While the February 27 release of Resident Evil Requiem is just a couple months away, we’ve only learned a few scraps of information about its plot, premise, and characters since its Summer Game Fest reveal. This week, that’s changed ahead of schedule, thanks to Sony leaking details about Requiem’s cast via the PlayStation store (via IGN).
Earlier today, players who’ve purchased non-deluxe edition digital copies of Resident Evil Requiem through the PlayStation store and checked for preload details were suddenly treated to updated cover art for the game. And that updated art just so happens to prominently feature our beautiful, spin-kicking son, Leon S. Kennedy. Here’s a look:
Leon’s potential inclusion in Requiem has been the subject of speculation since before its first reveal showed the blasted remains of his old Raccoon City stomping grounds—thanks in part to known RE leaker Dusk Golem, who’s claimed that Leon is “not the only playable character, but he is the main character.”
Until now, Capcom has remained thoroughly insistent that Grace Ashcroft is Requiem’s protagonist, even as early demos left some of us—like PC Gamer’s Morgan Park—with the distinct impression that the Resi devs were holding something back. Game director Koshi Nakanishi even attempted to dispel the rumors of Leon’s eventual reveal by saying that he’s not a good fit for Requiem’s leaning harder into horror, because “no one wants to see Leon scared by everything.”
Well, we were clearly right to believe otherwise: I know a Mr. Kennedy when I see one, even if he’s trying to hide his boyish features behind a bit of beard. Based on the timing, Capcom was likely hoping for a big Leon reveal at The Game Awards later this week, and someone handling the marketing assets on the PlayStation Store back-end accidentally pulled the trigger early. Unfortunate.
It remains to be seen just how prominent of a presence Leon will be, but if we’re judging purely on area of cover art coverage, I’m guessing he’ll be pretty involved. But you never know: Maybe Grace watches him get eaten an hour in. It’d be a good way to heighten the horror, at least. If someone who can do that many backflips can get killed, what hope do the rest of us have?
That’s not the only Resident Evil leaking going on this week, but the other case is less convincing. A few days ago, GameStop added new listings for Resident Evil Requiem deluxe editions, and those initial listings allegedly included now-deleted details referencing costumes for Rosemary Winters—the daughter of RE7 and RE Village protagonist Ethan Winters, and lead character of Village’s Shadows of Rose DLC (via GameInformer).
Those features had a suspicious stink about them, however. The abrupt mention of Rosemary feels off to begin with, but the listing’s inclusion of a cosmetic filter for some kind of detective vision visor almost feels—if you’ll forgive me for being conspiratorial—like someone forgot to remove their AI-generated filler text. On this one, I’m of a mind with Dusk Golem, who said “I’d put a strong ‘take with grain of salt’ on this for sure.”
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