Resident Evil Requiem Faces Controversy Over Leon’s Character Change

114 1 minute read

Resident Evil Requiem has recently sparked controversy regarding the portrayal of series protagonist Leon S. Kennedy. As journalists worldwide received early access to the game, fans noticed moments in gameplay that suggest Leon’s personality may have been altered in ways that feel inconsistent with his established character.

A user on social media platform X, SpookyHoo, highlighted a scene where Leon encounters a nurse being pursued by a chainsaw-wielding zombie. Observers noted that Leon does not show any distress, hesitates, and allows the nurse to be killed in front of him. Strikingly, he even delivers a casual joke immediately afterward. While some speculate this could reflect a hardened, desensitized Leon in this installment, many feel it crosses a line, as he could at least issue a warning or attempt a minimal intervention.

The post quickly went viral, accumulating over 170,000 views, with fans debating whether this is a genuine shift in Leon’s character. Comparisons were made to previous games, such as Resident Evil 6, where Leon appeared detached from direct danger but still exhibited human responses to observing harm, even if he did not act to save the victim. Others argue that context may be missing, leaving room for the scene to make sense within the narrative.

A fan’s opinion (quoted).

"In the newly released gameplay footage, this scene really bothered me. Leon just stands there and watches a nurse get brutally killed by a zombie with a chainsaw, and then immediately follows it up with a cool one-liner. It seriously undermines the… pic.twitter.com/G2xaIpvaJO
— Abdullah | SpookyHoo (@SpookyHoo) January 26, 2026

About Resident Evil Requiem

Resident Evil Requiem continues the survival horror legacy, telling the story of Grace Ashcroft, the daughter of Alyssa, a courageous investigative journalist who survived the T-Virus outbreak in 1998. Grace becomes entangled in a mysterious murder case that leads her into a nightmarish journey through her own memories, uncovering forgotten events from her city’s dark past.

The game will release on February 27, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC, delivering an intense survival horror experience powered by an upgraded RE Engine. Designed specifically for next-generation hardware, the engine enhances character realism, environmental immersion, and storytelling to unprecedented levels for the ninth mainline entry in the franchise.