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New Zombies in Resident Evil Requiem: Enemy Types and How to Counter Them

UUnknown

2026-02-17

10 min read

Break down Requiem’s new zombie classes with practical counters, best weapons, and environmental tactics to survive both Grace and Leon runs.

Hook: Stop getting blindsided by Requiem's new undead — learned counters that save ammo, lives, and time

If you watched the Resident Evil: Requiem showcase and felt overwhelmed by the roster of new undead, you’re not alone. Between the trailer's reveals and Capcom director Koshi Nakanishi's 2025 remarks about mixing survival horror and action, players face two big problems: a) enemies that behave unlike classic zombie fodder, and b) limited resources that punish mistakes. This guide breaks down each new zombie class shown in the trailer, the exact in-combat counters that work, the best weapon & upgrade choices, and environmental tactics that flip dangerous encounters into quick wins.

Quick overview: What the showcase revealed (late 2025 → early 2026 context)

Capcom’s Requiem showcase emphasized an evolution of Resident Evil AI and enemy design — faster reactions, status-driven mechanics, and environmental interplay. The trailer highlighted several new enemy classes and variants tied to the game’s narrative and the Grace vs Leon playstyle split. Below are the standout classes confirmed or strongly foreshadowed by the trailer and developer commentary, with names used by the community and in early materials.

Crawlers — low-profile, fast-climbing infected that swarm choke points.
Screamers — ranged alarm units that emit a disorienting sonic burst or call reinforcements.
Husks / Brutes — heavily-armed, armored hulks that shrug off headshots and push players around.
Spore-Weavers — spitting / cloud-producing enemies that apply toxin/spore status effects.
Puppets — agility-focused infected that appear to be partially controlled by Grace-corrupted phenomena (tighter on Grace routes).
Burrowers / Lurkers — enemies that temporarily disappear beneath floors and re-emerge for surprise takedowns.

“Requiem is action + survival horror,” Koshi Nakanishi said during the showcase — expect enemies that force split-second decisions rather than single-solution counters.

How to counter each new zombie class (step-by-step)

Crawlers — the choke-hold swarmers

Behavior: Use tight spaces and ceilings, swarm as packs, hard to hit with single headshots when in groups. They excel at flanking and grabbing players who linger in doorways.

In-combat counters:

Create a funnel: back into narrow corridors so they arrive one at a time.
Use shotguns or close-range rifles to break groups; prioritize stagger over kills to stop the climb.
Employ environmental traps — shuttered doors, collapsing shelving, or ceiling lanterns — to knock them back en masse.

Best weapons: Pump shotgun (upgraded pellet spread), explosive rounds for short burst rifles, flashbang grenades to stagger.

Upgrade priority: recoil control, reload speed, ammo capacity.

Screamers — don't get stunned or swarmed

Behavior: Emit a wide-area auditory disruption that temporarily stuns and attracts reinforcements. Screamers often stay at medium ranges and hide behind the mob.

In-combat counters:

Neutralize immediately: if a Screamer is present, prioritize it with a precise headshot before engaging the rest.
Use suppression weapons: submachine guns with sticky or sound-suppressing mods limit the Screamer's effective range (and prevent calls).
Keep distance and line-of-sight: high-ground or enclosed rooms with one entrance deny their mobility and calling ability.

Best weapons: Sniper/bolt-action for one-shot kills; suppressed SMG with armor-piercing ammo for reduced noise and rapid takedown.

Status mitigation: equip hearing-boost toggles off (audio cues still helpful) and look for HUD icons that warn of an imminent call.

Husks / Brutes — take the pain out of heavy hitters

Behavior: High HP, armor-like carapace, strong melee that staggers. Brutes often bully players into environmental hazards.

In-combat counters:

Break armor first: target exposed joints or glowing weak spots revealed after a certain amount of damage.
Use heavy ordnance: magnums, grenade launchers, and explosives stagger and open windows for follow-up damage.
Exploit movement: kite Brutes to collide with hazards (elevators, dangling crates, steam vents) to force stagger states.

