Resident Evil Requiem features a deep weapons lineup across its two protagonists. This guide breaks down where to find every weapon, how upgrades work, and which strategies will carry you through the campaign.
Resident Evil Requiem puts you in control of two playable characters who don’t just differ in story, but in combat style and gear from the ground up. This guide gives you a complete overview of every weapon, where to get it, how upgrades work, and the best tactics for both characters.
All weapons in Resident Evil Requiem at a glance
- SPOILER NOTE: Guides can include spoilers. We won’t reveal story details, but this article will mention weapons you only learn about later in the game or by completing optional tasks.
Grace’s arsenal: Surviving with the bare minimum
Requiem Revolver — For emergencies
Grace receives the Requiem Revolver early on from Leon as insurance against the most dangerous threats. This heavy pistol hits like a truck and drops most standard enemies with a single shot. The catch: 12.7x55mm ammo can only be crafted from specific blood samples and rare materials. Every round is a decision.
- Tip: Save the Requiem Revolver strictly for true emergencies and especially tough mutated enemies. Using it on regular infected is almost always a waste of precious resources.
B934 pistol — Your starter gun
You’ll find the B934 pistol on the dining room floor after you make it through the kitchen past the massive chef. It’s fine for standard infected, but it gets replaced quickly by the far better S&S M232.
- Location: Dining Hall in the Care Center’s West Wing. Lying on the floor.
S&S M232 — The upgrade you can’t miss
The S&S M232 is easily Grace’s most important weapon upgrade in the first half of the game — and it’s shockingly easy to overlook. It’s in the Bar & Lounge on the second floor of the West Wing, behind the bar counter.
- Location: Bar & Lounge, 2nd floor, West Wing (Care Center) — behind the bar counter.
Before you can grab it, you’ll have to get past the crazed singer and three more infected:
- Throw bottles as distractions to split the group up.
- For sharpshooters: Use the last remaining round in the Requiem Revolver to delete all three threats in one go — it also unlocks a trophy in Requiem.
- Sneak past them. The area is packed with furniture, columns, and plants you can use for cover.
The S&S M232 outclasses the B934 in almost every way: more damage, a much larger nine-round magazine, better stability for more reliable headshots, and faster reloads. This one upgrade fundamentally changes how Grace’s early game feels.
| Weapon | Location | What makes it special |
|---|---|---|
| Requiem Revolver | Automatically received from Leon | Extremely high damage, very rare ammo |
| B934 pistol | Dining Room (West Wing), on the floor | Decent starter weapon, replaced quickly |
| S&S M232 pistol | Bar & Lounge, 2nd floor West Wing, behind the counter | Best early-game upgrade — don’t miss it |
Knives — Limited, but useful
Grace has two melee options: the Makeshift Knife and the Hunting Knife. Both have severely limited durability and can’t be repaired. Both knives appear in various spots around the Care Center or drop from defeated enemies.
- Tip: Broken knives aren’t worthless. You can dismantle them into scrap and use that material to craft other items. That way, even damaged gear turns into useful resources instead of hogging inventory space.
Throwables and crafting options
Grace can craft Molotov Cocktails and Acid Bottles from infected blood and empty bottles. These DIY weapons are perfect for groups or especially dangerous mutants — and they help you conserve precious pistol ammo.
Acid bottles are especially effective against Lickers and can kill them in a single hit — a huge advantage, since Lickers are extremely difficult to take down with conventional firearms.
| Throwable | Location | Best used for |
|---|---|---|
| Molotov Cocktail | Crafting: Infected blood + empty bottle | Area damage against groups |
| Acid Bottle | Crafting: Infected blood + empty bottle | One-hit kills vs. Lickers |
Grace’s permanent upgrades: Stabilizers and Steroids
Instead of weapon attachments, Grace boosts her combat power through permanent stat upgrades you can buy in the Care Center’s Parlor using Antique Coins. Accessing the Parlor requires the red gemstone from the Chairman’s Office.
- Stabilizers permanently increase weapon damage and aim stability — regardless of which firearm you’re holding. Buy them as early as possible, because the advantage stacks across the entire game.
- Steroids permanently increase max health.
You can also craft Stabilizers in the blood lab after analyzing the “Reversible” blood sample. Don’t be shy about investing larger amounts of blood — the permanent damage boost is worth it.
- Tip: Store Antique Coins in the safe-room storage box instead of carrying them around. You’ll save precious inventory space and can grab them whenever you’re ready to buy upgrades. You’ll find most Antique Coins in the Care Center’s safes.
