Capcom has released free DLC for Resident Evil Requiem but while it is a mode that’s been seen before, it’s not fan favourite The Mercenaries.
Although it was popularised by Resident Evil 4 in 2005, The Mercenaries mode actually started out as a bonus minigame for 1999’s Resident Evil 3. Since then it’s been featured in a number of other Resident Evil games and even got its own standalone spin-off on the 3DS.
However, the time-based mode doesn’t turn up in every game and while it was a part of Resident Evil Village it wasn’t featured in Resident Evil 7. The latter instead featured a different mode called Ethan Must Die – Ethan Winters being the faceless protagonist of the previous two games.
A variation of that, called Leon Must Die Forever, is what has now been added to Resident Evil Requiem, as you play as Leon in an abridged version of the main game.
We’ve only played it a little so far, but it seems to work in the same general way as Village, where if you die you go right back to the start – except this time without a Dark Souls style element where you can retrieve some of your previous items.
Instead, you make your way through various different areas from the story campaign, choosing to enter glowing doors when you’re ready, to access different sections. There’s also a new upgrade system where you can get new, randomised perks and buffs as you fight.
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How to access Leon Must Die Forever in Resident Evil Requiem
The Leon Must Die Forever mode is completely free and available now. However, to access it you need to beat the main story mode. Once you’ve done that the mode becomes available via the Extra Games option on the main menu.
That Extra Games option didn’t used to be there and the fact that it’s plural is highly suggestive, implying that other minigames will be released in the future. Whether that will include The Mercenaries is unclear.
Prior to this week, some fans speculated that perhaps the main game didn’t have enough variety in enemy types to make The Mercenaries work (which is perhaps why it wasn’t included in Resident Evil 7).
However, it’s more likely that Capcom felt that the difference between Leon and Grace’s movesets was too great, even though Mercenaries usually features multiple playable characters that aren’t available in the main campaign.
The most straightforward explanation is simply that Mercenaries takes longer to make and it just isn’t ready yet, although Capcom has been careful not to mention the mode one way or another.
All the extra game modes are expected to be free, but Requiem also has paid-for story content on the way too. There’s still confusion as to when it might appear, and how much of it there’ll be, but so far Capcom has implied that it won’t be out until next year.
Rumours suggest it will feature additional playable characters such as Ada Wong or Chris Redfield, but so far there’s no agreement on exactly what form it will take.
If the story DLC isn’t out until 2027, then that does give hope that additional free minigames will be released in the coming months.
After all, Requiem has been a major hit for Capcom and they’ll be keen to keep the ball rolling on it, especially later in the year when it would make the perfect Halloween or Christmas purchase.
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