Resident Evil Requiem: 10 Moments of Betrayal and Suspicion

One of the things I love most about Resident Evil Requiem is that fear isn't limited to the viral-riddled monstrosities it throws at you. Some of its most unsettling moments come from the people around you — allies, authority figures, and seemingly harmless strangers who never feel entirely safe to trust.

Betrayal has been integral to Resident Evil since the very first game, and Requiem keeps you second-guessing who's really on your side through shady motives, suspicious timing, and corporate conspiracies. Even when certain suspects turn out to be innocent, the game is so good at breeding paranoia that you’re rarely allowed to feel sure of anyone for long. Ranked from the least ambiguous to the most difficult to judge, here are the Resident Evil Requiem moments that had me side-eyeing almost everyone.

10 Zeno Introduces Himself to Grace

Complete Global Suspicion

There’s a reason Zeno is ranked the lowest on this list: he hardly leaves any room for doubt. With the sunglasses, the incredibly sinister voice, and his alliance with Victor Gideon, you don't need to be a longtime Resident Evil fan to see that this chap is bad news. For series veterans, the biggest red flag is impossible to ignore. Zeno bears a striking resemblance to Albert Wesker, the franchise’s former mastermind and most infamous villain.

Wesker died 17 years before the events of Requiem; however, so many of us immediately jumped to the seemingly correct theory that Zeno is a clone. The fact that he isn't the same Wesker leaves a sliver of uncertainty over how closely he might follow in his predecessor’s footsteps, opening the possibility for a face-turn twist. And as much as I hate myself for acknowledging it, the much-maligned Resident Evil Netflix series already set the precedent for a more benign Wesker clone.

9 The Wrenwood Hotel Blackout

Lights Out for This Hotel Manager

In a 2018 flashback, Grace and Alyssa Ashcroft are staying at the Wrenwood Hotel when a phone call abruptly shatters the calm. After Grace answers a mysterious voice asking for “Miss Ashcroft,” the lights suddenly cut out. Alyssa’s reaction makes it instantly clear this is far more than a routine power outage, as she grabs a gun and rushes her daughter towards reception.

Both Ashcrofts recoil in alarm as a figure stumbles into view through the darkness. Relief sets in as they realise it's just the Wrenwood Hotel manager. His explanation of an ageing electrical panel sounds plausible enough, but with the atmosphere so loaded with dread, it's hard not to wonder whether he's somehow involved. That suspicion barely has time to breathe before a far more obvious threat appears, as Gideon’s assassin suddenly slashes the manager’s throat — but that short-lived moment of uncertainty is enough to earn the blackout a place on this list.

8 The Dead Doctor

A Gray Area Between Dead and Undead

When Grace meets Emily at the Care Center, a fatally wounded doctor lying on the floor warns her to stay away from the child before succumbing to his injuries. His prompt death makes his role in the story even briefer than that of the Wrenwood Hotel manager. So why is he on this list?

Because no one in this zombie-riddled universe tends to stay "dead" for long, the moment Jeff Gray collapsed, I immediately started treating his corpse like a future problem. Every time I passed through the medication room, I found myself eyeing his body and bracing for a jump scare that never came.

7 The BSAA's Involvement

It Stands for "Bit Suspicious Actually, Amirite?"

Resident Evil Village's ending suggested that something is very wrong at the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance. Requiem builds on that unease when Sherry Birkin tells Leon Kennedy she has found evidence of the Pentagon putting pressure on the BSAA, while its North American branch appears to be operating independently.

Leon adds that the organisation recently had an internal dispute, suggesting it has been compromised by the international crime syndicate, The Connections. The only BSAA soldiers Leon comes across are either dead or zombified, but while not a direct physical threat, Requiem makes the group feel like yet another institution whose true loyalties can no longer be taken for granted.

6 The Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center Nurse

Slaughter is the Best Medicine

At the Care Center, Leon is greeted by an unnamed nurse, who tells him Dr. Gideon is waiting. Leon is rightfully on guard around someone on Gideon's payroll, as he didn't exactly come for a routine check-up. There's tension as she leads Leon to his meeting, her talk of the clinic's "experimental therapies" adding to the foreboding atmosphere.