Leon’s arsenal: The well-equipped pro
Alligator Snapper — The reliable starter pistol
Leon’s starting weapon carries you through the early game as a solid all-purpose handgun. It outclasses Grace’s starter pistol in damage, rate of fire, and magazine capacity, and works well as a backup when your primary weapons need a reload.
Shotguns — Leon’s most versatile close-range class
Shotguns are the backbone of Leon’s close-range toolkit. You’ll have access to three different models over the course of the campaign:
Weapon Location What makes it special MSBG 500 Care Center’s Attic, on the floor near the Chunk boss First shotgun, solid baseline stats W870 Police Kendo’s Gun Shop in Racoon City, on a shelf behind the counter Best shotgun — higher damage, better accuracy, larger capacity 990-TAC Purchase at Supply Boxes (Raccoon City) 8-round capacity, excellent all-around performance
- Important (W870 Police): After the automatic cutscene in Kendo’s Gun Shop, immediately turn 180 degrees. The weapon is on a shelf directly behind the door you entered through. If you just keep walking, you’ll miss Leon’s best shotgun.
With its eight-round capacity, the 990-TAC is an excellent alternative — and it’s also one of the best candidates for modding (more on that in the Upgrades section).
SMGs — Sustained fire for messy situations
| Weapon | Location | What makes it special |
|---|---|---|
| Gal SMG | Underground parking garage, northwest corner (East Racoon City) | High rate of fire, good against multiple enemies |
| Stiri REVO3 A1 | Purchase at Supply Boxes (East Raccoon City) | Alternative option with different handling |
SMGs shine when you’re dealing with multiple spread-out enemies, but they burn more ammo per kill than shotguns and hit for noticeably less damage. Consider whether the sustained fire is worth the resource drain.
Sniper rifles — Precision at range
| Weapon | Location | What makes it special |
|---|---|---|
| Classic 70 | Automatically acquired when switching to Leon (Care Center’s courtyard) | Highest single-shot damage, scope |
| Marksman 1A | Blue BSAA container near the gas station (East Raccoon City) | Faster reload, higher fire rate |
The Classic 70 is Leon’s primary precision tool and is perfect for picking off weak points on mutated enemies.
- Marksman 1A location: Climb behind the trucks at the eastern end of Main Street between the gas station and residential buildings. You’ll need the BSAA container keys, which you receive in a cutscene at the western end of the same street. If your inventory is too full, you can also buy the rifle later at a Supply Box.
Hatchet — Leon’s constant companion
The Hatchet isn’t just another melee weapon — it’s Leon’s most important defensive tool. You can use it to parry incoming melee attacks and punish with brutal counters. Unlike Grace’s knives, the Hatchet is unbreakable and doesn’t use ammo. You’ll just need to sharpen it from time to time.
- Tip: Practice parries on weaker enemies first. The timing takes reps — you need to press the parry button right before the hit connects. A successful parry not only negates damage, it opens a window for heavy counterattacks or instant finishers on downed enemies. Your first successful parry unlocks a trophy.
Mortal Edge — The boss trophy
Mortal Edge is an upgraded melee axe earned only by defeating the boss of the ARK facility. It deals more damage than the Hatchet and unlocks special combat maneuvers and finisher animations.
Explosives and special gear
| Weapon | Location / availability | What makes it special |
|---|---|---|
| Hand grenade | Drop from the Chunk boss / found throughout levels | Area damage |
| Stacked hand grenades | Crafting: Combine single grenades | Boosted explosive power |
| RPG-7 rocket launcher | Extras Shop (after finishing the campaign) | Deletes almost anything instantly, drastically simplifies boss fights |
Environmental weapons
Leon can pick up and temporarily use weapons from defeated enemies. Chainsaws are especially efficient, dealing massive damage and thinning entire groups in seconds. You can also pick up axes thrown by enemies and hurl them back at other threats.
Leon’s upgrade system: Attachments at the Supply Box
Leon upgrades his weapons using attachments you buy with earned credits at Supply Boxes. Many attachments can be upgraded in tiers. You unlock the maximum upgrade tier (Advanced Tuning) by finding all 25 Mr. Raccoon Memoriam collectibles.
Credits and modules: How to fund your attachments
Leon earns credits by defeating enemies and collecting modules dropped by fallen foes. Modules come in multiple rarity tiers — from common to legendary — with higher-end modules mostly coming from mini-bosses. At the Supply Box, modules are automatically converted into credits and don’t take up inventory space.
