Resident Evil Requiem Producer Confirms Hooded Character Isn’t Leon Kennedy
Resident Evil Requiem Producer Shuts Down Rumors: Mysterious Character Is Not Leon Kennedy
As excitement builds for Resident Evil Requiem, producer Masata Kumazawa and director Koshi Nakanishi have stepped in to address the storm of fan speculation. In an interview with The Gamer, the duo made it clear that the mysterious hooded figure featured in the trailer is not Leon S. Kennedy but a completely new character created exclusively for this chapter of the series.
Kumazawa explained that one of the biggest challenges the team faces is how fan theories often evolve into false expectations. These high hopes can lead to disappointment when the final product does not align with fan assumptions, even though the development team never promised such storylines.
Regarding the widely speculated return of a classic character, the team stressed that this is not a surprise comeback or resurrection. Instead, the new character is designed to play a crucial role in Requiem’s narrative. Kumazawa and Nakanishi emphasized their goal of expanding the Resident Evil universe beyond its familiar cast and breathing fresh life into the series.
At Tokyo Game Show 2025, the developers acknowledged that some fans were frustrated Leon has not “passed the torch” to a new protagonist. However, they clarified that Resident Evil Requiem is not intended as a “handover chapter” to retire legacy characters. Instead, it aims to balance respect for the series’ history with introducing new heroes such as Grace, who will play a key role in the story.
Capcom reaffirmed that Requiem will tell an original story that does not rely solely on established icons. The mysterious character is not Leon Kennedy but someone new, created to strengthen the direction of the narrative. The game launches on February 27, 2026 on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2.
The big question now is whether this bold new character will win over the community or if fans will continue to long for the return of classic heroes like Leon.
Resident Evil Requiem, the ninth main installment of the survival horror saga, follows Grace Ashcroft, daughter of journalist Alyssa, a survivor of the 1998 T-Virus outbreak. After Alyssa’s mysterious murder, Grace embarks on a haunting journey back to the site of her darkest memories, a story that may also uncover buried secrets about a forgotten city.
