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Resident Evil Requiem’s Switch 2 Version Gets Backlash From Fans
The upcoming Resident Evil Requiem Switch 2 port is going to be the first non-cloud mainline entry in the series to hit a Nintendo console since Resident Evil 6‘s late port that came out in 2019. Such a release is cause for celebration for some fans of the illustrious Capcom horror franchise, but a new wrinkle has infected some of that hype like a surprise case of the T-Virus. Some of this goodwill is being trampled on by one development that suggests this version of the game won’t be included on the physical card for the Switch 2.
The anger over whether or not Requiem will launch on a Game-Key Card on the Switch 2 hit a fever pitch when a user on Reddit posted alleged box art of the game with the dreaded Game Key-Card disclaimer at the bottom. It is unclear where this box art came from or if it is even authentic, as Capcom has not definitively said one way or another how Requiem will launch on the Switch 2, and most retailers don’t have such box art listed on their sites just yet. We have reached out to Capcom PR for clarification and will update this story when official word comes through (if it does).
Resident Evil Requiem Wouldn’t Be the First Capcom Game on a Game-Key Card
However, there is still a decent possibility that Requiem will indeed launch on a Game-Key Card. When prompted about the general use of Game-Key Cards in a recent interview, Requiem director Koshi Nakanishi noted the controversial format was “not a development decision for [Capcom]” and “more of a sales strategy decision.” It’s not a direct confirmation, but not a promising answer for those who want all of Requiem on a physical Switch 2 card.
Street Fighter 6 and Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, Capcom’s two currently available Switch 2 games, are also both Game-Key Card titles. And while not as controversial of a practice for the original Switch, both Resident Evil: Triple Pack and Resident Evil Revelations Collection only had one game on their respective cartridges; the other titles had to be downloaded. It is unclear if Resident Evil 7: Biohazard and Resident Evil Village will also all be on Game-Key Cards, both of which will launch alongside Requiem on February 27th, 2026.
Even though Capcom has yet to conclusively give an answer regarding Requiem, some are already voicing their displeasure. The aforementioned Reddit thread with the alleged box art has plenty of users noting that they’ll buy it on a different platform altogether or sarcastically pointing out how surprised they were at this rumored development.
Game-Key Cards have been one of the few persistent thorns surrounding the Switch 2 since its launch. A positive aspect of physical games is that they don’t require the internet to function, something that also helps for a title’s long-term preservation. However, Game-Key Cards are essentially empty vessels that still require players to download the game anyway, effectively squandering a few of the upsides of buying physical. According to a study done by Nintendo Life, roughly 85% of third-party games on the Switch 2 as of August 1st were Game-Key Cards, showing how widespread this unpopular format is.
There has been speculation to why Game-Key Cards are so prevalent, especially among third-party companies. Some think it is because of the cost. However, Rob Bantin, audio architect at Ubisoft, explained in a post on Bluesky that Star Wars Outlaws shipped on a Game-Key Card because the game’s world was programmed to be streamed in and the cards “simply didn’t give the performance” Ubisoft was looking for. Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy director Naoki Hamaguchi also defended Game-Key Cards, saying players should start accepting them because they allow for high-end games to come to the platform.
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