Best weapons: Magnum/hand cannon for single-target burst, grenade launcher with frag rounds, high-damage rifle with armor-piercing rounds.

Upgrade priority: high per-shot damage, critical damage multiplier, stagger bonuses.

Spore-Weavers — control the airspace

Behavior: Range attackers that release spore clouds or corrosive sprays. They apply lingering status effects like toxin or slow that degrade mobility and aim.

In-combat counters:

Disrupt them early: incendiary or fire-based weapons clear spores quickly and prevent cloud build-up.
Use gas masks/tools: equip toxin resistance gear or consumables (antidote injectors) before fights that contain obvious spore nodes.
Aim low on small ones: Spore-Weaver underlings have soft underbellies — leg shots cripple mobility.

Best weapons: Flamethrower/incendiary rounds, shotgun with incendiary shells, or area-of-effect explosives to purge spore clouds.

Status mitigation: stock antitoxin, use short burst dodges to exit clouds, equip perks that reduce status duration.

Puppets — fast, tricky, and context-sensitive

Behavior: Agile, dodge-capable enemies that use the environment and occasionally perform grab combos. Their behavior scales with Grace’s storyline path but appear across routes.

In-combat counters:

Stun-lock with precise timing: pistol headshots followed by melee interrupts are effective.
Use crowd-control gadgets: flashbangs, electric traps, or deployable nets break their agility advantage.
Don’t chase blindly: Puppets bait players into tight spaces — control space instead of chasing.

Best weapons: Handgun with fast follow-up, tactical shotgun, and stun grenades.

Burrowers / Lurkers — anticipate the ground

Behavior: Temporary invisibility by going under floors or walls; they re-emerge for high-damage surprise strikes.

In-combat counters:

Watch terrain: rumbling, small dust puffs, or audio cues often signal a burrower nearby.
Use area radar: certain upgrades and scan tools reveal nearby sub-surface movement.
Keep moving: stand-still moments are prime opportunities for burrowers to strike from below.

Best weapons: Frag grenades, explosive shotgun rounds, or environmental detonations on suspected surfacing points.

Leon vs Grace: Playstyle-specific approaches

Requiem’s dual protagonists aren’t just cosmetic — their playstyles demand different enemy counters.

Leon (action-oriented): favors crowd-control and high DPS. Prioritize armor-piercing ammo, grenade launchers, high-capacity SMGs, and aggressive flanking to keep pressure on Screamers and Husks.
Grace (horror-oriented): favors stealth, resource conservation, and platforming avoidance. Invest in silenced weapons, traps, and status resistance. Let the environment do the heavy lifting instead of direct firefights.

In practice: when a Screamer appears during a Grace run, avoid loud suppression; instead, lure it into a trap and waste as little ammo as possible. When Leon faces the same Screamer, a one-second suppressive burst from an SMG followed by a headshot is faster and safer.

Weapon recommendations and upgrade roadmap (2026 meta)

By 2026, the Resident Evil community expects modular weapon systems and meta shifts based on post-launch patches. Here’s a concise prioritized roadmap to get you combat-ready on day one:

Phase 1 — Core reliability: Upgrade handgun damage and reload speed; add a suppressor for Grace runs.
Phase 2 — Crowd control: Unlock shotgun spread control and explosive shell crafting.
Phase 3 — Heavy damage: Stock up on magnum parts, grenade launcher, and armor-piercing rounds for Husks.
Phase 4 — Utility: Buy scanner/radar upgrades, deployable traps, and toxin antidote bundles.

Community trend (late 2025): modular upgrades that change weapon handling are dominating. Expect tweaks in early 2026 patch cycles; focus on flexible builds that allow swapping between incendiary and AP loads.

Status effects: how they work and how to beat them

New enemies introduce layered status effects. Here are the common ones and how to mitigate them:

Toxin / Spore: slows movement and drains HP over time. Counter with antitoxin, flamethrowers, or a short sprint to reach a safe zone. Equip perks that lower duration.
Stun / Deafness: disorients your HUD and prevents weapon swaps. Counter by carrying stun-resistant gear or using consumables that instantly remove status effects.
Bleed / Ragdoll: reduces aim steadying. Use medpacks and prioritize finishers to avoid prolonged exposure.
Infection buildup: special to story routes — cannot always be cured; avoid full exposure and use narrative-specific healing points.

