At The Game Awards last week, Capcom finally confirmed what we already knew, thanks to a myriad of leaks: that Leon Kennedy would not only be in Resident Evil Requiem but also be the second protagonist alongside the previously introduced Grace Ashcroft, and that we would get to play as him.
After all the rumours, speculation, and then the massive leak ahead of the official reveal, it was good to finally see Leon in Requiem's trailer at The Game Awards, which felt like a sort of vindication for the internet after Capcom tried to deny he was involved.
Now that the secret is officially out, Capcom is already talking about Leon's appearance in Resident Evil Requiem and what he brings to the table alongside Grace Ashcroft. Of course, he's a fan-favourite character, but according to the game's director, Koji Nakinishi, Leon brings more than just his iconic status to Requiem, which is a striking contrast between him and Grace, and how differently players feel when controlling each of them.
In an interview with Famitsu (spotted by Gamereactor), Nakinishi called Grace the "most fearful" character in Resident Evil history, while Leon is "the strongest" in Resident Evil, according to Nakinishi. "Grace is the most fearful person in the history of Resident Evil, and Leon is the strongest," Nakinishi said. "I think one of the highlights will be seeing how these two contrasting characters interact."
"We've crafted it to bring out the best in the contrasting characters of Leon and Grace," Nakinishi continued. "It's a gameplay experience unlike anything in the Resident Evil series before, so I hope you'll give it a try."
A good horror game is able to strike a balance between how powerful the player feels and how vulnerable they feel in a given situation. Several games in the Resident Evil series are undoubtedly terrifying, but some of them, including entries featuring Leon, lose control of that balance before you hit credits, and you lose the fear-factor once you know you can bulldoze through any zombie or mangled creature the game puts in front of you.
It seems that with Resident Evil Requiem, Capcom is taking a very direct approach by having you play as both Grace and Leon for different scenarios. It'll be interesting to see how it executes that balance, and if the pendulum swings the other way at unexpected points, like finding yourself powerless while playing as Leon, and vice versa while playing as Grace.
Whatever Resident Evil Requiem has in store for players, we'll be able to find out when it arrives on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2 on February 27, 2026
About the author: David has been writing about videogames, technology, and culture since 2020, with a focus on reporting daily news across multiple publications, including GameDaily.Biz, GameSkinny, and PlayStation Universe before joining Wccftech in 2025. David started contributing as Canada/US reporter for Wccftech's gaming section in 2025. Besides being up-to-date on the industry's movements, he loves interviewing developers, reviewing games, and writing intricate essays about the symbolism and layered meanings to be found in rich narratives as he's done for publications like GamesIndustry.Biz, LostInCult, and others. Outside of games he loves movies, music, theatre, his hometown, and his family, though not necessarily in that order.
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