Capcom decided to bet on new directions for the resident Evil franchise terror and set aside one of its most iconic characters. Leon S. Kennedy, veteran of the series, will not be the protagonist of the long -awaited Resident Evil Requiem, and the official reason was finally revealed. The decision, according to the company, is directly related to the narrative proposal of the game and the emotional profile necessary to support the horror of the plot.
Grace Ashcroft, an FBI analyst who is easily frightened, was chosen as a protagonist to bring the player's experience closer to the feeling of vulnerability and fear. Already Leon, according to Capcom, is too experienced to empathize in this kind of context, which would make it, in the words of director Koshi Nakanishi, "a bad choice for terror."
Grace represents a new type of protagonist in Resident Evil Requiem
Grace Ashcroft's choice marks a clear change of tone in the franchise. Introverted and emotionally susceptible, the new protagonist is not a ready -made combatant from the beginning. She is afraid, hesitates before the unknown and grows along the journey. At the same time, it is an experienced federal agent, with technical training and rational reaction capacity in times of crisis.
This balance between emotional fragility and professional competence is the key to the climate of psychological terror that Capcom intends to deliver in Requiem. The goal, according to Nakanishi, is to make the player recognize himself in the character's fear and not only watch it out, as it would happen to a more confident and invulnerable hero.
Capcom did not forget Leon
During the Capcom Spotlight 2025, director Koshi Nakanishi responded directly to speculation about Leon's absence. According to him, despite internal attempts to fit the character in the story, the team concluded that their presence would not match the type of terror sought.
"We think several times about making Leon protagonist, but it's hard to build a horror game around him. He wouldn't be scared even a bucket falling ," said the director. Speech summarizes the problem: Leon is a consolidated hero, and precisely therefore does not convey the essential vulnerability to a narrative of increasing fear.
Trailer suggests connection with the past and rekindles theories
Even with Leon's absence as a protagonist, the first Requiem trailer contains elements that wave to his possible appearance. More attentive fans noted the character's van presence amid the ruins of the Raccoon City Police Department, which fed theories about a secondary or even playable participation in certain excerpts.
Capcom so far has not confirmed or denied this possibility. However, the fact that the director himself comment on Leon during an official presentation already indicates that the discussion is part of the company's communication strategy.
A new direction for the franchise terror
In recent years, Resident Evil has oscillated between intense action and atmospheric horror. With refinement, Capcom signals a firmer return to psychological terror, prioritizing the construction of tension, the unknown and the emotional growth of the characters.
Grace's choice reflects this new direction. The proposal is simple but ambitious: putting the player to feel the fear closely, with a scared protagonist who shakes, but who needs to act like any of us would do in an extreme survival scenario.
Resident Evil Requiem will be released on February 27, 2026 for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series x | s.
