At long last, Leon S. Kennedy has been confirmed to appear in Resident Evil: Requiem — via a leaked image on the PlayStation Store.
The reveal of new cover art for the game featuring Leon finally puts to bed one of this year's biggest gaming mysteries — something developer Capcom has itself refused to address — just days ahead of Requiem's appearance at The Game Awards. Presumably we'll see Leon announced officially there.
This morning, Resident Evil fans began spotting the new cover art appearing on PlayStation 5 consoles in the pre-download screen for owners of the standard (non-Deluxe) version of the game. IGN has now verified this ourselves, and can confirm the image is legitimate. Leon is real.
The game's cover shows a stubbled and haggard-looking Leon looming over Requiem's other main protagonist, Grace Ashcroft. In his appearance, Leon looks most similar to his iconic look from Resident Evil 4, his floppy hair set off by a snazzy leather jacket, its collar lined with fur.
Rumors have persisted for months over Leon's involvement in Resident Evil: Requiem, with Capcom specifically declining to answer IGN's questions over the character back at Gamescom in August. The game's developers have even suggested that Leon would be a poor fit as a protagonist for the game's quieter sections as he is now too grizzled to be scared. But through all of this, Capcom left itself with just enough wiggle room for Leon to still be lurking somewhere — presumably during Requiem's more action-packed sequences.
Here's a better look at Resident Evil: Requiem's new box art, with Leon's look shown in more detail:
Despite Capcom's secrecy, persistent leaks pointed to Leon's presence in Requiem, while the game's story itself seems like it's built around the character's return. Requiem returns the franchise to its roots in Raccoon City, where Leon was once a rookie cop, and its "overarching narrative" that was begun 30 years ago, as of next year. An early trailer for the game even showed the remnants of his former Raccoon City Police Department, hinting at his involvement.
Still, amid frenzied speculation, Capcom has been keen to keep fan expectations in check. Last month, Requiem producer Masato Kumazawa has finally confirmed that "yes, there are going to be some characters from the past series to come in" but said that fans shouldn't "over-expect or hype it."
Throughout all this, Capcom had kept the secret the quiet — up until today, just 80 days from the game's February 27, 2026 launch date, and little more than 48 hours from its big splash at The Game Awards this Thursday — where gameplay featuring Leon is now all but certain to be fully revealed.
Despite Leon's involvement now being confirmed, Requiem still has plenty of secrets left in store. Earlier this week, a GameStop listing referenced yet another unrevealed character, Rosemary Winters, who fans have suggested will play a more minor role. And what will become of these characters, as Requiem seemingly ties a bow on the stories of the franchise so far? Will Leon get to retire and hang his jacket up in peace? Time will tell.
Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
