Resident Evil Requiem Will Feature Equal Playtime For Leon And Grace

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Resident Evil Requiem Campaign To Feature Equal Playtime For Leon And Grace

Covering the video games industry since 2017, with experience in news, articles, lists, and reviews (and I blame The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask for that).

If you are a fan of RPGs and want a third-person version: Tayná Garcia is a Brazilian journalist (but you can call her Tay) who ended up working with video games after finishing Zelda: Majora's Mask when she was a kid. With more than eight years of experience in the segment, she has been an assistant editor at Jovem Nerd in the past and is currently a contributor at DualShockers and a writer for gaming magazines for Editora Europa. Oh, and she may like Hideo Kojima a bit too much.

Capcom seized the spotlight at The Game Awards 2025 ceremony last Thursday, which had a bunch of major announcements, to reveal a brand-new trailer for Resident Evil Requiem, which finally confirmed the long-awaited presence of Leon Kennedy as a playable protagonist (alongside the new character, Grace Ashcroft).

However, the revelation naturally raised other questions and mysteries about how this dual-protagonist approach would work in terms of actual gameplay time, especially since the trailer showcased Leon in various action-packed sequences.

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Shortly after the trailer’s debut, Akifumi Nakanishi, the director responsible for Resident Evil Requiem, shed light on some of the doubts raised by fans (including me) during an interview with Automaton.

The primary concern addressed was the overall structural division. After all, while it is exciting to explore a mysterious new character like Grace, it is equally exciting to return to playing Leon after more than a decade (as Resident Evil 6 was the last mainline title to feature him).

And, as a fan of the franchise, I found the answer to be quite thrilling: “In terms of gameplay, Grace and Leon’s playable sections are almost equally split”, Nakanishi revealed. And he went on to compare Requiem's structure to Resident Evil Revelations, which alternated between Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine.

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The reason for this 50/50 split is that each character will feature a distinct gameplay approach. According to him, Leon “isn’t well suited to horror”, so players shouldn't expect many quiet sections while controlling him, but rather chapters focused on more action.

However, Grace, on the other hand, will be responsible for leading the sequences that emphasize a scarier atmosphere and gameplay.

“We’re really emphasizing the difference in their experiences this time”, Nakanishi further explained. “It’s almost like having two games with completely different types of tension mixed together. Early on, we worried players might not be able to keep up, but now we feel that the contrast gives the game a unique rhythm, like jumping into a cold bath after sitting in a hot sauna (laughs)”.

Ultimately, the director explained that the dynamic between Grace and Leon has worked well so far in the development and that they consider it “the best combination” for integrating slow and fast segments into the game.

Despite Leon’s confirmed involvement, Resident Evil Requiem may still have some secrets kept safe until its launch on February 27, 2026, for PC and consoles.