Latest Updates: Capcom Reveal The Secret

Resident Evil 6: The Mercenary Mystery.
RE6
represents a milestone for
Capcom's long-running series.
For the first time, the
franchise's two biggest stars -
Leon Kennedy and Chris Redfield
- will (eventually) join forces in
the same game to fight the
forces of evil. But RE
6 doesn't stop there. The game
features another playable
character, an unnamed lead
that finds himself protecting
Sherry Birkin, who players last
saw in the second RE
game.
Capcom has avoided giving
too many details, only stating
that the character is a
mercenary that is designed to
pull in younger audiences that
are new to the survival horror
series. Our own sources
previously confirmed to us that
the character is related in some
way to existing series canon,
while only giving us a general
idea of the character's role in
the game.
Much about this mystery man
can be deduced from the
game's introductory trailer. He's
young, he's superhuman and he
doesn't seem to be quite as
heroic as Leon or Chris. The
fact that he's one of the main
characters in the game makes
it clear he's important. With all
of that in mind, here are a
couple theories on this
mercenary's past.
Discover the Secrets
of Resident Evil 6
Theory #1: The Return
of Project Wesker
Albert Wesker is dead. That
much was made painfully clear
by the end of Resident Evil 5,
which went to great lengths to
kill off an icon of the franchise.
That Resident Evil's main villain is
no more, however, doesn't
mean there are no more
Weskers. Watching the RE 6
trailer, it's clear this mercenary
shares some common abilities
with the former agent of
Umbrella. But how is that
possible?
A small slice of Resident Evil
history for those of you not
entrenched in the series' vast,
wandering lore: There is no
Wesker family, only a Wesker
project. The being known as
Albert Wesker was actually a
kidnapped child, one of many,
watched over by Umbrella
founder Oswell Spencer and
experimented on by his
researchers. Operating this
program with a "survival of the
fittest" mentality, Spencer
eventually settled on two choice
subjects, who were eventually
named Albert and Alex. Albert,
of course, went on to become a
key component of Umbrella's
operations, clashing with the
interests of Leon and Chris time
and time again. Alex, however,
is a bit of a mystery.
Through Spencer's own notes,
we know that Alex, like Albert,
was deemed a worthy candidate
- a perfect specimen in the
eyes of the Umbrella team
watching over the Wesker
Project. Like his "brother," Alex
became a member of Umbrella,
doing research subject to the
whims of Spencer, whose chief
concern was discovering the
secret of eternal life. According
to the same files that revealed
the existence of Alex, we know
this counterpart to Albert
actually succeeded in uncovering
some critical secret in the
journey to immortality. What he
discovered remains a mystery,
however, as Alex disappeared
with his research.
Though the mercenary appears
far younger than Albert
Wesker, it is possible this is in
fact Alex - lost, forgotten and,
perhaps, immortal.

Theory #2: Wesker's
Heir
Capcom has a tendency of
making history for Resident Evil
when it is convenient, not
necessary. Rather than simply
expanding upon existing
characters and mythology, the
developer will invent wild new
backstories and then weave
them into whatever happened
in previous games (or not). The
result is a bit of a mess,
though part of the series'
charm is how it's never
completely beholden to its own
continuity. Even the some of
the series' developers
have admitted they often come
up with gameplay design ideas
first, and then figure out how
to make them work.
Though Alex Wesker would
certainly make the most sense
according to existing continuity,
never doubt Capcom's ability to
do something different. The
mercenary is accompanied
Sherry Birkin, the daughter of
one of the more iconic and
memorable enemies in the
franchise's history. What if, for
the sake of dramatic parity,
this new anti-hero isn't the
"brother" of Wesker (or
another participant of the
project), but his son?
The fact that we've never seen
nor heard mention of this
before wouldn't stop Capcom -
nor is it impossible. As layered
as the Resident Evil timeline
might be, it's very possible
Albert Wesker would have had
chances to father a child,
particularly since the mother
(or research lab) could have
raised him in secret. As enticing
as the reappearance of Alex
might be, perhaps that's best
saved for a future Resident Evil
game. Albert's son would still
have plenty of storyline
potential, as he would no doubt
carry many of the genetic
traits of Albert - including the
abilities we saw in the trailer. It
would also explain why the
mercenary's blood seems
important, a clue that was
strongly suggested in the
footage that has been shown.
The Madness of
Resident Evil
Of course, Resident Evil knows
no bounds to its insanity. That
Chris has some sort of dark,
mysterious burden (as indicated
in the RE 6 trailer) or Jill's hair
changes color between games
should really surprise no one.
The fact that the mercenary
could just as well be Albert
Wesker's brother or son says a
great deal about the series'
sometimes arbitrary nature. In
fact, the truth is that the
mercenary could ultimately be
related to anyone in the series.
How about the brother of
Chris? Leon's step-father?
Sheva's husband? The
possibilities are truly endless,
and it's not entirely
unprecedented for Capcom to
simply add characters,
connections and backstory when
it feels like it.
That said, all evidence is
pointing towards this mercenary
having some ties to the Wesker
lineage. The "long lost son of
Albert Wesker" does feel a bit
more likely, even if the return
of the mysterious Alex Wesker
would fit existing continuity
better. The fact that this
character is expected to carry
a significant portion of the
game on his shoulders should
speak volumes. Precisely how
that manifests itself in the
game will be very interesting.
We'll see if Capcom gives more
details prior to the game's
launch this November.

Resident Evil 6: Plot Summary
It has been ten years since the
Raccoon City incident and the
President of the United States
has decided to reveal the truth
behind what took place in the
belief that it will curb the
current resurgence in
bioterrorist activity. Due to be
by the President's side is his
personal friend and Raccoon
City survivor, Leon S. Kennedy,
but when the venue suffers a
bioterrorist attack, Leon is
forced to face a President
transformed beyond recognition
and make his hardest ever
decision. At the same time,
Bioterrorism Security
Assessment Alliance member
Chris Redfield arrives in China,
itself under threat of a
bioterrorist attack. With no
country safe from these
attacks and the ensuing
outbreaks, the entire world's
population is united by a
common fear that there is no
hope left.
Resident Evil 6 promises yet
another dramatic, frightening
experience blending action and
survival horror. In a first for
the franchise, RE 6 sees series
favorites Leon and Chris come
together to face this
unprecedented threat. They are
joined by new characters, each
with their own unique
perspective and involvement, in
this relentless outbreak enacted
on a global scale.