Nintendo has finally revealed the new Resident Evil Requiem Leon amiibo, and while I like the look of the figure itself, its in-game reward leaves a lot to be desired.
Announced in February's 2026 Nintendo Partner Direct, alongside a whole host of other exciting updates, we got our first look at the Leon S. Kennedy amiibo to go alongside the Grace Ashcroft amiibo revealed last year.
Recently, Nintendo have been adding in-game rewards behind their popular NFC figures. Some are great, others... Not so.
It's Not The Worst Nintendo Amiibo Though...
It feels, of late, that Nintendo amiibo rewards have been severely lacking in imagination. I know, they’ve never really knocked it out of the park in that respect, but it feels like they’re becoming more egregious.
For example, in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, one of the common complaints about the game is how soulless the wasteland feels when Samus is exploring it on her Vi-O-La Neuro Bike.
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I know, wastelands are not meant to be filled with life, but at the very least, they should have some background music to make it feel a little less empty and have a bit more character. An example of that would be the wasteland music of Fallout 3. If you’ve played that game to death, you can probably hear it right now.
However, in the case of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, wasteland music was locked behind an amiibo. This minimum expectation of having music in a game, locked behind a £25/$30 amiibo, angered the fanbase and rightly so.
Another example of an egregious amiibo reward being locked behind a £25/$30 paywall is the fast-travel ability in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. But hey, I suppose it’s not as expensive as those £300 (each) Leon S. Kennedy and Grace Ashcroft statues.
Leon’s Resident Evil Requiem Amiibo In-Game Reward is a Weapon Skin
Don’t get me wrong, it looks like the Resident Evil Requiem amiibo rewards aren't as bad as the two examples above. It’s just that they feel very ‘meh’, and for a huge game such as this one on the Nintendo Switch 2, I feel it deserves better.
The reward in question is a ‘Neon Skin’ for Leon’s handcannon. Perhaps the colour scheme of this weapon might have some relevance to the game. At this point, I wouldn't know until I’ve played it. However, the skin looks out of place and is something more befitting of Fortnite.
Grace’s amiibo reward wasn't revealed during the Nintendo Direct. I can only assume that there’s a good chance that Grace might also have a weapon skin of some sort, and if so, I hope it's better than what Leon has to put up with.
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What Else Could Capcom Have Done?
I get that video game development is a lengthy process, and with strict deadlines to hit, time is a scarce resource. Yet, just a bit more effort would have gone a long way.
With Resident Evil Requiem being our first return to Raccoon City, at least in a mainline entry, perhaps something that paid homage to Resident Evil 2 would have been fantastic.
As much as I would have loved to see Leon’s amiibo reward be his RPD outfit from Resident Evil 2, I think that should be an in-game reward for everyone.
I believe fans would have appreciated one of the alternate skins from Resident Evil 2 (1998). Such as any one of the two special outfits for Leon found in the Dark Room locker, when you acquire a key from a zombified Brad Vickers.
As for Grace, she doesn't have the heritage of Leon, being a new character to the series, but that doesn't mean that she doesn't have heritage to celebrate.
Her mother, Alyssa, was a news reporter and one of the playable characters in Resident Evil Outbreak. So perhaps having her mother's outfit from that game would be a nod fans would appreciate. Perhaps Capcom will prove me wrong, but I won’t hold my breath.
That being said, I can moan all I want about the crappy amiibo rewards with the Resident Evil Requiem figures, but I’m still going to buy them, because I can’t help myself.
Resident Evil Requiem will be released on 27 February 2027 on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2. As for the two amiibos, they will be available separately this coming summer.
Topics: Nintendo, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, Capcom, Resident Evil, Resident Evil Requiem