 27 release of Resident Evil Requiem. If you’re into the game, make sure you check out our interview with producer Masato Kumazawa, our hands-on with the game, and then prepare yourself for its release by poring over this narrative catch-up.