Resident Evil Requiem Hidden Secrets, References, and Easter Eggs

2026 marks 30 years of Resident Evil, a series that has built one of the most extensive and interconnected storylines in gaming. While other franchises tend to reinvent themselves, Capcom’s survival horror saga has spent three decades layering new events, characters, and conspiracies onto one ever-growing timeline.

Resident Evil Requiem feels like one big celebration of the series' history, making it a natural playground for references and secrets. Some are conspicuous Easter eggs that players are unlikely to miss, while others are subtle details hidden in the background or buried in missable files. Here are 10 secrets you can discover as you explore the game.

10 Grill Fourteen, on Merchant Street

Got Some Rare Steaks on Sale, Stranger!

The game wastes no time getting to the goods. Seconds after you begin as Grace Ashcroft in Wrenwood, you'll find yourself standing before Grill Fourteen. This diner is a reference to the Raccoon City restaurant Grill 13, a location from the original RE3. Protagonist Jill Valentine can meet Carlos Oliveira here, before the pair are ambushed by the Nemesis.

Not far from Grill Fourteen, you'll see a sign saying "Merchant Street." RE4 fans will immediately recognise that this is a nod to the chatty salesman that supplies Leon Kennedy with extensive firepower. The Duke, another trader from Resident Evil Village, also heavily implies that the RE4 merchant is a close acquaintance of his.

9 Dulvey Beer, Dingo Red Cigarettes, and Lone Wolf Cigarettes

More Resident Evil 3 References? Hold My Beer

Grill Fourteen's window displays a neon sign for Dulvey Beer, while the nearby Candy Deli & Grocery features a commercial poster for the beverage. Dulvey Parish is the fictional Louisiana town in Resident Evil 7, where Ethan Winters fought to survive against the sinister Baker family. The locale also has a connection with the Ashcroft family, as Grace's mother, Alyssa, was a contributor to The Dulvey Daily newspaper.

Next to the poster, you'll also find advertisements for Dingo Red Cigarettes and Lone Wolf Cigarettes. The former was seen advertised at the Mizoil Gas Station in the Resident Evil 2 remake, while the latter had a sign outside the Blue Mountain Storehouse in the Resident Evil 3 remake.

8 The Investigation Report

Signed His Own Death Warren

RE3 references continue in one of Requiem's first files. The Investigation Report is dated September 28, 2026 — the same date in 1998 when Jill Valentine began her escape from Raccoon City. It's famously recited by Jill in the original RE3: "September 28th. Daylight... The monsters have taken over the city. Somehow... I'm still alive..."

The report lists victims of Raccoon City Syndrome, including an "M. Warren." This is Michael Warren, the city’s final mayor, who the file notes died in 2026 in a nursing home. Don’t feel too sorry for old Mike — he made it to 90, and unsurprisingly for a man tied to Umbrella, he wasn’t exactly a model citizen, leaving his own daughter behind as he fled the outbreak.

7 Like Mother, Like Daughter

Masters of Unlocking

Having Grace unlock a drawer with a lockpick in Requiem will complete a challenge called "Like Mother, Like Daughter." As the title suggests, this is a reference to the fact that Alyssa shares the same talent for bypassing locks. It's a simple challenge, but one Outbreak fans will appreciate.

In the PS2 spin-offs, each of the eight playable characters holds a unique personal item, and Alyssa's is the Picking Tool. This includes four differently shaped lockpicks that allow her to open doors, lockers, drawers, cabinets, and safes. Knowing how protective Alyssa is of Grace, it's likely that she taught her daughter this technique herself, passing down a survival skill that helped her endure the Raccoon City incident.

6 The Village of Shadows Book Returns

"What is With the Creepy Story?"

RE Village opens with a strikingly artistic sequence, animating the eerie fairy tale “Village of Shadows” as Mia reads it to baby Rosemary. Ethan isn’t thrilled with his wife's bedtime story choice, and he'd probably be disappointed to learn that Rose isn't the only child being exposed to the disturbing tale.