- Tip: Only sell duplicate weapons or inferior ones you’ve fully replaced with better alternatives. Selling ammo and healing items almost always comes back to bite you in later combat sequences.
Priority #1: Hatchet attachments
The Hatchet stays with Leon for the entire campaign, uses no ammo, and is the only weapon tied to the parry mechanic. That’s why axe upgrades should always be your first purchase.
Attachment Effect Fortified Blade Increases melee damage and cutting efficiency against tough enemies Improved Grip Faster handling, more responsive parries, quicker counterattacks
Together, these attachments turn the axe from a pure defensive tool into an offensive weapon that deletes enemies efficiently without spending a single round of ammo.
Priority #2: Shotgun or sniper rifle
Your next upgrade path depends on whether you prefer close-range brawling or long-range control:
For close-range players — 990-TAC shotgun:
Attachment Effect Ceramic Coated Barrel Significantly more damage at close range Carbon Tube Extension Larger capacity, longer sustained fire before reloading
For long-range players — Classic 70 sniper rifle:
Attachment Effect PVD Barrel Massive damage increase without sacrificing accuracy
The PVD Barrel turns the Classic 70 into Leon’s dedicated mini-boss killer, dropping dangerous single targets in one or two shots.
Priority #3: Defense and quality-of-life
| Attachment / upgrade | Effect |
|---|---|
| Weighted Grip (Requiem Revolver) | Reduces heavy recoil, makes follow-up shots easier |
| Add-On Suppressor (Silencer 9) | More damage while keeping a suppressor profile |
| Body Armor Level 1 & 2 | Absorbs incoming damage, saves healing items |
| Expanded inventory capacity | More space for ammo, healing, and special gear |
Special weapons: Unlocks after your first run
After finishing the campaign on any difficulty, you unlock the Extra Content Shop. There you can spend Ability Points (AP) on powerful weapons that can dramatically change future playthroughs.
Weapons for Grace
| Weapon | Type | What makes it special |
|---|---|---|
| Freya’s Needle | Fully automatic SMG | Uses pistol ammo, far higher rate of fire than standard handguns |
| Kotetsu | Unbreakable knife | No durability limit — unlimited melee |
Kotetsu eliminates the durability problems that plague Grace’s knife play in a first run. You’ll never have to ration blades again — and you can lean on melee without second-guessing yourself.
Weapons for Leon
| Weapon | Type | What makes it special |
|---|---|---|
| Matilda IMP | Three-round burst pistol | Inspired by Leon’s iconic weapon from earlier entries |
| Ghost Grudge | Revolver | Uses 12.7x55mm ammo, an alternative magnum-style option |
| Redemption | Rifle | Automatic fire using rifle ammo |
| Clatter Carbine | Assault rifle | Balanced performance at all ranges |
| RPG-7 | Rocket launcher | Deletes almost anything instantly; with an Extra Content purchase, can also get infinite ammo |
| Mortal Edge | Melee (axe) | Also available in the shop if you missed it in the story |
The RPG-7 with infinite ammo turns boss fights and dangerous enemy packs into background noise — perfect for challenge runs or anyone who wants to minimize resource management in repeat playthroughs.
Exclusive to Insanity difficulty
| Weapon | Location | What makes it special |
|---|---|---|
| R.I.P. Knife | Parlor in the Care Center (purchase with Antique Coins) | Higher damage than standard knives and generates extra infected blood on hit |
The R.I.P. Knife is only available on the highest difficulty and gives you a tactical edge by generating extra blood — a real perk for blood-based crafting strategies.
Two characters, two combat philosophies
Before you throw yourself into the chaos, it helps to understand the core differences between Grace and Leon — because they shape how you approach weapons, ammo, and enemies.
- Grace operates under extreme resource scarcity. Every bullet matters, and many encounters are better handled through sneaking, distractions, or precise stealth takedowns than open combat. Her inventory is limited to just eight slots, which forces constant management. Her upgrades don’t come from attachments, but from permanent stat boosts via Stabilizers and Steroids, purchased with Antique Coins in the Care Center’s Parlor.
- Leon, on the other hand, is rewarded for aggression. Defeated enemies drop credits and modules, which he trades at Supply Boxes for new weapons, ammo, and attachments. His inventory uses a generous 7×10 grid similar to Resident Evil 4’s attaché case, letting you carry multiple weapons at once. On top of that, there’s a robust mod system that lets you tailor his loadout to specific combat situations.
During a first playthrough, you’ll have access to around sixteen different weapons split across both characters. The in-game Extra Content Shop adds even more options you can buy with Ability Points (AP), noticeably changing how repeat runs play.
