FINALLY. Leon Is Back — And Raccoon City Is Calling Again.
Category: Gaming / Horror Games / Entertainment
By: Todd Deck, Writer | PPM Staff
December 18, 2025
After years of speculation, fan theories, and hopeful whispers across the Resident Evil community, it’s official: Leon S. Kennedy returns in Resident Evil: Requiem — and for the first time since Resident Evil 2, he’s stepping back into the ruins of Raccoon City.
Capcom’s newest trailer doesn’t just confirm Leon’s involvement — it re-centers him in the franchise’s emotional core, blending legacy horror with a bold, modern evolution of gameplay. For longtime fans, this isn’t just another sequel. It’s a reckoning.
A 30-Year Echo: Why Requiem Matters
Resident Evil: Requiem is the ninth mainline entry in the franchise and is set 30 years after the Raccoon City incident. The game embraces its history rather than running from it, using the city’s devastation as both a physical setting and a psychological weight.
Leon’s return isn’t nostalgic fan service — it’s narrative closure. Raccoon City made him who he is. Requiem asks what remains after three decades of bio-terror, loss, and survival.
Dual Protagonists, Two Survival Philosophies
Capcom introduces a compelling dual-lead structure:
Grace Ashcroft
FBI analyst
Vulnerable, grounded, and survival-focused
Investigates deaths at the Renwood Hotel, a location tied to her mother’s mysterious past
Gameplay mirrors RE2-style tension: stealth, hiding, resource scarcity
Leon S. Kennedy
Veteran agent shaped by decades of global bio-threats
Combat-forward gameplay reminiscent of RE4
Tactical, composed, and deadly — but haunted
Switching between Grace and Leon allows the game to balance classic survival horror with refined action, giving players two perspectives on the same nightmare.
Gameplay & Mechanics: Horror Evolves
Perspective Switching Players can dynamically switch between first-person (claustrophobic terror) and third-person (situational combat awareness) — a major evolution for the franchise.
The Stalker Monster A relentless new creature hunts Grace throughout key sections:
Phases through walls
Forces stealth-based gameplay
Requires hiding under tables, environmental distractions (glass bottles), and precise timing
Light vs. Darkness
Light can damage the creature
But it also attracts it
Every choice becomes a risk
Persistent Injuries Grace’s wounds remain visible and affect gameplay and cutscenes — reinforcing vulnerability and realism.
Raccoon City Reimagined
Requiem returns players to a ruined, overgrown, and hauntingly detailed Raccoon City — rendered with the RE Engine’s latest enhancements:
Advanced lighting and ray tracing
Environmental storytelling through decay
Familiar landmarks transformed by time
This isn’t the city you escaped. It’s the city that never healed.
Story Themes: Legacy, Trauma, Survival
Resident Evil: Requiem explores:
The long-term consequences of bio-terror
Personal grief tied to global catastrophe
The contrast between survival instincts and hardened experience
Grace represents the human cost. Leon represents the aftermath.
Release Details
Release Date: February 27, 2026 — marking the franchise’s 30th anniversary
Platforms:
PlayStation 5
Xbox Series X|S
PC (Steam & Epic Games Store)
Nintendo Switch 2
Editions & Bonuses
Standard Edition
Base game
Deluxe Edition
Exclusive costumes
Weapon skins
Screen filters
Charms
Lore files
Pre-Order Bonus
Grace’s “Apocalypse” costume (all editions)
This trailer gives an overview of the game's story and features:
IGN •YouTube •RER Official Leon gameplay and story trailer
IGN • YouTube The world premiere trailer that announced Resident Evil: Requiem at Summer Game Fest 2025. This cinematic reveal introduced the game’s setting, tone, and return to Raccoon City.
Why Fans Are Calling This a Turning Point
Leon’s return to Raccoon City isn’t just symbolic — it’s emotional payoff decades in the making. Resident Evil: Requiem doesn’t erase the past. It confronts it.
For veterans of the franchise, this is the game that finally connects the dots. For new players, it’s an entry point rooted in character-driven horror.
Either way, the nightmare comes full circle in 2026.
Image Credits: Capcom | Resident Evil
Disclaimer: This article is written by Resident Evil fans for fellow fans. Power Pulse Magazine is not affiliated with Capcom or the Resident Evil franchise.
Video Credit: IGN YouTube — Resident Evil: Requiem official Leon gameplay and story trailer.
Video Credit: IGN YouTube- The world premiere trailer that announced Resident Evil: Requiem at Summer Game Fest 2025.
