{"id":1925155,"date":"2026-05-08T16:04:02","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T13:04:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1925155"},"modified":"2026-05-08T16:04:02","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T13:04:02","slug":"who-knows-we-could-bring-him-back-when-hes-70-resident-evil-requiem-director-reckons-leons-got-what-it-takes-to-last","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1925155","title":{"rendered":"&#8220;Who knows, we could bring him back when he&#8217;s 70&#8221; &#8211; Resident Evil Requiem director reckons Leon&#8217;s got what it takes to last"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"article \" data-ads=\"true\" data-article-type=\"news\" data-article-group=\"news\" data-paywalled=\"false\" data-premium=\"false\" data-sponsored=\"false\" data-type=\"article\">\n<header class=\"article_header\" data-component=\"article-header\">\n<div class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n<nav class=\"nav_breadcrumbs\" data-component=\"nav-breadcrumbs\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\">\n<ul class=\"nav-links\">\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      Home<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/news\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      News<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/games\/resident-evil-9-revenant-shadows\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      Resident Evil Requiem<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/nav><\/div>\n<div class=\"headline_details\" id=\"main-content\">\n<h1 class=\"title\">&#8220;Who knows, we could bring him back when he&#8217;s 70&#8221; &#8211; Resident Evil Requiem director reckons Leon&#8217;s got what it takes to last<\/h1>\n<p class=\"strapline\">&#8220;I&#8217;m sure he&#8217;ll still be a great character.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"headline_asset\">\n<figure class=\"headline_image_wrapper\">\n<p>        <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"headline_image\" src=\"https:\/\/assetsio.gnwcdn.com\/resident-evil-requiem-header-4.jpg?width=570&amp;quality=85&amp;format=jpg&amp;dpr=3&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Resident Evil Requiem's Leon S. Kennedy staring handsomely at something out of shot while bathed in amber-ish light.\" loading=\"eager\" data-uri=\"resident-evil-requiem-header-4.jpg\" data-lightbox width=\"570\" height=\"321\"><figcaption>\n          <span class=\"attribution\">Image credit: <cite>Eurogamer\/Capcom<\/cite><\/span><br \/>\n        <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metadata\">\n<div class=\"avatar\">\n<p>    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Matt Wales avatar\" src=\"https:\/\/assetsio.gnwcdn.com\/1521645425.jpg?width=2048&amp;height=2048&amp;fit=bounds&amp;quality=85&amp;format=jpg&amp;auto=webp\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1\" width=\"180\" height=\"179\"><\/p>\n<p>  <img alt=\"Matt Wales avatar\" data-autosize=\"crop_lossy\" data-uri=\"1521645425.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1\" width=\"180\" height=\"179\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"byline\">\n                  <span class=\"article_type\" data-slug=\"news\"><br \/>\n                    News<br \/>\n                  <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"by\">by<\/span> <span class=\"author\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/authors\/matt-wales\">Matt Wales<\/a><\/span>                    <span class=\"job_title\"><br \/>\n                      News Reporter<br \/>\n                    <\/span>\n            <\/div>\n<div class=\"published_at\">\nPublished on <time datetime=\"2026-05-08T16:04:02+00:00\">May 8, 2026<\/time>              <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"mypop-header-wrapper\">\n<p><button class=\"mypop-button button wide\" data-state=\"follow\" data-type=\"tag\" data-uuid=\"50f32f00-4134-42c6-8d2a-21e4b9383601\" data-name=\"Resident Evil Requiem\" data-follow-text=\"Follow Resident Evil Requiem\" data-unfollow-text=\"Following Resident Evil Requiem\" data-aria-follow-text=\"Follow Resident Evil Requiem\" data-aria-unfollow-text=\"Following Resident Evil Requiem\" data-popup=\"true\" data-force-login=\"true\" aria-label=\"Follow Resident Evil Requiem\" title=\"Follow Resident Evil Requiem\"><br \/>\n  Follow Resident Evil Requiem<br \/>\n<\/button>          <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article_body\" data-component=\"article-content\">\n<div class=\"article_body_content article-styling\">\n<p>Leon S. Kennedy might be pushing 50 in the world of Resident Evil, but that doesn&#8217;t seem to be slowing him down, if his action hero hijinks in this year&#8217;s Resident Evil Requiem &#8211; including <em>that<\/em> motorcycle scene &#8211; are anything to go by. And Requiem game director Koshi Nakanishi reckons Leon would still make a compelling addition to the series as a 70-year-old.