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Leon in Resident Evil Requiem seems to have leaked courtesy of a PlayStation store blunder, showing new box art of the game. Shared on X by lxstnfnd, the box art shows a close-up of an older and more grizzled Leon positioned behind the only confirmed playable character so far, Grace Ashcroft.
This isn’t the official box art of the game, but other X users have reported seeing this cover on the PSN store, as shared by GamingLeaksAndRumors. Leon Kennedy is a fan-favorite hero who made his debut in 1998’s Resident Evil 2, then starred in the excellent Resident Evil 4, and was last seen in 2012’s Resident Evil 6, barring the Resident Evil 2 and 4 remakes.
Although it still isn’t official, there have been rumors of Leon as a second playable character since the game’s announcement at Summer Game Fest. According to these rumors, Leon is clean-shaven and has greying hair, which is supported by the alleged box art. His gameplay sections also reportedly take place in 2020, compared to Grace, who is set in 2028.
The rumors also claim Leon sports a black jacket, which is again supported by the newly leaked box art. Beyond just his looks and timeline differences, Leon’s gameplay is supposedly action-heavy but still more horror-oriented than Resident Evil 4, which was the beginning of Resident Evil’s transition from Survival horror into action before returning to its roots with Resident Evil 7.
Lastly, rumors claim that Leon’s gameplay takes place in larger open sections, but they’re not open-world. In at least one chapter, Leon reportedly uses a vehicle to traverse around the environment.
Resident Evil Requiem is confirmed to appear at The Game Awards
The Game Awards’ official X account has confirmed that Resident Evil Requiem is appearing at the event. We don’t officially know what Capcom is planning to show, but it was likely the reveal of Leon, assuming these leaks are true.
Resident Evil Requiem is the ninth mainline installment in the Resident Evil series, and it is releasing on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on February 20, 2026. Right now, it officially stars FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft as an entirely new playable character, and series veterans may recognize her as the daughter of Alyssa Ashcroft, a playable character in Resident Evil Outbreak from 2003.
Besides Leon, other leaks claim that Requiem is more dynamic than any other past Resident Evil installment. We’ve only seen some gameplay at Gamescom earlier this year showing Grace Ashcroft stalked by a yet-to-be-named monster. While the identity of the monster remains a mystery, Capcom has debunked theories that it’s Lisa Trevor from the Resident Evil 2002 Remake, later killed in 2007’s Umbrella Chronicles.
Stalkers are nothing new to Resident Evil, as there was Mr. X chasing after protagonists Leon and Claire in Resident Evil 2, as well as Nemesis relentlessly pursuing S.T.A.R.S. member Jill Valentine in RE3. For this new Resident Evil Requiem monster, leaks report that it’s more like the Xenomorph from Alien Isolation. This means it has truly “dynamic AI” and should be unpredictable rather than a directed “set piece”.
The Game Awards is set for December 11, and you will be able to watch it live on YouTube at 4:30PM PST/7:30PM EDT. Besides RE Requiem, it’s also confirmed that the event will showcase the “future” of Tomb Raider.
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