Leon Kennedy’s new look in Resident Evil Requiem was largely thanks to the women on the development team, who ensured he would be good-looking, cutting out anything they didn’t find attractive
Leon Kennedy’s Resident Evil Requiem design has sparked a very specific reaction from fans, with many thirsting over the longtime survival horror icon.
In an interview with Automaton, director Koshi Nakanishi revealed that this is because Leon’s visuals went through intense internal scrutiny during development, particularly from women on the team who were big fans of the iconic zombie slayer.
Female Capcom employees were strict with Leon’s design
“We’ve spent quite a lot of time polishing Leon’s visuals. Leon has many fans among Capcom employees, and women in particular were pretty strict when reviewing his design,” Nakanishi said.
“They would point out and comment on even the finest details, like the wrinkles on his neck. When I mentioned that story in the past, a female fan told me, the female developers at Capcom did a really good job.”
That attention to detail appears to have paid off, with the director suggesting the final version of Leon was carefully refined to appeal on an emotional level, not just a technical one.
“Throughout the development process, Leon was thoroughly refined, and I think we managed to come through with a design that would make anyone’s heart throb,” he added.
Leon is one of the most recognizable faces in the Resident Evil franchise, so rather than reinventing him from scratch, Capcom opted to embrace a more weathered look, and it’s something fans have clearly latched onto.
Resident Evil Requiem is set to arrive globally on February 27, 2026, and will launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows PC, and Nintendo Switch 2.
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