Resident Evil Requiem Confirms Leon’s Playtime Split

Capcom has officially confirmed just how big a role Leon S. Kennedy will play in Resident Evil Requiem, and it’s welcome news for longtime fans. According to the game’s director, players will control Leon for roughly half of the total runtime, making his return far more substantial than many initially expected.

Speculation around Leon’s involvement had been circulating for months, but everything was finally put to rest during The Game Awards 2025. A new trailer confirmed his return, though Capcom deliberately held back the reveal until the final moments, when Leon bursts in and starts dropping zombies with his signature precision. The dramatic timing clearly worked, as social media lit up almost instantly with excitement over his comeback.

How Leon Fits into Resident Evil Requiem

While host Geoff Keighley confirmed Leon would be playable, fans were still left wondering how much time they’d actually spend in his shoes. Director Akifumi Nakanishi cleared that up in an interview, explaining that the game is split evenly between Leon S. Kennedy and a new protagonist, Grace Ashcroft.

Since the game’s reveal in mid-2024, Grace had been positioned as the primary lead, with Capcom previously dismissing several leaked images of Leon as fake. Those comments, however, were aimed at manipulated material and never ruled out Leon’s involvement entirely.

Two Heroes, Two Playstyles ⚔️

Nakanishi explained that the dual-protagonist structure is intentional, designed to contrast two very different gameplay tones:

• Leon represents the action-focused side of Resident Evil. As a seasoned veteran, he’s confident, decisive, and built for high-intensity combat.
• Grace Ashcroft anchors the pure survival-horror experience, reacting with fear and vulnerability to the game’s most terrifying moments.

Because of Leon’s experience and personality, the director noted that he “isn’t well suited to horror,” meaning players shouldn’t expect him to panic or cower. Instead, the heaviest tension and fear will come from Grace’s segments, creating a sharp tonal contrast.

Nakanishi described switching between the two characters as “jumping into a cold bath after sitting in a hot sauna,” emphasizing how the game constantly shifts between action and terror while still telling a single, unified story.

Leon’s Legacy in the Series ⭐

Resident Evil has featured over 20 playable characters across nearly three decades, from Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield in the 1996 original to Ethan Winters in Resident Evil 7 and Village. Among them, Leon remains one of the franchise’s most beloved figures, most recently appearing in the Resident Evil 4 remake alongside Ashley Graham in 2023.

With Resident Evil Requiem giving Leon a full half of the spotlight, his return looks set to be one of the game’s biggest selling points — balancing high-octane action against some of the scariest survival horror the series has to offer. 🧟‍♀️🔥