Settings and QoL tweaks to get an edge

Small settings changes can swing fights in your favor. Try the following:

Audio: Increase enemy FX volume slightly to pick up silent burrowers and Screamers charges.
Haptics: Toggle high-intensity haptics to feel environmental cues (2026 controllers and haptic vests improve this greatly).
Aim options: Turn off heavy auto-aim for skill runs; enable aim-stability when resources are low.
HUD: Minimal mode for immersion, but turn on enemy tags and status icons for first-time runs.

Advanced strategies & 2026 predictions

Looking at late 2025 patches and early 2026 community data, several trends will shape how you approach Requiem enemies:

Adaptive enemy behavior: Expect enemies to respond to repeated tactics — flanking and environmental use will remain the most reliable meta.
Live-balance: Capcom will likely nerf one-shot methods (e.g., looped environmental explosives) and buff status durations — diversify your counters.
Community-created loadouts: By mid-2026, expect curated community builds for speedruns and survival modes that can be imported or emulated.
AI companions & assist perks: Future updates may add limited NPC assists — plan around them but don’t rely on them for core strategies.

Quick checklist before you enter a high-risk area

Ammo: at least 30% heavy rounds (magnum/GL), 2–3 full shotgun clips.
Consumables: 3 antitoxins, 2 medpacks, 1 stun grenade.
Environment mapped: locate 2 traps you can use and a fallback exit.
Loadout chosen: Leon for raw DPS, Grace for stealth & conservation.

Boss prep: how to transition from mobs to bosses smoothly

Boss encounters in Requiem often evolve from mob fights. Here’s how to avoid being underprepared:

Secure a safe zone with cover and environmental options nearby (explosive, vertical advantage).
Conserve 15–25% of high-tier ammo for the initial boss phase — many bosses have stagger windows that reward heavy-hitting weapons.
Study telltale animations: brutes and bio-engineered bosses telegraph weak spots with glows or breath patterns — learn these in early phases.
Use ink-ribbon save strategy: Grace runs reward cautious saves; Leon runs favor aggressive pushes — plan save points accordingly.

Environmental kills: the difference between survival and waste

One of Requiem’s biggest shifts is making the environment an active weapon. Knowing common interactive elements will conserve ammo and reduce risk.

Actionable examples:

Gas lines + flame weapons: Shoot gas canisters with incendiary weapons or ignite them after kiting Brutes into position — large AoE damage with minimal ammo.
Crane or pulley drops: Lure Husks under suspended loads and release them (timing is everything) to instantly stagger and remove armor.
Electrified water: Knock enemies into puddles and prime with an EMP grenade or electric turret to stun multiple foes.
Explosive barrels: Use them as traps against clustered Crawlers or Spore-Weavers — reload and retreat to safe cover before detonation.

Pro tip: mark environmental hazards in map mode when possible; prep them before the fight starts so you can kite enemies into them.

Final takeaways

Resident Evil: Requiem’s trailer signaled an evolution in enemy design — a shift toward smarter, status-driven threats that reward preparation and environmental thinking. The most reliable approach is layered: carry a flexible weapon set (handgun + shotgun + heavy), prioritize environmental kills, and adapt your strategy to whether you’re playing as Leon or Grace. In 2026, players who master these counters and embrace modular loadouts will dominate both speedruns and survival leaderboards.

Actionable next steps: 1) Pick one enemy class above and practice its counter in a sandbox area, 2) build a hybrid Leon/Grace loadout in the early game, 3) bookmark this guide and revisit after the first major patch (Capcom tends to adjust enemy behavior quickly).

Call to action

Ready to stop getting mauled by Requiem’s undead? Try the recommended loadouts in your next run and tell us which enemy gave you the most trouble. Join our community guide thread for live updates, patch notes, and user-submitted environmental tricks — and subscribe for weekly Requiem tactics tuned to the 2026 meta.

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