Resident Evil Requiem Will Finally See the Return of Raccoon City’s Favorite Son, Leon Kennedy

Thanks to a premature reveal from the PlayStation Store, “ResidentEvil” fans can finally stop wondering where Leon Kennedy has been all these years. In leaked box art for the upcoming Resident Evil Requiem, a much older, bearded Leon is prominently featured alongside the already announced protagonist, Grace Ashcroft. This confirmation was revealed to the public just days before The Game Awards, putting a damper on Capcom’s likely planned official unveiling. How many times can a company deny a secret everyone already knows?

Resident Evil Reveals its Worst-Kept Secret

The artwork shows a fifty-one-year-old Leon still rocking his signature haircut and a stylish jacket with a fluffy collar. Furthermore, fans will notice that the man looks more weathered, but this aging does nothing to change his status as the franchise’s resident pretty boy. This visual evidence of the character’s long-awaited return to the “Resident Evil” franchise finally ends months of speculation about his involvement in the return to Raccoon City.

However, Grace Ashcroft remains front and center on the cover, leaving his exact role ambiguous. Players will have to see whether he’ll share a dual-protagonist spotlight in “Requiem,” or make a brief cameo like Chris Redfield in “Village.” This leak also casts doubt on a separate rumor that named Rose Winters as a second character, though the source of that claim now seems questionable.

That said, the possibility of a younger Rose appearing in “Requiem” seems likely. Meanwhile, Capcom recently clarified that the mysterious hooded figure from earlier trailers is an entirely new character created for this storyline. So, what exactly does this mean for the studio? As they try to balance the game’s fan service with fresh faces, they must also successfully introduce new heroes while satisfying the demand for legacy characters.

When Official Channels Become the Leaker

For longtime fans, the confirmation of Leon’s return in “Requiem” is a major win. Since his journey since the Raccoon City incident, the man has captured the hearts of players everywhere. Moreover, his inclusion provides a tangible link to the series’ iconic origins, even as the plot moves forward. Keeping secrets in the modern gaming landscape remains difficult, and this leak only reveals that. So, when will publishers learn that storefronts are the ultimate snitches?