Resident Evil Requiem’s free mini-game may arrive soon after Golden Week

Resident Evil Requiem players may not have to wait much longer for the game’s first free post-launch mini-game. Capcom has already said the mode is planned for May, and new comments from director Koshi Nakanishi and producer Masato Kumazawa suggest it could arrive very soon after Japan’s Golden Week holiday period.

The hint came from an interview with Denfaminicogamer. Nakanishi said the mini-game is in the final stage of development and is based on the battles from the main game. Kumazawa added that players who want to try it should finish the main story during Golden Week, which runs from April 29 to May 6 in Japan. That timing has led to speculation that the update could arrive shortly after May 6, possibly around May 7.

Capcom’s next Resident Evil Requiem update sounds built for players who still want more combat after finishing the story

The new mode will not be available from the start. According to the developers, players will need to clear Resident Evil Requiem’s main story first. That makes sense if the mini-game is built around combat from the campaign, because Capcom may want players to understand the weapons, enemies, and mechanics before jumping into a more focused challenge mode.

Capcom has not officially confirmed the name of the mini-game. Many fans think it could be a new version of The Mercenaries, the long-running arcade-style mode that has appeared in several Resident Evil games. But for now, that is only speculation. The developers have only described it as a small mini-game based on the main game’s battles.

Here is what is known so far:

The interview also shared some interesting details about how people are playing Resident Evil Requiem. In Leon’s chapters, around 90% of players chose third-person view. In Grace’s chapters, the split was closer, with about 60% choosing first-person and 40% choosing third-person. The developers also said Japanese and Asian players tend to prefer third-person, while PC players lean more toward first-person.

Nakanishi also revealed that Resident Evil Requiem once had a “Chapter 2” that was later removed during development. He compared this to Resident Evil 7, which also had cut Chapter 2 material. The team’s approach was based on subtraction, meaning content was removed when it helped the pacing and made the final game easier to enjoy.

That kind of cut may disappoint fans who always want more Resident Evil, but it also shows how Capcom shaped the final game. A longer campaign is not always better if it slows the story down. The strong sales suggest the final version worked well for many players, with Requiem reportedly selling seven million units in less than two months.

For now, the next big thing is the free mini-game. Capcom has not given an exact date, so players should not treat May 7 as confirmed. But the message from the developers is clear enough: finish the campaign soon, because more Resident Evil Requiem content is almost ready.