Resident Evil 9 Leon Must Die Forever DLC, explained

The Leon Must Die Forever DLC in Resident Evil Requiem puts you back in Kennedy’s shoes to shoot zombies in an intense roguelike mode. The goal is to reach the final level and fight the last boss within the time limit, but before that, you still need to improve Leon’s abilities and arsenal by exploring key locations from the game’s campaign.

If all you wanted was a good reason to return to the game and push your skills as agent Kennedy, this DLC is just what you need. To help you get ready for it, we put this guide together explaining how the Leon Must Die Forever DLC works in Resident Evil Requiem, how to play it, and how to traverse the maps.

How to play the Leon Must Die Forever DLC in RE9

Leon Must Die Forever is a free DLC that you can only access after you have beaten the game. To begin playing this mode, you must select the Leon Must Die Forever option in the Extra Games menu.

To start a run, select the “Ready to die” option. Alternatively, you can check out the challenges or the unlockable items and traits in the “Special Content” tab.

Leon Must Die Forever DLC, explained

Leon Must Die Forever is a roguelike mode where you play as Leon. He is back to kill zombies within a time limit while traversing multiple scenarios to eventually reach the final area with the final boss. To complete a run, you must get to the final level and defeat Victor. If you die before then, your run ends and you lose all of your upgrades and guns.

Image: Capcom via Polygon

You always start on Main Street and from there, you can choose your path by entering red doors placed in fixed locations on the map. Each area has a level that indicates the enemies’ strength and the rarity of the guns you can find. Some areas branch into up to three different paths, giving you the opportunity to decide whether you want a more challenging experience or not.

Image: Capcom via Polygon

Because the maps are the same ones featured during the campaign, there are some plot-related events you need to complete to advance, like the one where you must use the chainsaw at the locked door in the Care Center: Rehabilitation Ward. However, in general, there are no prerequisites for completing a map besides finding and using a door.

As you explore the maps, you have two main goals. The first is to search for ammo and better guns. While you can collect ammo from enemy corpses and the usual breakable boxes, you can find more powerful guns by opening weapon boxes located at fixed points throughout the maps. Another way to get better guns is by killing rare enemies. These can be red and blue zombies or the mini-bosses from the campaign, like the chef or the singers.

Image: Capcom via Polygon

Your second goal is to kill enemies and obtain points to fill in Leon’s enhancer meter. Enhancers are abilities and, whenever you have at least 100 points, the command “Refine enhancer” will appear. By choosing to do so, you can select one of three different abilities. These are completely random, and the benefits cover all kinds of situations, from near-death situations to general gun damage buffs.

All maps in Leon Must Die Forever DLC

There are nine maps in “Leon must die forever,” but four of them are only boss arenas. Below, you find a list of all maps with their levels and the doors for the next areas in each one:

For beginners, we suggest that you take the longer but safer route. Start at Main Street, head to the Care Center: Rehabilitation Ward, then East Raccoon City: Central Camp. Next, choose to face the “Blister Borne” mini-boss, the least challenging one among the three options. Then, finally, you can go face Victor.