Capcom needs gamers to know that outdated age will not hold Leon Kennedy out of video games set after Resident Evil Requiem as a result of he’ll in all probability “nonetheless be a nice character” even “when he is 70.”
Followers have been already frightened that the 50-year-old survival horror hero could also be getting too drained to point out up for brand spanking new entries within the collection earlier than his inclusion within the new sport was revealed late final yr. Following the occasions of Resident Evil Requiem, it is protected to say Leon was nonetheless in adequate form to chop by way of extra mutated villains, however Capcom has mentioned that it is not afraid to deliver him again for much more missions sooner or later.
Recreation director Koshi Nakanishi touched on the writer’s love for Leon throughout an all-encompassing interview with Eurogamer right this moment. When talking about whether or not or not Resident Evil might use a recent spherical of latest characters, he mentioned the workforce would not really feel any stress to stay to a particular timeline.
“It is not a forged iron rule that each time we give you a new sport and we resolve to launch it right here, that now we have to precisely age everybody as much as match it or something like that,” Nakanishi mentioned. He added that Capcom would not “really feel the necessity to change [its most recognisable faces] with youthful characters… we do not actually consider it in these phrases.”
Still, the query of Leon’s age, particularly, has remained a constant speaking level surrounding the launch of Resident Evil Requiem earlier this yr. Whereas Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, Ada Wong, and others largely keep on with the sidelines, Leon returned for the newest entry with a extra weathered look than earlier than. Nakanishi mentioned he loved how Capcom approached an older model of the Resident Evil 2 protagonist, and even took issues a step additional by saying that followers might see him return 20 years later within the timeline.
“I imply, I feel Leon is de facto interesting in his present type,” he continued. “And who is aware of, we might deliver him again when he is 70, and I am certain he’ll nonetheless be a nice character.”
Elsewhere within the interview, Resident Evil Requiem producer Masato Kumazawa touched on the response to the latest DLSS 5 AI controversy. For extra on Resident Evil Requiem, you’ll be able to learn our 9/10 assessment.
“Like the results of an experiment carried out in an underground Umbrella Company lab, Resident Evil Requiem efficiently splices two separate strains of survival horror collectively into the one extremely infectious new mutation,” we mentioned when it launched for PC, Nintendo Change 2, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Collection X|S in February.
Michael Cripe is a freelance author with IGN. He is greatest identified for his work at websites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be certain to offer him a comply with on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).