Current Events > RUMOR: RE 9 takes place in SE Asia and Leon is the main character

(+) Yeah! (+)

Following some recent leaks from multiple sources, speculation is rife about longtime series vet Leon S. Kennedy being RE9's main character in the upcoming game.
Resident Evil 9 could take place on a Southeast Asian island, according to rumors.
Fans are eager to see the evolution of an older Leon but are unsure if other legacy characters will also be playable.

Multiple sources of Resident Evil 9 leak that longtime series veteran, Leon S. Kennedy, will be the main protagonist for the game. The ninth entry in the Resident Evil franchise hasn't been announced or confirmed, yet there are still a number of rumors surrounding Capcom's iconic survival horror franchise. With rumors swirling around the series, many fans are speculating about what to expect next, especially regarding some of its legacy characters.

The tweet comes from the Arabic Twitter account, @PRE_Alarabiya, an Arab community account for fans of Resident Evil. The account shares that they received this information from an episode of a Spanish podcast, the DryCast (it was originally wrongfully attributed to being shared by Dusk Golem, before this was later corrected). This latest leak suggested that Resident Evil 9 will feature a playable Leon in the prologue of the game, with the story taking place in summer 2025, making the veteran character 48 years old by that time. While they were unsure why the prologue was mentioned only at first, a follow-up tweet claims that Leon will be the protagonist for the whole game, apologizing for any confusion that was caused.

The tweet also mentions the setting of Resident Evil 9, reiterating that it will be on a Southeast Asian island, which was previously leaked by another notable leaker, Dusk Golem. The tweet mentions that as the story progresses, the region may change. Considering the previous open-world leak, this might mean players will get to explore a variety of different islands as Leon.

The tweet doesn't clarify if other Resident Evil protagonists like Chris Redfield or Jill Valentine will be playable alongside him, or if Leon will be the only protagonist in the game. Many were excited about the possibility of seeing an aged-up Leon, eager to see his evolution as an older, jaded man. Others are hoping that Leon isn't the only character in the game, as characters like Jill have been out of the series' spotlight since 5 and Revelations. As with all rumors, fans should take these leaks with a grain of salt until Capcom officially reveals RE9.

Resident Evil 9 may go open-world, risking staple franchise mechanics like limited resources and survival horror roots.
Resident Evil thrives on player limitations, creating a tense atmosphere where tough decisions are core to gameplay.
Leaks suggest Resident Evil 9 may adopt an open-world structure from Dragon's Dogma 2, possibly impacting resource balance.

I thought the next one was supposed to have something to do with Rose.

The tweet comes from the Arabic Twitter account, @PRE_Alarabiya, an Arab community account for fans of Resident Evil. The account shares that they received this information from an episode of a Spanish podcast, the DryCast (it was originally wrongfully attributed to being shared by Dusk Golem, before this was later corrected).

Why not Rose?

Imagine Billy Coen coming back. Imagine

Is it going to take place after 8 with a 50+ year old Leon?

Is it going to take place after 8 with a 50+ year old Leon?

im fully expecting some fountain of youth BS to hit leon and chris eventually

just to capcom can make sure they never have to retire the characters

after all the idea of characters growing old is abig NO NO in fiction

He should meet Ashely again, with her revealing she trained to be an agent and asked to get partnered with him

im fully expecting some fountain of youth BS to hit leon and chris eventually

just to capcom can make sure they never have to retire the characters

after all the idea of characters growing old is abig NO NO in fiction

He should meet Ashely again, with her revealing she trained to be an agent and asked to get partnered with him

I mean, unless the story is specifically about a character being a broken old man, characters don't tend to really age anyway. It's harder when they acknowledge the timeline, but if Leon is supposed to be sixty and he's still suplexing people with his boy band hair, no one will really bat an eye.

i disagree as aging is part of life

this idea that characters need to stay young and powerful forever is just dumb

it creates stagnation

According to Nintendo, Mario is 25. If he aged in rral rime, and was 25 in 1981 when Donkey Kong came out, he'd be 67 or 68 today

https://gamerant.com/resident-evil-9-resource-management-open-world-exploration-quests/

I don't care about it being open world but I really don't want to see Leon again. Bring back somebody that we don't expect

Imagine Billy Coen coming back. Imagine

I want to believe. Dude just wandered into the forest, never to be seen again.

The DLC put that to rest, without spoilers, and Capcom has been distancing from Ethan & Family.

I want to believe. Dude just wandered into the forest, never to be seen again.

he went to raccoon city to see the zoo animals last i heard

And then ended up in Southeast Asia with a beard

He should meet Ashely again, with her revealing she trained to be an agent and asked to get partnered with him

If they're going to bring back any one-off character it should be Sheva.

they missed the boat on this kinda idea by keeping her a damsel character in the remake

Nah, she's a lot more capable in the remake and even mentions wanting to become one.

huh ok then that works then

i had been told she still really did not do much beyond get rescued in the remake

She didn't do much they didn't even bring back the bulldozer scene which is the only scene in the original where she was cool

Capcom realizes they need to go back to the franchise's linear survival horror roots