Resident Evil 6: Chris Redfield and Leon Kennedy Playable

As a potential announcement approaches, more details about Capcom's next horror game emerge.

For the first time in Resident Evil history, Leon Kennedy and Chris Redfield will both be playable characters in Capcom's ambitious sixth main entry in its survival horror series. Sources within the development team have started to give IGN a broad picture of the game's scope, which certainly seems larger than any Resident Evil title we've seen so far. This news comes on the heels of the leaked logo and release date for the game.

Chris Redfield and Leon Kennedy will not be alone in this new game. Both Chris and Leon will have unnamed partners of their own, teaming up in similar fashion to the Chris Redfield/Jessica Sherawat and Jill Valentine/Parker Luciani pairings in Resident Evil Revelations. Sources tell us Chris and Leon will have seperate stories in the game that will eventually overlap in some capacity.

We're also told Ada Wong will have a playable role in the game, though not immediately. It appears as though the Ada storyline will become available to players after the Chris and Leon arcs have been completed, plus a third primary narrative featuring a new character. Any of the three main story branches will be selectable early on in the game, allowing players to see each storyline through to completion before starting another one.

Resident Evil 6 is also set to take place across the globe, including China, which has been an often-rumored location for months. VentureBeat reports the RE6 development team is the "same internal Japanese team that has worked on previous entries." That same report suggests this game is being styled after both Resident Evil 4 and 5, attempting to find a middle ground between horror and action.

When contacted, Capcom stated it would not comment on rumors, reports or speculation. IGN sources have also given us the Resident Evil 6 logo and release date.

Capcom is expected to officially reveal - or continue to tease - Resident Evil 6 later today through its viral "No Hope Left" site. Stay tuned for more.