Capcom responds to Resident Evil Requiem DLSS 5 backlash: "We got the design right"

Capcom Division 1, which worked on Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, Village, subsequent remakes, and the recent blockbuster hit Resident Evil: Requiem, considers the recent backlash against Grace Ashcroft’s DLSS 5–overhauled visual beauty filter a win.

In a recent interview with Eurogamer, Requiem’s director, Koshi Nakanishi, expressed satisfaction with the strong pushback by fans against Nvidia’s DLSS 5 tech demo. According to the director, fans who appreciate the original design of Resident Evil: Requiem’s character feel like Capcom nailed it from the get-go. It’s very much a reassurance for the director that an original new Resident Evil character was appreciated by the fanbase, contrary to his fears.

The uproar against Grace Ashcroft’s altered look in Nvidia’s DLSS 5 tech demo came weeks after the game was released on February 27, 2026. Nvidia unveiled its new real-time neural-rendering tech, showing side-by-side comparisons of both Resident Evil: Requiem leads: legendary DSO agent Leon S. Kennedy and newcomer FBI agent Grace Ashcroft.

A controversial "upgrade"

DLSS 5’s version of Grace Ashcroft was heavily altered with sharper facial features, completely different eyes, and plumper lips. She was essentially treated to an Instagram-ready, “yassified” glow-up, which many fans found off-putting.

The backlash against DLSS 5 grew so loud that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said fans were “completely wrong” about the new tech. However, he softened his stance and somewhat backtracked in a later interview, stating that he himself opposes “generative AI slop” and that the tech would ensure designers and creators retain artistic control.

Producer "glad" about warm reception for Grace Ashcroft

Capcom Division 1, also known as the Requiem team, felt the backlash meant they had done Grace Ashcroft’s character design justice. Nakanishi and producer Masato Kumazawa expressed their happiness about Grace’s warm reception as a newcomer to the series.

Nakanishi said that the Requiem team has “been really glad to see” the positive response to her. He said, “She’s very emotionally expressive about the fear she goes through, being thrust into this intense experience, and because she’s so relatable, you root for her.”

When the discussion shifted to DLSS 5, Kumazawa chimed in and said, “The fact that a lot of players commented they really liked the original design of Grace and didn’t want to see it changed was a positive. It meant that we got her design right and points to the fact that Grace quickly established herself as a fan favorite, that people had such strong opinions on her design.”