Resident Evil Requiem becomes the first mainline entry to launch day one on Nintendo Switch 2 on February 27, with exclusive Amiibo figures of Grace Ashcroft and Leon Kenney coming Summer 2026
Resident Evil Requiem marks a historic moment as the first title from the legendary horror franchise to debut on Nintendo Switch 2.
But it’s not the only first for the series. Requiem, the ninth major instalment in the Resident Evil games, arrives on consoles and PC on February 27.
As developers Capcom abandon older generation systems, it will exclusively be available on PC, Switch 2, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. And in 2026, it’ll be making waves in both Nintendo and franchise history.
Requiem represents the first mainline entry in the series to launch day one on a Nintendo Switch console, with Resident Evil 5, 6 and 7 all appearing on Switch considerably later. In fact, Resident Evil 7 and Village – the eighth and most recent main instalment – were only accessible on the original Switch console through cloud streaming.
You’d need to wind back to 2005 to discover another Nintendo day one release. That’s when Resident Evil 4 initially launched on the GameCube as an exclusive – before appearing on PlayStation 2 several months afterwards.
But now, with Requiem, there’s another Nintendo exclusive element that will delight Switch 2 enthusiasts, reports All Out Gaming. The very first Resident Evil Amiibos have been unveiled and fans will be able to buy not one, but two figures later this year.
During a recent Nintendo Direct, it was confirmed that Amiibos for both of Requiem’s main characters will launch in summer 2026. As Eurogamer reports, Grace Ashcroft and Leon Kenney will both be preserved in Amiibo form.
Grace’s figurine depicts her sporting a black rucksack and brown jacket, as glimpsed in some of the game’s preview clips, whilst Leon wields a reliable zombie-slaying hatchet. As is customary, tapping them on the sensor located on the Switch 2‘s right Joy-Con will unlock exclusive bonuses.
According to Eurogamer, these have been confirmed as special in-game weapon skins for Requiem. Whilst the Amiibos aren’t crucial for enjoying Requiem, Capcom has pledged they’ll be available this summer.
Enthusiasts have greeted the announcement with delight, with one taking to Reddit to declare “Just when I thought my wallet was safe.” Another commented: “What a time to be alive.”
A third Redditor remarked: “They both honestly look great. I’m definitely getting them both.”
Another noted: “I knew it felt weird that they teased amiibo in the last RE direct after the first mention specifically called out Grace.”
Some supporters have even suggested this could hint at a Resident Evil character joining the next Super Smash Bros game’s line-up – though that’s probably wishful thinking rather than realistic expectation.