Combat tips for Grace: Precision over spray-and-pray
Aim carefully — every shot counts
Grace benefits enormously from patient aiming. Hold steady and wait until the reticle tightens into a focused point. Standing still produces better results than aiming while moving. The reticle tightens even faster if you crouch — use that behind corners, doorframes, and cover.
Hit the right spots
- Headshots deal critical damage and can instantly kill standard enemies or stagger them, setting up follow-up shots or melee.
- Leg shots drop enemies and neutralize the immediate threat. That buys time to reload, reposition, or escape.
- Torso and arm hits are much less efficient — avoid them whenever you can.
Sneak and distract enemies
Many enemies follow predictable patrol patterns. Watch them and look for openings. Light switches are especially useful: many infected fixate on turning lights off. Flip a lamp on to lure enemies away from your path.
Use hemolytic injectors on dangerous mutants
Injectors enable stealth kills on unaware or downed enemies, while also preventing corpses from reanimating as Blister-Head mutations. Prioritize them against tougher enemy types where stopping a mutation matters more than conserving crafting resources.
Combat tips for Leon: Aggressive and efficient
Earn credits through combat
Unlike Grace, Leon is rewarded for fighting. Every enemy you take down generates credits you’ll spend on weapons, ammo, and attachments. Don’t avoid combat — the economy is built around actively eliminating threats.
Master parrying
Leon’s parry mechanic with the Tactical Axe is his strongest defensive tool. Watch enemy attack animations and tap parry just before impact. Successful parries open windows for heavy counters or instant finishers.
- Practice on standard enemies before trying it on bosses.
- Against bosses, a missed parry is instantly punishing — your timing has to be clean.
Swap weapons based on the situation
Leon’s large inventory lets you carry multiple weapons at the same time. Actively rotate between them:
- W870 or 990-TAC for tight corridors and groups
- Classic 70 for long-range fights and pinpoint weak-point shots
- Requiem Revolver for bosses and maximum single-shot damage
- Hatchet as your always-available backup for parries and ammo-free finishers
- Alligator Snapper as a secondary pistol to diversify ammo usage
Don’t hoard modules
Modules auto-convert into credits at the Supply Box and don’t take up inventory space. Check in with Supply Boxes regularly to maximize your income.
Our loadout recommendations for both characters in Resident Evil Requiem
Grace — Recommended standard loadout
| Slot | Weapon | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | S&S M232 | All-around fighting against scattered enemies |
| Emergency | Requiem Revolver | Dangerous single targets, mutants |
| Special | Hemolytic Injectors | Stealth kills, preventing mutations |
| Throwable | Molotov Cocktails / Acid Bottles | Group control, Lickers in the ARK |
Leon — Recommended standard loadout
| Slot | Weapon | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Close-range | W870 Police / 990-TAC | Tight spaces, groups |
| Long-range | Classic 70 | Distance fights, weak-point shots |
| Heavy hitter | Requiem Revolver | Boss fights, maximum single-shot damage |
| Backup | Alligator Snapper | Ammo diversity, fast reloads |
| Always on you | Hatchet | Parrying, ammo-free finishers |
Difficulty modes and how they change your weapon strategy
| Difficulty | Impact on weapons and resources |
|---|---|
| Casual (Easy) | Weaker enemies, strong aim assist — upgrades are barely necessary |
| Standard Modern | Balanced challenge — smart weapon choices noticeably pay off |
| Standard Classic | Much tighter resources for Grace, saving requires ink ribbons — every decision carries more weight |
| Insanity — only available after your first run | Enemies are extremely durable, specific weapon choices often become mandatory, and the exclusive R.I.P. Knife is available |
On higher difficulties, Extra Content weapons become dramatically more valuable. In particular, the RPG-7 with infinite ammo and Grace’s Kotetsu make Insanity’s harsher conditions much more manageable.
How to unlock infinite ammo and durability for all weapons
After finishing the story, you can unlock infinite ammo for the following weapons under “Weapons” in the Extra Content menu — as long as you’ve earned enough AP:
- Kotetsu — 5,000 AP: Makes Grace’s special knife unbreakable.
- Unlimited durability — 20,000 AP: Leon’s axe and Mortal Edge no longer need to be sharpened.
- Infinite ammo for firearms — 50,000 AP: All firearms (except the rocket launcher) gain infinite ammo (applies across all saves; can be toggled on/off).
- Infinite ammo for the RPG-7 — 35,000 AP: Gives the rocket launcher infinite ammo as well (applies across all saves; can be toggled on/off).
