We’re a bit over two months away from Resident Evil Requiem, and fans of the survival horror franchise are already spinning their wheels on theories of what to expect thanks to last week’s reveal trailer.
The newest look at RE9 that unveiled grizzled series veteran Leon S. Kennedy as the game’s second playable character also had some big secrets within, or so some gamers are convinced. The new theory making the rounds online is that a returning villain was teased in plain sight.
At one point in the trailer (as seen in the image above), Leon can be seen looking at images on a computer screen that show some sort of virus or affliction that appears to be rotting people’s skin or turning it black. The same condition can be seen in some images creeping up the side of Leon’s neck, so he may not be doing so well in his 50s when the game takes place.
Also seen on the screen, however, is the lower half of somebody’s face. And that somebody is—brace yourselves—none other than big bad Albert Wesker. Or, that’s what people are thinking, anyway. The former S.T.A.R.S. captain and Umbrella agent has not been seen in the canon since the events of Resident Evil 5.
As cool as it would be, I’m not sold on it. The last time we saw Wesker, he was mutated by the Uroboros virus and fighting Chris Redfield and Sheva Alomar in a volcano. The duo even shot two rockets at him to seal the deal to try and drive home the point that he was dead dead.
Gamers have been theorizing since 2009 that Wesker somehow survived the events of RE5, but I’ve never bought into that. They blasted him with RPGs and lava. How could he survive it? Of course, it’s Resident Evil, so weirder things have happened, but I’m not buying the idea.
If it truly is Wesker in the picture on the computer screen, then maybe Leon is just looking up some research on his own affliction. That doesn’t mean Wesker has somehow returned (like Emperor Palpatine, oh god), but I wouldn’t count out his inclusion or relevance to RE9, even if he has no real connection to Leon at all (he was tied directly to Chris, Jill Valentine, and other S.T.A.R.S. members, so if one of them shows up, then maybe I’ll change my tune).
Then again, if this truly is the “requiem” for the Umbrella era of the series before Resident Evil moves on to something new, then having Wesker as a plot point would make sense. He’s responsible for a lot of what Umbrella did and was capable of from the beginning, and is arguably the most overarching main villain of the franchise.
To add further fuel to the rumor, the trailer also includes a shot of what looks like some sort of sarcophagus or coffin with the Umbrella logo emblazoned on. Is Wesker in there, waiting to rise like Dracula?
We’ll see when Requiem drops on Feb. 27, 2026, but for now, I’m keeping my Albert expectations tempered.
