Resident Evil fans are worriedly discussing new screenshots of fan-favorite character Leon S. Kennedy, which look to feature an ominous-looking mark on his neck.
The past week has been a rollercoaster for Leon fans, with leaked artwork confirming the character’s long-rumored presence in Requiem, followed by his official unveiling in a trailer at The Game Awards last Thursday.
But now there’s concern for Leon’s future — as fans analyse screenshots from Capcom’s latest trailer that seemingly show a dark, bloodied wound on the hero’s neck, and following a comment from Resident Evil: Requiem producer Akifumi Nakanishi who stated that Leon is hiding “a big secret.”
IGN has revisited last week’s official Resident Evil Requiem trailer that aired during The Game Awards, and enhanced the screenshots you can see below.
Could this be a zombie bite, or potentially another infection? The question has prompted furious debate among fans on reddit and social media, while others have suggested this would be an unlikely plot point for Capcom to explore again, after Leon was injected with Las Plagas during Resident Evil 4. Other fans, however, have said this mark could be a sign of Leon’s older Las Plagas infection slowly recurring — as a neat way to tie Leon’s story in Requiem back to the franchise’s most popular entry.
Jokingly, some fans have suggested the mark is a nod to Capcom’s non-canon Game Boy Color title Resident Evil: Gaiden, in which Leon is revealed to secretly be a monster when green blood oozes from a wound on his neck. Alternatively, one other fan claimed, it’s a love bite from Ada.
The topic of whether Leon will die has long been debated by fans anticipating his appearance in Requiem, which Capcom has suggested will conclude story threads from the franchise so far. Will the passing of Leon — for many, the series’ most popular character — be used to mark the end of Resident Evil’s current era of storytelling, as it marks its 30th anniversary?
Speculation has only intensified after remarks from Requiem producer Akifumi Nakanishi, who was asked by Denfaminicogamer about the word “Elpis,” which appears in the game’s latest trailer.
“Although I can’t reveal any details yet, Leon has a big secret, and Elpis is involved in that as well,” Nakinishi said, “and it has an important meaning. I hope that as you play, you will be able to unravel Elpis’ secret.
“In ancient Greek mythology, Elpis is a symbol left behind in Pandora’s Box, from which various disasters are said to have flowed,” he continued. “It is generally interpreted as ‘hope,’ but in fact, some people also see it as ‘disaster.’ This is an important element in the story of Requiem.”
Will Leon’s fate ultimately be one of hope or disaster? Resident Evil: Requiem launches on February 27, 2026.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
