Capcom has stirred up a fresh wave of speculation surrounding Resident Evil Requiem with their recent remarks about Leon S. Kennedy, the iconic protagonist from previous Resident Evil titles. 
In a recent Capcom Spotlight 2025 broadcast, fans were quick to notice Leon’s absence from the promotional material for Requiem, but it was the director’s comments on his exclusion that really caught attention.
During the event, Requiem director Koshi Nakanishi offered a candid explanation for why Leon, despite being a fan favorite, wouldn’t be the central character in this latest chapter. “The protagonist this time is an intelligence analyst for the FBI, Grace Ashcroft,” Nakanishi revealed. Grace, unlike many of the past Resident Evil heroes, is described as introverted and easily scared, which fits with the game’s heightened focus on horror. Nakanishi elaborated, stating, “We wanted someone who experiences horror from the same perspective as the player. Grace learns to overcome her fears but is also trained with guns and has the calm deductive reasoning needed to face threats.”
However, fans are still holding onto hope that Leon may make an appearance in Requiem, despite Capcom’s efforts to steer the narrative in a different direction. Many pointed to subtle clues from the first trailer, including the sighting of Leon’s old truck near the remains of the Raccoon City Police Department, as evidence that the character might still play a role in the story. Some fans even speculated that Leon could be secretly playable in the game, or appear as a surprise ally later on.
In response to these fan theories, Nakanishi added, “We thought about making Leon the protagonist, but a horror game based around him is difficult. He wouldn’t jump at a falling bucket. No one wants to see Leon scared by every little thing. So he’s actually quite a bad match for horror.” Despite these remarks, Nakanishi stopped short of fully ruling out Leon’s involvement, leaving room for speculation to continue. Could Capcom be teasing fans with a red herring, or is Leon truly sidelined this time?
The recent trajectory of Resident Evil games has seen an evolving balance between action and horror, with entries like Resident Evil 4 maintaining an action-heavy focus, while more recent titles like Resident Evil Village and Resident Evil 7 emphasize the horror experience. It remains to be seen whether Capcom will return to a more action-oriented style for Requiem in future reveals. With the game set for release on February 27, 2026, across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, fans are eagerly awaiting further updates from Capcom.