Capcom enlisted women staff to shape Leon Kennedy’s 'hot uncle' look in Requiem

Capcom says an unofficial committee of female employees helped refine Leon Kennedy's new playable model in Resident Evil Requiem, with director Koshi Nakanishi telling Automaton the team spent "quite a lot of time" on the redesign of a 48-year-old Leon. Resident Evil Requiem launches on PlayStation, Xbox and Windows PC on Feb.

27. Fans reacted to the reveal by praising Leon's more mature appearance, with Japanese audiences calling him an "ikeoji" or "hot uncle." Nakanishi said women at Capcom were "pretty strict when reviewing his design," pointing out fine details like the wrinkles on his neck, and a female fan later said, "The women developers at Capcom did a really good job." Capcom did not limit input to women; Nakanishi said all staff weighed in heavily, especially on Leon's personality.

Unlike co-protagonist Grace Ashcroft, Leon is presented as a seasoned Resident Evil veteran who "doesn't scare easily," and staff offered many interpretations of his 30-year history, with people saying things like, "Leon would definitely not act like that in this kind of situation." Nakanishi described a long refinement process and said, "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." Polygon noted players worldwide have largely responded to Leon's new look with what the article called "unquenchable thirst," an outcome Nakanishi appeared to be aiming for.

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