Resident Evil 9 hasn’t even launched yet, and it’s already drowning in leaks. Character renders are popping up everywhere, storefronts are accidentally revealing unannounced heroes, and the community is playing detective trying to separate legitimate insider information from AI-generated nonsense. Welcome to modern gaming leaks in 2025, where half the images circulating online never existed in any Capcom development folder.
The AI Problem Nobody Saw Coming
On December 9, 2025, Twitter users discovered something embarrassing. Those slick character renders for Resident Evil Requiem that had been making the rounds on social media? Yeah, they were AI-generated fakes. A Twitter account had been posting supposed leaked renders of various characters, and the community ate them up until someone actually looked closer and noticed the telltale signs of artificial intelligence generation.
This excludes the Leon Kennedy render that appeared on the PlayStation Store, which multiple outlets including IGN verified as legitimate. But everything else from that particular source? Complete fabrication. The incident highlights a growing problem in gaming communities where AI tools make it absurdly easy to create convincing fake leaks that spread faster than fact-checkers can debunk them.
What Capcom Actually Said About the Leaks
Before the PlayStation Store accidentally confirmed Leon’s appearance, producer Masato Kumazawa went on record addressing the leak situation during an interview. He specifically called out an image showing Leon with an eyepatch, labeling it definitively as “fake news.” His exact words: “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.”
That statement aged like milk left out in the sun. Within weeks, the official PlayStation Store cover art showed Leon prominently featured behind Grace Ashcroft, confirming his presence in the game. Whether the eyepatch detail was accurate remains unclear since the leaked artwork only shows the left side of Leon’s face, but Kumazawa’s blanket denial of Leon rumors turned out to be either misdirection or genuine surprise when Sony spoiled Capcom’s secret.
The GameStop Leak That Nobody Expected
While everyone was focused on Leon, GameStop quietly dropped a completely different bombshell. The retailer’s listing for Resident Evil Requiem’s Deluxe Steelbook Edition on PC included some very specific details that weren’t supposed to be public yet. Buried in the product description was mention of the “Shadow Walker” costume pack featuring three exclusive outfits for Rosemary Winters.
Yes, Rose. The daughter of Ethan Winters from Resident Evil Village. The listing also mentioned a “Morphic Visor” cosmetic filter specifically for Rose’s visor, strongly suggesting she’s not just appearing in the game but might be fully playable. The listing has since been scrubbed clean of these references, but screenshots and archive links preserve the evidence for posterity.
What the Deluxe Edition Actually Includes
Before GameStop removed the spoiler-filled details, the listing revealed several interesting tidbits about post-launch content:
- “The Sanctuary” Expansion Pass with two new story scenarios
- Major update to Mercenaries mode
- Three exclusive costumes for Rosemary Winters in the Shadow Walker pack
- Morphic Visor cosmetic filter for Rose’s visor
- Digital artbook and official soundtrack
The mention of story scenarios in the expansion pass suggests post-launch DLC similar to the Shadows of Rose content from Village. Whether these scenarios focus on Rose specifically or expand Grace and Leon’s story remains unknown.
The Confirmed Real Leaks
Separating fact from fiction, here’s what we actually know is legitimate based on verified sources:
Leon Kennedy
PlayStation Store cover art definitively confirms Leon’s appearance in Resident Evil Requiem. He’s shown as an older version of his Resident Evil 4 Remake design, positioned prominently behind protagonist Grace Ashcroft. Multiple gaming outlets verified the screenshots before Sony removed the artwork. His exact role, whether fully playable or supporting character, hasn’t been officially announced.
Rosemary Winters
GameStop’s product listing explicitly mentioned cosmetics and costumes for Rose before the details were removed. The specificity of mentioning her visor cosmetic and three outfit pack strongly suggests she’s playable in some capacity, though Capcom hasn’t confirmed this officially.
Grace Ashcroft
The only officially announced protagonist remains Grace Ashcroft, the FBI technical analyst and daughter of Resident Evil Outbreak’s Alyssa Ashcroft. She’s investigating mysterious deaths connected to her mother’s unsolved murder at the Remwood Hotel.
Other Characters in the Rumor Mill
Beyond the confirmed and heavily leaked characters, various insiders and supposed leaks have mentioned other Resident Evil favorites potentially appearing in Requiem. These include Claire Redfield in a minor role, Yoko from the Outbreak series, and references to Jill Valentine and Sherry Birkin as important but non-playable survivors mentioned in the story. However, none of these have been verified through official channels or accidental storefront leaks like Leon and Rose.
The February 27 Release Approaches
With Resident Evil Requiem launching February 27, 2026 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, Capcom likely planned to control the narrative around character reveals. Instead, they’re dealing with AI fakes muddying the waters while legitimate leaks from their own retail partners spoil major surprises weeks before The Game Awards or other planned announcement venues.
The situation perfectly captures modern game marketing’s nightmare scenario where retailers, digital storefronts, and AI technology all conspire to make secret-keeping nearly impossible. Capcom can deny leaks all they want, but when the PlayStation Store itself posts the evidence, denials ring pretty hollow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the Resident Evil 9 character renders real?
Many character renders circulating on social media were confirmed to be AI-generated fakes. The only verified real leak is the Leon Kennedy cover art from the PlayStation Store, which IGN and other outlets confirmed as legitimate before Sony removed it.
Is Leon Kennedy confirmed for Resident Evil Requiem?
Yes. Despite earlier denials from producer Masato Kumazawa about Leon leaks, the PlayStation Store accidentally revealed cover art showing Leon positioned behind Grace Ashcroft. The artwork shows an older version of his RE4 Remake design.
Will Rosemary Winters be playable in RE9?
Very likely. A GameStop product listing mentioned three exclusive costumes for Rosemary Winters and a cosmetic filter for “Rose’s visor” before the details were removed. This strongly suggests she’s playable, though Capcom hasn’t officially confirmed her involvement.
What did the GameStop leak reveal?
The GameStop Deluxe Edition listing revealed an expansion pass with two new story scenarios, a major Mercenaries mode update, and specific cosmetics for Rosemary Winters. All references were removed after the leak spread online.
Did Capcom deny the Leon leaks?
Yes. Producer Masato Kumazawa specifically called images of Leon with an eyepatch “fake news” and attributed them to AI generation. However, weeks later the PlayStation Store confirmed Leon’s appearance in official cover art.
How can you tell if RE9 leaks are AI-generated?
AI-generated images often have inconsistent lighting, strange proportions, weird textures on close inspection, and sometimes garbled text or logos. The community discovered the fake RE9 renders by examining these telltale signs and tracing the images back to their sources.
When will Resident Evil Requiem release?
Resident Evil Requiem launches on February 27, 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam.
Who else might appear in Resident Evil 9?
Unverified leaks have mentioned Claire Redfield, Yoko from Outbreak, Jill Valentine, and Sherry Birkin in various capacities. However, none of these have been confirmed through official announcements or verified storefront leaks like Leon and Rose.
The Reality of Modern Game Leaks
The Resident Evil Requiem leak situation perfectly demonstrates how game reveals work in 2025. Developers can’t keep secrets when retail databases need updating months in advance and AI tools let anyone create convincing fake leaks in minutes. Capcom probably has a whole character reveal roadmap planned for The Game Awards and future showcases, but between PlayStation Store mishaps and GameStop listing errors, half those surprises are already spoiled. Add AI-generated fakes to the mix, and fans can barely tell what’s real anymore. At least when the game launches on February 27, we’ll finally know which leaks were legitimate and which were just really convincing lies.