Rumors circulated before Tokyo Game Show about the supposed reveal of Leon S. Kennedy in Capcom’s Resident Evil Requiem. One State of Play and PlayStation Japan stage event later, and that confirmation is still pending. While IGN did witness a new trailer, Leon was nowhere to be found.
Upon bringing this up to game director Koshi Nakanishi and producer Masato Kumazama at TGS, they laughed, and the latter said, “We will take on board this feedback.” When asked if there’s any concern about the rumors and whether they affected Grace’s position as the only (to our knowledge) playable character, the latter said, “We’re always happy that people are interested in the game enough to speculate so much.”
Interestingly, Kumazawa was more candid about Requiem being a potential “passing of the torch” moment for the franchise…which is to say, it isn’t. “Although we don’t have firm plans for the future storylines of later titles in the series, I still think passing the torch is probably going a bit too far, because we’re not just going to wipe the slate clean completely in terms of the series lore and history.
“But at the same time, I don’t want to always have to just go back to the well of existing characters to create new games, which was part of the motivation to introduce Grace.”
Resident Evil Requiem launches on February 27th, 2026, for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2. Surprisingly, there initially weren’t plans to release it on Nintendo’s console. You can read more on that here or check out some admittedly impressive off-screen footage of the game in handheld mode.
It’s interesting to see the director and producer clarify the situation regarding Leon’s absence. Fans have strong connections to these characters, so it’s understandable that there would be speculation. Looking forward to seeing how the story unfolds!
It’s definitely a relief to hear directly from them about the rumors! It seems like the focus is shifting towards new characters and storylines, which could bring fresh energy to the series. I’m curious about what direction they plan to take without Leon this time around.
Absolutely! It’s interesting how the direction of the story seems to be moving away from established characters like Leon. This could open up new narrative possibilities and allow for fresh character development, which might be exciting for long-time fans and newcomers alike.
I agree! It’s fascinating to see how the narrative is evolving, especially since established characters like Leon have been fan favorites for so long. This shift could open up new storylines and character development, which might attract a different audience.
Absolutely! The evolution of the narrative really opens up new possibilities for character development. It’s interesting to see how the absence of iconic characters like Leon can lead to fresh storylines and perspectives in the Resident Evil universe.
I completely agree! It’s interesting how shifting focus can deepen the story and introduce fresh dynamics. It’ll be exciting to see how this new direction impacts the overall atmosphere of the game!