Sorry, Resident Evil Requiem hopers, but those Leon 'leaks' were "fake news" all along, according to dev

Ah, Leon Kennedy; horror's babygirl dreamboat. Few characters in gaming have elicited as much feet kicking over the years as the former RPD man, and the handsome himbo has only gotten finer with the recent string of remakes. Suffice it to say, any mention of him potentially coming to Resident Evil Requiem has been enough to send a portion of the Resi fanbase into a feral frenzy, and the internet has been riddled with leaks and rumors pertaining to his potential role in Capcom's upcoming sequel. However, with that has come plenty of what producer Masato Kumazawa calls "fake news," though the dev hasn't rubbished everything floating around in the digital aether.

So far, Capcom has remained coy on its possible big cameo(s) for Requiem. It makes sense, considering newcomer Grace Ashcroft needs time in the marketing cycle for players to acclimate to a brand new face. It also builds plenty of anticipation for a potential reveal as we close in on the Resident Evil Requiem release date. Danielle and Jamie have already gotten hands-on with demo builds, with the former praising it as "a potent mash-up of the series' best ideas." So, at the very least, we're already on track for a critical hit, provided Capcom sticks the landing.

But, of course, it isn't Resi without lashings of fan service, and everyone's money is on Leon making a grand series return. Reputable leaker 'Dusk Golem' has not only claimed that Leon will star alongside Grace, but we'll be spending the lion's share of our in-game time playing as him. Earlier this year, a 'leaked' image of a more rugged Leon ostensibly had him enter the arena of elite eyepatch wearers like Snake and Goro Majima.

Speaking to Stevivor in a fresh interview, Kumazawa asks players to "not take everything at face value," stating: "There has been a photo lately of Leon with an eye patch, and just basically saying there's a DLC or a new costume for Leon - but just to make sure, these are all fake news."

Interestingly, Dusk Golem had already 'debunked' Solid Leon back in September, so Kumazawa's latest comment perhaps adds a layer of reputability to their other Requiem posts. The dev didn't rule out RE9 Leon entirely, either. It could, of course, just be the hopium I've been huffing since the rumors of Leon's inclusion first surfaced, but it's nonetheless a reminder that there's oftentimes more than meets the eye(patch) with 'leaks.'

As Kumazawa rightly says, "Considering that now is the time when AI [can be used to make] videos and photos, we don't know what's right or what's wrong." Much to ponder on a Monday morning.