It soon becomes clear she’s unaware of Gideon’s plans. In-game files reveal Gideon planned to enact “Code 6” upon Leon’s arrival, yet the lockdown catches the nurse by surprise, and she quickly falls victim to the outbreak. Still, for a brief moment, the game makes even a seemingly ordinary care worker feel like someone you shouldn’t trust.

5 The US Government Denies Involvement

More Like the Sus Government

A lot happens during Requiem's epilogue, with the appearance of Chris Redfield's Hound Wolf Squad, Emily being alive, and The Connections wiping out the BSAA's presence in the ARK. It's easy to overlook a crucial detail shared in the live news broadcast, which reveals that the president is expected to reject allegations of any government involvement dating back to the Raccoon City Incident.

The United States government hardly has a spotless record across the Resident Evil timeline, being a major customer of Umbrella's bioweapons and having deep ties to The Connections. RE6's president, Adam Benford, was assassinated to prevent the truth of the Raccoon City Incident from going public, which makes the stance of Requiem’s 2026 president highly questionable. Whether he is complicit, misled, or being silenced himself, the game gives us little reason to take his words at face value.

4 The Imprisoned Child

A Blind Faith

Before Requiem’s release, Emily's first trailer reveal had her appear right after Victor Gideon tells Grace Ashcroft, “Because my master made you who you are.” I took this as a hint that this little girl might be Gideon’s superior, which may sound far-fetched, but RE7 already introduced a childlike figure with terrifying potential in Eveline.

As innocent as Emily appears, the fact that she's locked up raises immediate suspicion, especially when Jeff Gray's dying words are, "Stay away from her!" It didn't take much imagination to assume Emily was carrying a highly contagious virus or appearing harmless to lure Grace in.

3 The FBI is Compromised

Federal Bureau of Incompetency

Nathan Dempsy is the first character we meet in Requiem, assigning Grace to investigate the Wrenwood Hotel. In the best-case scenario, Dempsy is grossly negligent for sending an analyst with no field training back to the very place her trauma began. At worst, he could have had far more sinister motives.

When Grace reaches the ARK’s Archive room, a flow diagram on the giant screen reveals one chilling instruction: “Ensure Grace Ashcroft is put on the case.” This confirms that The Connections had control over the FBI’s investigation from the start, turning Dempsy into either an active participant or an unwitting pawn. He may not know he's helping the conspiracy, but from Grace’s perspective, that hardly makes him any easier to trust.

2 The Helicopter Pilot's Plan

This Guy is Hard to Reed

As soon as Grace and Emily emerge from the Care Center, they run into a helicopter and its pilot, Harry Reed. Naturally, flying to safety is too good to be true, and Grace is faced with another dilemma. Reed limps towards her and claims it is due to an “old war wound,” conveniently giving him an excuse for why he cannot retrieve the helicopter key himself.

After everything Grace has gone through, leaving Emily in a stranger’s care while she heads into another building is hardly appealing. Even so, it is gratifying when Grace asks what we are all thinking: “Are you lying to me?”

1 Alyssa's Interview with Spencer

Ozwell That Ends Well

Near the end of Requiem, Grace discovers old footage of her mother interviewing Umbrella founder Ozwell E. Spencer. Knowing he helped fund the T-virus’ development and spent decades pursuing his god complex, he's hardly someone you would ever trust — yet the canon ending hinges on the player doing exactly that.

Spencer may present himself as a man seeking atonement for all the atrocities he caused, but moments before his death in RE5 — only two years in the series' timeline after Alyssa's interview — Spencer would bitterly lament that he never got to see his vision of a new world realised. Alyssa’s notes suggest he was hiding something, making it difficult to know whether he truly harbours any regrets, or whether this is just a part of his master plan to control events from beyond the grave. As Grace says in her report, his true intentions "will forever remain unknown."