Resident Evil just revealed Ethan Winters' face in the weirdest way

Resident Evil fans may have finally seen Ethan Winters’ full face in the weirdest way.

Released in 2017, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard arrived and signalled a return to form for the series with a big emphasis on horror, the very concept that brought Capcom’s property to the dance.

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard was also played in a first-person perspective, which had taken many fans by surprise.

Yet, as detailed in the book Itchy, Tasty: An Unofficial History of Resident Evil, Capcom wanted the original game to be in a first-person perspective, but it wasn't possible due to the limitations of consoles at the time.

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard introduced the Baker family, who had been infected by a virus that turned them into sinister and cruel beings, located in rural Louisiana, United States.

It also starred a new protagonist for the Resident Evil series, Ethan Winters, who, after receiving an email from his assumed dead wife, his investigations lead him to the infamous Baker family compound.

Being a first-person game, we were unable to see Ethan’s face during gameplay. What’s more, even when looking at in-game mirrors, his face was obscured and was also not visible during cinematic moments.

This concept made its way into the sequel to Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, 2021’s Resident Evil Village, also played in a first-person perspective when it launched.

However, with the release of the ‘Winter’s Expansion’ in 2022, not only did we get the story DLC, ‘Shadows of Rose’ and new Mercenary maps, but also an additional third-person mode for the main campaign.

Being able to play Resident Evil Village in a third-person perspective gave fans hope that we’d finally see Ethan’s face without having to use mods, and that wish was granted, well, kind of.

In a quick blink and you’ll miss it moments, you could see the side of Ethan’s face from some angles, but his full face was restricted by the camera. At this point, not seeing Ethan’s face felt like a mischievous inside joke by Capcom.

That being said, it looks like we’ve finally got an official look at Ethan’s face in a place we’d probably least expect. Later this year, the mobile strategy game Resident Evil: Survival Unit will be released and features a ton of playable characters from the series.

On the official website for Resident Evil: Survival Unit, a screenshot features a character that looks suspiciously like Ethan Winters, given that he is wearing the same coat from Resident Evil 7: Biohazard and Resident Evil Village, not to mention having very similar hair.

Furthermore, in the characters section of the website in question, there is a male character who is wearing the aforementioned coat that may officially reveal the full in-game face of Ethan Winters without mods, leaked artwork, or fan renders.

The character who has to be Ethan Winters looks very young, which leads me to believe that it may be based on the character before the events of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard.

If this is Ethan Winters’ face, it feels like the continuation of the inside joke of Capcom by not revealing his face in a mainline entry, but a mobile game that many fans of the series may ignore.

Resident Evil: Survival Unit doesn't have a confirmed release date at the time of writing, but it will arrive on iOS and Android devices at some point later this year.

As for the next main game in the series, Resident Evil Requiem, is set to be released on 27 February 2026 on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.