By February 27th, 2026, just in time for Resident Evil’s 30th anniversary, Capcom and horror game fans will be able to play the highly anticipated Resident Evil Requiem. The ninth mainline installment of the Resident Evil franchise, Resident Evil Requiem will have players journey back to the now-ruined Raccoon City, the site of many previous Resident Evil titles. Here, players will embody FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft as she sets out to investigate an unidentifiable disease and the mysterious murder of her mother. However, while most of Requiem’s marketing and gameplay has focused on Ashcroft as the primary protagonist, recent rumors have suggested that she may not be alone in this horrifying trek down memory lane. This second protagonist is rumored to be the fan-favorite Leon S. Kennedy, though even if such a big name returns, Grace will likely still get lots of time to shine.
Resident Evil Requiem and Silent Hill f’s Futures Are at Opposite Ends of the Spectrum
Resident Evil Requiem and Silent Hill f may share similar roles in their own franchises, but their final destinations couldn't be more different.
Resident Evil Requiem Leon Rumors Explained
Initial rumors of Leon S. Kennedy in Resident Evil Requiem first appeared from notable Capcom leaker AestheticGamer, who suggested that Leon would be the main protagonist of Requiem, despite recent marketing suggesting otherwise with Ashcroft. Additionally, the latest actor to have voiced and performed the motion capture for Leon in the 2019 and 2023 remakes of Resident Evil 2 and 4, Nick Apostolides, has recently posted a new unknown voice and motion capture role on his portfolio website. While this new video game role is currently unknown due to an active non-disclosure agreement, many fans have theorized this role is Apostolides returning as Leon for Requiem.
With Requiem’s reveal trailer showing the ruins of Raccoon City, specifically highlighting the destroyed exterior and interior of the Raccoon Police Department, it would be interesting to see how Leon would react to seeing the ruins of the RPD all these years later. Some fans have even suggested that Leon may be one of the unknown characters, stating lines during Raccoon City’s reveal in the trailer such as “Investigating all these strange deaths, huh?”. While Leon hasn’t worked with the FBI in Resident Evil games, he has worked with the organization before in the 2022 comic Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness - The Beginning. If Leon is still operating as a Division of Security Operations agent in Requiem, he could easily collaborate with the FBI to help Ashcroft in her investigations.
Grace Ashcroft and Leon’s Potential Roles in Requiem
If Leon is eventually confirmed to be a playable character in Requiem - either in a future trailer or in Requiem’s official release in early 2026, he could still leave room for Ashcroft to stand out as an intriguing new protagonist for the Resident Evil franchise. While many rumors and supposed leaks have claimed that Leon is Requiem’s secret main protagonist, Resident Evil Requiem’s director Koshi Nakanishi did assert that Ashcroft will, “... Take center stage in a story packed with fresh twists and surprises.” Based on this concept, Requiem may depict Ashcroft following a similar journey to Leon in Resident Evil 2, with Ashcroft being an inexperienced government agent forced to quickly master survivor skills in a monster infested Raccoon City.
Leon, on the other hand, may play more of a supportive role to Ashcroft if he appears in Resident Evil Requiem at all. With Requiem taking place roughly 30 years after Resident Evil 2’s events, Leon will be around 50 years old in 2026 and may no longer be able to enact dramatic, bombastic feats as he once had in Resident Evil 2, 4, or 6. This may force Leon to ask Ashcroft for her assistance or at least lead Leon to somewhat train her in monster-slaying skills and Raccoon City knowhow similar to how Marvin Branagh briefly mentored Leon in Resident Evil 2.
Possible Leon Gameplay Sequences in Resident Evil Requiem
Ashcroft may be the primary protagonist of Resident Evil Requiem but Capcom may still leave room in the game for Leon to be playable in brief sequences similar to how Ada Wong and Carlos Oliveira were briefly playable in Resident Evil 2 and 3. For instance, Requiem will allow players to freely switch between first and third-person views, though first-person was noted as the optimal perspective for Requiem. If most of Ashcroft’s sequences are automatically set in first-person, Capcom could have Leon’s sequences be automatically played in third-person to mirror the gameplay of Leon’s games of origin. Additionally, with Ashcroft’s gameplay seemingly being more stealth and puzzle-focused based on the Summer Games Fest gameplay demo, Leon’s gameplay could be more action-orientated to better distinguish both characters' natures.
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Requiem for the dead. Nightmare for the living.
Resident Evil Requiem is the ninth title in the mainline Resident Evil series.
Prepare to escape death in a heart-stopping experience that will chill you to your core.
Technological advancements combined with the development team's depth of experience combine in a story with rich characters and gameplay that's more immersive than ever before.
A new era of survival horror begins in 2026.
