Resident Evil Requiem Combat Reveal: Grace Steps Into the Spotlight While Leon Stays in the Shadows

Capcom has finally lifted the curtain on one of the biggest unanswered questions surrounding Resident Evil Requiem: how the game actually feels once the guns come out. Until now, public showings focused almost entirely on atmosphere, exploration, and slow-burn tension at events like Gamescom 2025. Fans could sense the survival-horror foundations were solid, but the combat side of the experience remained stubbornly out of sight.

That changed with a new segment aired on Japanese television, where a fresh slice of gameplay showcased the first real combat encounter. The short clip is already circulating online, and while it is brief, it offers a surprising amount to unpack – from how protagonist Grace Ashcroft moves and shoots, to what the camera framing says about Capcom’s design priorities. It also quietly reignites the biggest ongoing debate in the community: will Leon S. Kennedy actually appear in Requiem?

First Real Look at Combat

The newly revealed footage drops Grace into a previously unseen area: a dim, cramped environment that looks purpose-built for panic. Flickering lights carve out narrow sightlines, broken furniture funnels enemies into chokepoints, and far-off groans signal incoming trouble long before you see it. When the undead finally shamble into range, the game shifts into a familiar over-the-shoulder view that instantly calls back to Resident Evil 4’s modern formula.

Grace draws a handgun and starts methodically picking off zombies. The pacing is deliberate rather than twitchy; you can see small pauses as she lines up shots, hints of recoil management, and the importance of spacing as enemies push in from different angles. It is not a power fantasy shooting gallery – it is controlled chaos, where every missed bullet matters. The encounter sells the idea that Requiem remains a survival-horror title first and an action game second.

Because the footage was captured from a Japanese TV broadcast, it comes from a censored build of the game. As known insider Dusk Golem has already pointed out, the gore and dismemberment are toned down for that specific airing. In other words, what you are seeing is likely a softened version of the full international release, where blood and brutality should be closer to what fans expect from a mainline Resident Evil entry.

Grace Ashcroft Is Clearly the Star – For Now

If there was any doubt before, this combat slice makes one thing clear: Capcom wants players to start thinking of Grace Ashcroft as a core face of the franchise. The camera lingers on her animations, the way she stumbles back when grabbed, how she recovers and re-aims under pressure. She is not a reskinned Leon or Claire; her body language and timing give her a distinct identity, even in a short clip.

That focus on Grace is important. Resident Evil has always balanced legacy heroes with new blood, and introducing a fresh lead who can stand next to icons like Leon and Jill requires smart, confident marketing. Requiem’s combat reveal leans heavily into that idea: Grace is the player’s anchor in this nightmare, not a placeholder until a fan favorite walks in.

So Where Is Leon Kennedy?

Of course, that brings us to the question flooding comment sections: where on earth is Leon? For months, rumors and leaks have suggested that the hero of Resident Evil 2 and 4 would play a major role in Requiem’s combat sections, possibly even sharing the spotlight as a second protagonist. Many fans assumed that the first major combat showcase would be the perfect moment to unveil him.

That did not happen. Leon is completely absent from this new footage, and the broadcast avoids even hinting at his presence. On the surface, that might feel like a worrying sign for those who expected Requiem to double as Leon’s next big outing. The speculation has already reached the point where some readers roll their eyes and complain that coverage of the game is ‘110% speculation’ and nothing more.

The reality lies somewhere in between the hype and the frustration. Producer Masato Kumazawa has commented on the Leon rumors without outright shutting them down, choosing his words carefully enough to keep hope alive. It is classic Resident Evil marketing: tease, never confirm, and let fans do the detective work. Until Capcom shows Leon on screen or clearly denies he is in the game, his potential appearance remains a possibility – not a promise.

What We Know Versus What We Are Guessing

It is worth separating hard facts from wishful thinking. Confirmed: Grace Ashcroft is the playable character in the footage, the combat uses an over-the-shoulder third-person perspective, ammo management and positioning clearly matter, and the game leans hard into survival-horror tension rather than pure run-and-gun action. Confirmed: the Japanese broadcast uses a censored version, and the international release should feature the full, bloody presentation.

Speculative: how Leon fits into all of this, if he appears at all. Some theories suggest dual campaigns similar to Resident Evil 2, others imagine Leon entering later in the story as a co-lead, or even as a surprise unlock. Those are entertaining possibilities, but they remain unconfirmed. A healthy dose of skepticism is justified; at the same time, dismissing every discussion as baseless speculation ignores the fact that producers are deliberately leaving the door open.

In short, we know Requiem already stands on its own with Grace at the center. Leon’s potential arrival would be a bonus layer of fan service, not the backbone of the game’s design.

A Promising Survival-Horror Return Ahead of Launch

Having gone hands-on with an earlier build at Gamescom 2025, it is encouraging to see that the combat clips align with that first impression: a tight, tense experience where exploring dark corridors is as nerve-wracking as pulling the trigger. The new footage reinforces that Capcom is not abandoning the series’ horror roots, even as it continues to refine the modern third-person formula.

Resident Evil Requiem is scheduled to launch on February 27 for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and Nintendo Switch. With the combat finally shown and the mystery of Leon Kennedy still hanging in the air, the months leading to release will likely be filled with even more frame-by-frame analysis, theory threads, and heated debates. What is clear, though, is that Requiem is no longer just an intriguing teaser – it is shaping up to be one of the most closely watched survival-horror releases in years.