'Resident Evil 2' Latest News & Update: Leon Backstory Changed? No Longer Drunken Emo Slacker?

When fans were first introduced to Leon S. Kennedy in the original “Resident Evil 2” game, they absolutely loved how cool and collected the rookie cop seemed to be. This changed a bit when it was revealed that the reason he was so late in getting to his first day on the job was a night of drunkenness. Recently, however, this backstory was changed to make Leon appear more respectable.

In a recent Tweet by the official “Resident Evil 2” Japanese account, Leon’s backstory was shared with the fans. However, this is not the same story that players of the original game were given. At least, this is what the translation of the Japanese texts seem to convey. Perhaps it means something different in Japanese?

“New officer Leon S. Kennedy was assigned to Raccoon City. Before going on duty, Kennedy was at home on standby, waiting for his orders. After no one contacted him and feeling something was off, Kennedy headed to the station. Days later, after arriving in Raccoon City, his life changed,” the backstory reads.

This makes Leon quite the respectable individual whose only fault seems to be a propensity for indecisiveness. In contrast, the original “Resident Evil 2” has quite a different backstory to the iconic character. According to the official guide of the zombie survival title, the reason for Leon’s lateness was due to negligence.

It would seem that right before he was supposed to start his first day at the Raccoon City police department, Leon and his girlfriend had split. As a result, the rookie cop ended up going on a drinking spree, thus explaining his lateness on his first day. Not exactly the clean and admirable image that the “Resident Evil 2” remake is trying to make him out to be, is it?

Still, this does not change the level of anticipation that fans have for “Resident Evil 2.” With the game set to launch on Jan. 25, fans have a lot to look forward to this year.