Resident Evil Requiem dev confirms iconic location's return in DLC after 20 years

Resident Evil Requiem developer Haris Orkin has seemingly let slip that the upcoming first major DLC for Capcom’s newest survival horror could be heading back to one of the most iconic locations in the series after more than 24 years.

Orkin is credited as Resident Evil Requiem's writer, and also worked on Resident Evil Village’s, Shadows of Rose DLC.

During an interview on the Distance NERDing podcast, Orkin may have accidentally revealed that the first paid Resident Evil Requiem expansion could take us back to the iconic Spencer Mansion, which was last seen in a brand-new mainline release with 2002’s Resident Evil remake on Nintendo GameCube.

What did the Resident Evil Requiem writer reveal about the upcoming DLC?

“We have an arc for Spencer in Requiem. They kind of, you know, understand that more and in the DLC for Requiem, you will understand it even further. So yeah! I probably shouldn’t say that, but yeah.”

Rumours surrounding the first Resident Evil Requiem story DLC have been making the rounds on social media for months, ever since Capcom officially announced it. There’s even been speculation that the Spencer Mansion could feature, making this Capcom developer's accidental slip of the tongue particularly interesting.

It’s perhaps worth noting that Haris Orkin said “Spencer arc” and not “Spencer Mansion”. While those are two different phrases, it’s very difficult to have one without the other.

Who is Oswell E. Spencer and why is the Spencer Mansion important?

Oswell E. Spencer is one of the main villains in the Resident Evil series, and he co-founded the Umbrella Corporation alongside Edward Ashford and James Marcus. Oswell E. Spencer was obsessed with engineering a superior human lifeform through horrific biological experiments. He helped create the T-virus.

As for the Spencer Mansion, as the name of this estate clearly suggests, it’s owned by Oswell E. Spencer. Hidden within the Arklay Mountains, beneath the Spencer Mansion, is where Umbrella had a secret laboratory where the T-virus was developed. It was also the main location of the original Resident Evil in 1998 and the aforementioned 2002 remake.

A destroyed RPD in Resident Evil Requiem, Capcom

What could Oswell E. Spencer mean for the Resident Evil Requiem DLC?

Be warned, I am about to mention a spoiler for Resident Evil Requiem without going into too much detail.

Oswell E. Spencer features in a flashback cutscene that includes Grace Ashcroft’s mother, news reporter Alyssa Ashcroft. A major connection between Oswell, Grace and Alyssa was revealed, meaning Resident Evil Requiem already has the groundwork to delve deeper into the Spencer arc.

But how could that story be told in Resident Evil Requiem? That’s the unconfirmed question for now. It’s possible that we could play as Alyssa Ashcroft and explore the events between her and Oswell further. However, it could take a far more interesting approach.

One of the biggest selling points of Resident Evil Requiem was returning to Raccoon City, roughly 28 years after the events of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3, when the city was destroyed. Players got to explore a decrepit Raccoon Police Department, making for an experience that was both eerie and nostalgic.

READ MORE: Resident Evil Requiem Review - A gory, gruesome, gorgeous masterpiece

If the Resident Evil Requiem story DLC followed a similar approach, but this time explored the Arklay Mountains from the outside before eventually reaching a decrepit Spencer Mansion, allowing players to explore it, that could be an amazing moment for fans more than two decades in the making.

Especially if Jill Valentine, a star of the original game, is the one returning to the old location. Jill already has an established connection to the Spencer Mansion, much like Leon S. Kennedy does with the RPD.

We’ll just have to wait and see how this all plays out. But we may have to be very patient if previous rumours are true that the Resident Evil Requiem story DLC could be released between January and May 2027.

As always, we’ll keep you posted as soon as Capcom makes a new official announcement on the upcoming Resident Evil Requiem DLC.