On October 1st, 1998, the United States government made an unprecedented decision: deploy an experimental thermobaric missile to completely destroy Raccoon City and contain the T-virus outbreak. For nearly three decades, the ruins have remained largely untouched, a devastated testament to one of the most catastrophic bioweapons incidents in history. Now, as Resident Evil 9 Requiem prepares to take us back to those haunted streets, the question isn’t whether we’ll recognize the city – it’s what horrors have grown in the shadow of thermobaric devastation.
Director Koshi Nakanishi has been remarkably candid about his approach to recreating post-apocalyptic Raccoon City. “We did essentially start with the existing design and layout of Raccoon City as has been seen most recently in Resident Evil 2 and 3 remakes,” he explained during a Games Radar interview at Gamescom 2025. “We thought it through. We were like, ‘Okay, well, this is where the bomb landed in the city. Then this would be the blast zone and the shock wave would maybe travel into these areas and that’s how they’d be affected.’”
This methodical approach to destruction suggests we’re not just getting generic ruins – we’re getting a scientifically considered vision of how thermobaric devastation would specifically affect Raccoon City’s most iconic locations.
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The Raccoon Police Department
Perhaps no location in Resident Evil history is more iconic than the RPD building, and Capcom has already confirmed its return in RE9’s marketing materials. The building’s unique architecture – originally designed as an art museum before being converted to police headquarters – presents fascinating questions about post-missile survival.
The RPD’s solid stone construction and underground passages suggest it might be among the most intact structures in the city. Museums are built to last, with thick walls designed to protect valuable artifacts. However, thirty years of neglect would have taken their toll in ways that zombies never could.
Expect to see:
- Collapsed sections where structural integrity finally failed after decades without maintenance
- Overgrown interiors as nature reclaims the building through broken windows and damaged roofing
- Flooded basement levels from decades of accumulated groundwater and damaged plumbing
- The famous main hall potentially still recognizable but dramatically weathered
The RPD’s underground passages and jail cells might have provided some protection from the initial blast, creating pockets of preserved evidence about the outbreak’s final hours. These areas could hold crucial clues about the “hidden truth” Grace seeks to uncover.
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Raccoon General Hospital
The hospital where much of RE3’s action took place would likely present some of the most disturbing imagery in post-blast Raccoon City. Medical facilities contain equipment and chemicals that could create uniquely horrifying decay scenarios.
After thirty years, the hospital might feature:
- Contaminated medical waste still scattered throughout corridors, now fused with blast debris
- Collapsed operating theaters where surgical equipment has become twisted metal sculptures
- The clock tower (if RE9 includes this fan-favorite location) potentially still standing as a landmark but structurally unsound
- Underground morgue areas that might have preserved evidence of the outbreak’s final victims
The combination of medical horror imagery with missile devastation could create some of RE9’s most psychologically unsettling environments. Imagine IV drips and heart monitors now overgrown with mutated vegetation.
Kite Bros Railway: The Underground Network
Raccoon City’s underground train system represents one of the most intriguing post-blast environments. Underground structures often survive surface devastation better than buildings, but they present unique challenges after decades of abandonment.
The railway tunnels could feature:
- Flooded sections creating underground lakes in former train platforms
- Collapsed tunnel segments blocking traditional routes and creating new pathways
- The train cars themselves potentially preserved in some areas, rusted wrecks in others
- Emergency bunkers that might have sheltered survivors during the initial blast
These underground areas could serve crucial gameplay functions, providing protected routes through the city while harboring their own unique dangers. The darkness and confined spaces would amplify RE9’s horror elements while offering refuge from whatever threats roam the surface.
Spencer Mansion Region
While the Spencer Mansion itself was destroyed in the original Resident Evil, its location in the Arklay Mountains northwest of Raccoon City means the area might have escaped the worst blast effects. This region could serve as a bridge between RE9’s Raccoon City exploration and the broader Arklay Mountains lore.
