Resident Evil Requiem: Leon Kennedy’s Chainsaw Rampage

This one caught my attention because for two decades Leon S. Kennedy has been dodging saw-blade terror, not swinging it. Capcom letting him pick up and use a chainsaw in Resident Evil Requiem is more than a fan-service visual – it shifts pacing, resource decisions, and how action and horror sit next to each other in the same game.

Resident Evil Requiem: Leon Kennedy’s Chainsaw Rampage

• Key Takeaway 1: Chainsaw is a usable, enemy-dropped weapon for Leon – it’s a crowd-control tool that rewards aggressive play but has trade-offs (overheat, pickup risk).
• Key Takeaway 2: The feature leans into Leon’s RE4-style action while Grace Ashcroft’s sections preserve slow-burn survival horror, keeping the dual-protagonist contrast sharp.
• Key Takeaway 3: Demo impressions suggest visceral, cinematic impact (good haptics, satisfying dismemberment), but balance questions and platform parity remain ahead of launch.

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Publisher|Capcom
Release Date|February 27, 2026
Category|Survival horror / action
Platform|PC, PS5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S
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Capcom and director Koshi Nakanishi confirmed Leon can now pick up chainsaws dropped by specific enemies (doctors, “talking” chainsaw zombies) in the Requiem demo. Mechanically that is implemented as a risk/reward loop: stagger the enemy (leg shots or a parry with Leon’s new hatchet), finish them and grab the spinning saw, then use broad swipes or thrusts to clear groups. The demo shows the chainsaw as powerful against hordes, with overheating and pickup hazards keeping it from being an all‑purpose win button.

What actually changes about Leon’s gameplay

Think RE4’s breakneck action dialed through the RE Engine: Leon keeps the over‑the‑shoulder speed, gains a sharpenable hatchet (parry tool), and now can temporarily convert enemy weapons into high-damage melee options. That changes moments previously tuned for careful conservation into opportunities for explosive, ammo-saving takedowns. The chainsaw’s strengths are obvious – crowd control, visceral payoff, environmental uses (prying barricades) — but the demo balances it with overheating, pickup damage if you misstep, and finite situational availability.

Why Capcom’s design choice matters

Two reasons: first, it reinforces the game’s dual identity. Leon is fast, kinetic, and often rewarded for facing danger head-on. Grace is intentionally the opposite — slower, tense, horror-focused. That contrast keeps the anthology feel intact instead of flattening everything into one tempo. Second, it’s a meaningful mechanical callback to a franchise staple (chainsaw enemies) turned into player agency — catharsis for players who’ve spent years evading those blades.

My take — enthusiasm with caveats

I’m excited because the chainsaw is satisfying in ways guns aren’t: it’s tactile, messy, and forces different encounters. The demo nails spectacle (DualSense haptics, gory physics) and gives Leon a clearer identity apart from Grace. My caveats: enemy-drop reliance risks pacing spikes — if developers over-index chainsaw availability it could trivialize midgame fights; if it’s too rare, the feature feels like a novelty. Balance and tuning will decide whether this is a clever new tool or a flashy cameo.

What to expect at launch

Requiem launches February 27, 2026 on PC, PS5, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Series X|S. The showcase demo is available now on major storefronts and includes the chainsaw encounter. Expect platform differences — DualSense vibration and haptic nuance on PS5, Quick Resume advantages on Xbox, and reduced fidelity on Switch 2 — but core mechanic parity looks preserved. Community clips and early patches are already being discussed, so tuning will likely continue up to and after release.

What this means for players

If you prefer aggressive, action-forward Resident Evil, Leon’s chainsaw presence makes Requiem the stronger pick at launch. If you value tension and resource scarcity, Grace’s sections still promise a classic survival experience. For completionists and speedrunners, the mechanic adds new routing options — farmable chainsaw drops and parry-heavy sequences are going to be hot topics in the community.

TL;DR

Resident Evil Requiem turning chainsaws into a usable weapon for Leon is a small mechanical change with large design implications: it amplifies Leon’s RE4-style action, preserves a meaningful horror vs. action split with Grace, and delivers a satisfying, risky tool that will shine or flounder depending on Capcom’s tuning. Demo it now if you want to feel the rev.