<\/p>\n<p>That vote of confidence for Leon came during <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/the-big-resident-evil-requiem-interview-capcom-modern-horror-classic\">Nakanashi&#8217;s recent chat with Eurogamer about the making of Resident Evil Requiem<\/a>, after the conversation turned to its hugely popular protagonists. Newcomer Grace Ashcroft has been an immediate hit with fans &#8211; and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/resident-evil-requiem-director-dlss5-grace-got-it-right\">response to her DLSS 5<\/a> makeover was less than positive &#8211; but I was curious to know if the team felt a particular pressure to introduce new faces to the three-decade-old series, given there might be something of an expiration date for its longest-serving characters if they keep on ageing with each new instalment as they have been doing.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<div class=\"primis_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"primis_video\">\n<p><span class=\"embed_placeholder\" data-type=\"targeting\"><br \/>\n<span class=\"message\">To see this content please enable targeting cookies.<\/span><br \/>\n<button class=\"optanon-show-settings link\"><br \/>\nManage cookie settings<\/button><\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption>Here&#8217;s Resident Evil Requiem&#8217;s launch trailer.<a class=\"video\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=-H7w9wKigMw\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Watch on YouTube<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>According to Nakanashi, though, &#8220;It&#8217;s not a cast iron rule that whenever [the team comes up] with a new game and we decide to release it here, that we have to exactly age everyone up to match it or anything like that.&#8221; To illustrate his point, he noted the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/games\/resident-evil-revelations\">Resident Evil Revelations<\/a> side series is one exception to the rule. Regardless, the team doesn&#8217;t &#8220;feel the need to replace [its most recognisable faces] with younger characters,&#8221; Nakanashi explained. &#8220;We don&#8217;t really think of it in those terms.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"injection_placeholder\" data-position=\"1\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>But if the mainline <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/resident-evil-games-order\">Resident Evil series<\/a> <em>does<\/em> continue ageing its characters, will there finally be a time Leon hangs up his action hero hat? Perhaps not. &#8220;I mean, I think Leon is really appealing in his current form,&#8221; Nakanishi continued. &#8220;And who knows, we could bring him back when he&#8217;s 70, and I&#8217;m sure he&#8217;ll still be a great character.&#8221; This, mind you, was before Requiem&#8217;s newly released game mode <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/resident-evil-requiem-leon-must-die-forver-game-mode\">opted for a title demanding Leon&#8217;s untimely demise<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Leon&#8217;s certainly gone down well in his current wise-cracking, roundhouse-kicking form (and not just because of that skintight shirt); Resident Evil Requiem is officially the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/resident-evil-requiem-another-major-milestone\">fastest-selling entry in the series&#8217; 30 year history<\/a>, having now sold over 7m copies. And its success is well-deserved too &#8211; I called it a &#8220;masterful bit of suffocating horror and a nostalgic, fan-thrilling victory lap for the legendary series&#8221; in my <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/resident-evil-requiem-review\">five star Resident Evil Requiem review<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;re curious to learn more about the game&#8217;s creation, you can check out our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/the-big-resident-evil-requiem-interview-capcom-modern-horror-classic\">full interview with Resident Evil Requiem game director Koshi Nakanishi and producer Masato Kumazawa<\/a> elsewhere on the site.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"preferred-source\" data-component=\"preferred-source\">\nLove Eurogamer.net? Make us a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\">Preferred Source on Google<\/a> and catch more of our coverage in your feeds.  <\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article_body\" data-component=\"article-content\">\n<div class=\"article_body_content article-styling\">\n<p>Leon S. Kennedy might be pushing 50 in the world of Resident Evil, but that doesn&#8217;t seem to be slowing him down, if his action hero hijinks in this year&#8217;s Resident Evil Requiem &#8211; including <em>that<\/em> motorcycle scene &#8211; are anything to go by. And Requiem game director Koshi Nakanishi reckons Leon would still make a compelling addition to the series as a 70-year-old.