In Requiem, when you first meet Emily at the Care Center, she's holding a book. The title is never seen or mentioned, but an eagle-eyed Redditor translated braille from a screenshot of one of its pages to reveal the line, "greeted her warmly and bit his own wing." This is a piece of narrative straight from Village of Shadows, during the scene when the Bat Lord appears.

5 Lady Dimitrescu’s Sanguis Virginis

Hope This is Not Human Blood

As Grace escapes the Care Center and desperately scrambles for the helicopter key, she'll come across some strange trinkets in the VIP suite. One of these is a fake wine bottle, which hides a Double Helix model when pulled apart. A closer look at the label reveals another peculiar detail.

The brand is Sanguis Virginis, a product of the Dimitrescu family's vineyard from RE Village. The name translates to "Blood of the Virgin," which is not as metaphorical as customers of the beverage may prefer. Alcina Dimitrescu extracted blood from her maids and combined it with grapes to make the wine, though something tells me the mutated Victor Gideon — who likely purchased the bottle — probably wouldn't mind.

And a Bizarre Adventure to Raccoon City Zoo

Upon entering the RPD in the original RE2, you'll find a wounded Marvin Branagh slumped near a set of lockers. One of them is labelled "JoJo," a reference to the manga series JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. It returned in the remake, and it's here again in Requiem — but that name is only the beginning.

Opening it reveals a stash that '90s Capcom fans dream about, consisting of a Sega Saturn, a Street Fighter Alpha poster, and a stack of games including Resident Evil, Street Fighter Alpha 2, and Mega Man 8. There's also a pair of Raccoon City Zoo tickets, which is where Outbreak File #2's "Wild Things" campaign takes place.

3 The Tenacious Tofu

Low in Calories, High in Resilience

Jun Takeuchi told Electronic Gaming Monthly in 2008 that RE2's Tofu was originally made "to check the collision detection as we were going through the game." The team then grew attached to the bean curd block and made him playable in the brutal Tofu Survivor minigame. Tofu would later go on to cameo in The Darkside Chronicles, Operation Raccoon City, and the RE2 remake.

If you've ever heard a bizarre bouncing sound while wandering through the ruins of Requiem's RPD building, you're not imagining it. After you've spent five minutes in the dilapidated police station, you can catch Tofu peering in through the windows, and you can take chunks out of him with a quick trigger finger.

2 The Infamous Rebecca Chambers Photo

Rookie Mistake, Wesker

Tofu isn't the only running gag dating back to RE2. In the S.T.A.R.S. office in both the original and remake, you can find a roll of film in Albert Wesker's desk, which can be developed to reveal a photograph of Bravo team medic Rebecca Chambers in a sporty outfit. It's never explained why Wesker possesses this photo.

This time, the hunt again begins at Wesker’s desk, where a library card reveals he was the last person to borrow Medicinal Benefits of Herbs (also found in the RE2 remake). Examining this book in the library reveals Wesker’s beloved Becky photo tucked inside. To continue the callbacks, the library card also lists previous borrowers “R. Philips” and “E. Edwards.” Rita appeared in Outbreak File #2’s “Desperate Times” scenario, while Elliot is the unfortunate chap who got torn in half by zombies in the RE2 remake.

1 Spencer's Miranda Portrait

The Mother of All Easter Eggs

While exploring the ARK, Grace eventually enters a study belonging to Umbrella founder Ozwell E. Spencer. On the wall, you'll find a portrait of a woman holding a baby, with an "M" etched into the corner. This is a painting of Mother Miranda, the main antagonist and cult leader of RE Village, holding her baby Eva.

This is more than a nice bit of fanservice, as Spencer considered Miranda a dear friend and mentor. In the 1950s, she rescued him after he had collapsed in the snow on a failed hiking trip. As Miranda's protégé, Spencer was inspired by her research and the Mold's ability to mutate lifeforms, pushing him to launch Umbrella to continue his virus research. In many ways, every Resident Evil outbreak can be traced back to Miranda, making Requiem’s final Easter egg a perfect full-circle moment.