Resident Evil Requiem DLC Will Dive Deeper Into One of the Series' Biggest Villains

What if one of Resident Evil's most notorious villains wasn't just a mustache-twirling bad guy? That's the question Capcom seems to be exploring with Resident Evil Requiem, and it sounds like the upcoming story DLC will dig even deeper into Oswell E. Spencer.

In a recent interview on the Distance Nerding podcast, Requiem writer Haris Orkin teased that the DLC will expand on Spencer's arc. "I think villains honestly are really fun to write, because I usually see every villain as a hero of their own story," Orkin said. "So the villain is like in their mind they're a hero." He pointed to Victor Gideon, who believes he's saving the world in Requiem, and added, "We have an arc for Spencer in Requiem. Where you understand that more. And then in the DLC you will understand that even further. I probably shouldn't say that, but yeah."

If you've played Requiem, you know Spencer is portrayed with more sympathy than ever before. He genuinely regrets founding Umbrella, researching the Progenitor Virus, and aiming to remake the world with bioweapons. The game reveals that in 2001, Spencer adopted a baby girl named Grace, and he successfully developed a powerful antiviral called Elpis to wipe out all Progenitor-based viral weapons—part of his mission to atone for his sins.

That version of Spencer clashes with the one we met in Resident Evil 5. Before his death in 2006 at the hands of Albert Wesker, he was still a bit of a bastard, apparently clinging to delusions of grandeur and working on a new virus to achieve immortality. Capcom has been rewriting Resident Evil lore with its remakes, though, and this new take on Spencer is arguably more fascinating than a stereotypical villain.

We don't know if Capcom plans to eventually remake Resident Evil 5—one of the more controversial entries in the series—but it'll be interesting to see if Spencer succumbs to his ambitions once again before Wesker finishes him off. Meanwhile, Requiem has already received updates like photography tools and a new "Leon Must Die" mode. Producer Jun Takeuchi also recently spoke about the meaning behind the title, adding to the confusion.

Following the blockbuster success of Zach Cregger's Resident Evil movie, the next game in the series is out soon: the remake of Resident Evil: Code Veronica launches in 2027. So there's plenty to look forward to if you're a Resident Evil fan.

What do you think about Spencer's redemption arc? Are you excited to learn more in the DLC? Let us know in the comments!