Resident Evil Requiem’s Latest Reveal Has Me Worried For RE’s Greatest Hero

Resident Evil Requiem was shown off for the first time since its initial reveal at Summer Game Fest during the Capcom Spotlight broadcast. The Requiem segment featured interviews with a few developers, including the game’s director, Koshi Nakanishi. During the “Character” portion of the demonstration, Nakanishi revealed more details about the game’s lead character, Grace Ashcroft, daughter of Alyssa Ashcroft from the Outbreak games. Grace is an introvert and easily scared, and was designed to be relatable in a horrific situation.

But after discussing Grace, Nakanishi abruptly pivoted to discussing fan-favorite Leon S. Kennedy, stating: “we always thought about making Leon the protagonist. but making a horror game around him is difficult,” seemingly implying Leon will not be in the game, at least not in a major role. However, the sudden mention of Leon, the game’s emphasis on the requiem motif, and the return to Raccoon City all could be a bait-and-switch for a surprise reveal later. Either way, I’m worried if Leon will actually be in the game, especially after months of rumors centered around him.

Leon Is Supposedly A Bad Fit For Horror

The focus was on Grace herself and the concept behind Requiem during the broadcast by Capcom USA. Grace was described as an FBI intelligence analyst who will learn to overcome her fears but is also not completely helpless, having firearms training as an FBI agent. She is able to “act calm with deductive reasoning,” according to Nakanishi. But out of the blue, Nakanishi mentioned Leon by name, and beyond his statement about the challenge of making a horror game with him as the lead, he also talks about how the audience might want to see Leon.

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Nakanishi continued his statement about Leon, saying: “he wouldn’t jump at something like a bucket falling. No one wants to see Leon scared by every little thing.” He then concluded his thoughts by saying: “he’s actually quite a bad match for horror.”

Why Leon Isn’t A Fit For Horror

He’s A Well-Trained, Bio-Weapon Killing Machine

Since the more action-focused RE4 re-introduced Leon as a special government agent, we’ve seen him fight an entire cult, rescue the president’s daughter with minimal assistance, and fight through hundreds of zombies in the streets of China, so he probably isn’t the best fit for a genuine, immersive horror experience. Leon can suplex Ganados with little effort and little fear, and Leon has been absent in the mainline game canon since RE6, so it’s possible he’s grown even more skilled, despite also being quite a bit older in the timeline now.

Storywise, Leon’s harsh training as an agent made him resourceful, adaptable, and smarter, a stark contrast to his more naive demeanor in RE2. Capcom seems to be doubling down that Requiem is indeed a horror-focused game, and with all his training, it may be hard to make a horror game with Leon as the protagonist; he has no reason to fear bio-weapons because he has seen and conquered so many disturbing horrors in the past.

Could This Be A Red Herring, Or Is Resident Evil Moving On From Leon?

Nakanishi’s Statement Has Some Red Flags

All hope is not lost for Leon fans, like myself, because Nakanishi never stated Leon isn’t in the game, just that he’s a bad match for horror. Additionally, the comments about Leon seemingly came out of nowhere, with no lead-up or anticipation, so it could be more of a tease that Leon is actually indeed in the game and is playable, just not as a horror-focused character. Also, post-stream, notable horror game leaker AestheticGamer aka Dusk Golem posted on X saying: “I’m 100% sure Leon is the protagonist still.”

Dusk Golem continued to say that Requiem is not soley a horror game, despite the developer’s comments, writing: “RE9 is not sold as a pure horror game.” The leaker brought up the game’s description from PlayStation Blog, which reads: “While survival horror takes centerstage, Resident Evil Requiem will feature high-stakes cinematic action that will take the series in a bold new direction,” which could be a clue that Leon’s portion of the game will be action-focused, if he is actually in the game.

These are all just rumors at the moment, and nothing about Leon’s presence, or lack thereof, in Resident Evil Requiem has been confirmed, but with the random name-drop and lack of any action footage (and the game’s description not completely fitting with the way Grace has been described), I’m only slightly worried he’s not in the game and very anxious to see if all of these rumors are legit. Hopefully, we’ll get a more concrete answer about whether Leon is truly in Resident Evil Requiem or not in the near future.

Source: Capcom USA/YouTube, AestheticGamer aka Dusk Golem/X, PlayStation Blog