<\/p>\n<p>That vote of confidence for Leon came during <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/the-big-resident-evil-requiem-interview-capcom-modern-horror-classic\">Nakanashi&#8217;s recent chat with Eurogamer about the making of Resident Evil Requiem<\/a>, after the conversation turned to its hugely popular protagonists. Newcomer Grace Ashcroft has been an immediate hit with fans &#8211; and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/resident-evil-requiem-director-dlss5-grace-got-it-right\">response to her DLSS 5<\/a> makeover was less than positive &#8211; but I was curious to know if the team felt a particular pressure to introduce new faces to the three-decade-old series, given there might be something of an expiration date for its longest-serving characters if they keep on ageing with each new instalment as they have been doing.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<div class=\"primis_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"primis_video\">\n<p><span class=\"embed_placeholder\" data-type=\"targeting\"><br \/>\n<span class=\"message\">To see this content please enable targeting cookies.<\/span><br \/>\n<button class=\"optanon-show-settings link\"><br \/>\nManage cookie settings<\/button><\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption>Here&#8217;s Resident Evil Requiem&#8217;s launch trailer.<a class=\"video\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=-H7w9wKigMw\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Watch on YouTube<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>According to Nakanashi, though, &#8220;It&#8217;s not a cast iron rule that whenever [the team comes up] with a new game and we decide to release it here, that we have to exactly age everyone up to match it or anything like that.&#8221; To illustrate his point, he noted the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/games\/resident-evil-revelations\">Resident Evil Revelations<\/a> side series is one exception to the rule. Regardless, the team doesn&#8217;t &#8220;feel the need to replace [its most recognisable faces] with younger characters,&#8221; Nakanashi explained. &#8220;We don&#8217;t really think of it in those terms.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"injection_placeholder\" data-position=\"1\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>But if the mainline <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/resident-evil-games-order\">Resident Evil series<\/a> <em>does<\/em> continue ageing its characters, will there finally be a time Leon hangs up his action hero hat? Perhaps not. &#8220;I mean, I think Leon is really appealing in his current form,&#8221; Nakanishi continued. &#8220;And who knows, we could bring him back when he&#8217;s 70, and I&#8217;m sure he&#8217;ll still be a great character.&#8221; This, mind you, was before Requiem&#8217;s newly released game mode <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/resident-evil-requiem-leon-must-die-forver-game-mode\">opted for a title demanding Leon&#8217;s untimely demise<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Leon&#8217;s certainly gone down well in his current wise-cracking, roundhouse-kicking form (and not just because of that skintight shirt); Resident Evil Requiem is officially the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/resident-evil-requiem-another-major-milestone\">fastest-selling entry in the series&#8217; 30 year history<\/a>, having now sold over 7m copies. And its success is well-deserved too &#8211; I called it a &#8220;masterful bit of suffocating horror and a nostalgic, fan-thrilling victory lap for the legendary series&#8221; in my <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/resident-evil-requiem-review\">five star Resident Evil Requiem review<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;re curious to learn more about the game&#8217;s creation, you can check out our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/the-big-resident-evil-requiem-interview-capcom-modern-horror-classic\">full interview with Resident Evil Requiem game director Koshi Nakanishi and producer Masato Kumazawa<\/a> elsewhere on the site.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Home News Resident Evil Requiem &#8220;Who knows, we could bring him back when he&#8217;s 70&#8221; &#8211; Resident Evil Requiem director reckons Leon&#8217;s got what it takes to last &#8220;I&#8217;m sure he&#8217;ll still be a great character.&#8221; Image credit: Eurogamer\/Capcom News by Matt Wales News Reporter Published on May 8, 2026 Follow Resident Evil Requiem Leon [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,253],"class_list":["post-1925155","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-eurogamer-net"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1925155","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1925155"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1925155\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1925155"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1925155"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1925155"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}