Thirty years later, this area might feature:
- The mansion’s foundation still visible among overgrown forest
- Underground lab entrances sealed but potentially accessible
- The helipad area where Chris and Jill made their escape
- Umbrella research outposts that were abandoned but not destroyed
This region could provide context for how the T-virus outbreak began while showing how nature has reclaimed Umbrella’s experimental sites. The contrast between missile devastation in the city and natural overgrowth in the mountains could create striking visual storytelling.
Raccoon University
The university where the Daylight vaccine was developed represents crucial location for RE9’s plot. As the source of the cure that gave outbreak survivors their valuable antibodies, the university could hold vital information about the conspiracy Grace is investigating.
After three decades, the campus might feature:
- The chemistry building where Dr. Jenkins developed Daylight, potentially still containing research materials
- Lecture halls filled with debris but possibly preserving academic records
- Student dormitories creating maze-like environments through collapsed floors and walls
- The library where important documents might have survived in protected storage
The university’s significance to the Daylight vaccine subplot makes it a likely location for major story revelations. Hidden research about survivor antibodies could explain why Grace and her mother were targeted.
The Business District
Raccoon City’s downtown area, including Umbrella’s local offices and other corporate buildings, would present a unique vision of capitalism meeting thermobaric apocalypse. High-rise buildings would have suffered severe structural damage, creating a urban canyon landscape.
This area could include:
- Umbrella’s Raccoon City headquarters reduced to a skeletal frame but potentially containing archived research
- The mayor’s office where corruption and cover-up decisions were made
- Corporate lobbies now filled with debris but possibly preserving important documentation
- Rooftop areas offering vantage points across the ruined city
The business district could serve as RE9’s most vertically complex environment, with players navigating between damaged floors of skyscrapers while uncovering corporate conspiracy evidence.
Raccoon City Park
The park areas, including the cemetery featured in RE3, would showcase how nature responds to massive devastation. Rather than simply dying, plant life often grows in strange and unpredictable ways in blast-damaged environments.
Expect to encounter:
- Mutated vegetation that grew in chemically altered soil over thirty years
- The cemetery with disturbed graves and weathered monuments
- Playground equipment now twisted and overgrown, creating haunting imagery
- The statue area where iconic RE3 moments occurred, now serving as landmarks in the wasteland
These areas could provide some of RE9’s most atmospheric moments, combining natural beauty with devastation in ways that emphasize the tragedy of what was lost.
The Psychological Landscape
Beyond physical destruction, returning to Raccoon City after thirty years creates unique psychological horror opportunities. This isn’t just about showing ruined buildings – it’s about confronting the weight of history and tragedy.
For Grace, walking through these ruins means:
- Connecting with her mother’s experiences during the original outbreak
- Understanding the scale of the cover-up that claimed over 100,000 lives
- Witnessing the long-term consequences of bioweapons research
- Realizing the ongoing threat that led to her mother’s murder
The ruins themselves become characters in the story, silent witnesses to decades of secrets and lies.
What Survived, What Didn’t
Nakanishi’s comments about thoughtful destruction suggest RE9 won’t show uniform devastation. Some areas near the blast center would be completely obliterated, while others might be surprisingly intact. This selective preservation allows for strategic storytelling – important locations survive just enough to serve narrative purposes while showing realistic damage.
The developers’ approach balances:
- Believable destruction based on thermobaric blast patterns
- Iconic recognition so players can identify familiar locations
- Gameplay functionality ensuring areas remain navigable and interesting
- Emotional impact emphasizing the tragedy while maintaining hope
The Living City
Perhaps most importantly, RE9’s Raccoon City won’t be truly dead. Thirty years have allowed new forms of life to emerge in the devastated environment. Whether these are natural adaptations, remaining bioweapons, or something entirely new, the city pulses with different kinds of life than it once knew.
The ruins await not as a graveyard, but as a transformed ecosystem where humanity’s greatest mistake has evolved into something both beautiful and terrifying. Grace’s journey through these streets won’t just uncover her mother’s secrets – it will reveal what grows in the shadow of governmental devastation.
After thirty years of silence, Raccoon City is ready to tell its final stories.
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