Survival Game Resident Evil Requiem was first announced at Summer Game Fest earlier this year as the big reveal to cap off the show and the game was back in full force at The Game Awards 2025.
Video game company Capcom let The Game Awards fans know well in advance that Resident Evil Requiem would be at The Game Awards and as expected that the game dropped a new trailer that officially revealed its second playable character.
Earlier this year, the news leaked that Resident Evil 9 would feature Leon as one of its main characters. When Requiem was first announced, Leon was nowhere to be seen. Instead, the initial announcement focused on daughter of Alyssa Ashcroft Grace Ashcroft, of Resident Evil Outbreak fame. Later, Capcom refused to confirm Leon for Requiem even after multiple leaks, but now it has finally confirmed that the fan-favorite character is in Requiem. The new Resident Evil Requiem trailer that dropped at The Game Awards 2025 introduced the new villain Victor Gideon, who is pursuing Grace Ashcroft. Gideon refers to Grace as the “special” and “chosen” one, but it’s unclear exactly what his motives are. The hooded figure Gideon, we’ve seen in previous Requiem trailers, seemed extremely dangerous, but he will have his work cut out for him with Leon Kennedy.
Resident Evil Requiem will see Leon S Kennedy return to Raccoon City to help Grace and fight Gideon and while he’s much older, it doesn’t seem like he’s missed a step from his RE4 days. In the trailer, we see Leon unleash some impressive attacks, including his signature kicks and flashy shooting. At one point, Leon is even attacked by a chainsaw-wielding enemy, but he winds up turning the tables and using a chainsaw himself. Needless to say, the trailer had serious RE4 vibes.
It was explained by Game Awards host Geoff Keighley that the Leon sections in Resident Evil Requiem will be more action-focused, while the Grace segments will be more traditional survival-horror. This blend of two styles could make for an interesting and unique Resident Evil experience, and luckily, we don’t have to wait all that much longer to see how it all shakes out. The Resident Evil Requiem release date is set for February 27, 2026. On that day, Requiem will release for Switch 2, PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X. The game will let players choose between first-person and third-person perspectives, so it should appeal to fans of both the over-the-shoulder RE games and the first-person RE7 and Village.