As Time Goes on, One Metal Gear Solid Fear is Inching…

The Metal Gear Solid series is in a strange place right now. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, a remake of the 2004 Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, is about to release at the end of August 2025, and Konami as a whole has been busy reintegrating itself into the gaming industry. Metal Gear Solid, Castlevania, and Silent Hill have all benefited from various remasters, crossovers, and revivals, with Silent Hill mounting the largest comeback so far. Getting Delta out will be a significant step in Metal Gear Solid staging its own return.

Despite that progress, the future of the Metal Gear franchise is still unclear. The only truly new installment to launch since series creator Hideo Kojima left Konami is 2018’s controversial Metal Gear Survive, and it took five years after that for Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 to arrive afterward. It also suffered a rough beginning, though after several patches fans and newcomers can now enjoy most of Metal Gear's history on modern hardware. The collection’s title also points to the likely next move for the franchise, but the lack of communication about it is starting to be concerning.

metal gear solid twin snakes trapped on gamecube

A Metal Gear Solid game has been trapped on older hardware for 21 years, but there is newfound hope

A Metal Gear Solid game from 2004 remains trapped on older hardware, but there is some hope that it may one day become playable on modern platforms.

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By Dalton Cooper

Metal Gear Solid’s Master Collections Have Gone Quiet

As recently as September 2024, Master Collection producer Noriaki Okamura confirmed that a Master Collection Vol. 2 was in production, but Summer Game Fest 2025 has come and gone without another word on it. This collection is the single destination the Metal Gear franchise has until another major project is announced, so until further notice, it's a big deal. In fact, Okamura hinted that it might surpass prior Metal Gear collections in a way that could make the series feel complete for the first time in years.

The Next Master Collection Could Finally Bring MGS4 Back To Life

Specifically, Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2 could finally mark the return of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Aside from Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, MGS4 is the furthest chronological game in the Metal Gear series, and the conclusion to the Solid Snake storyline that had been running up until its release. It also hasn't been included in any other Metal Gear collections, and remains a 2008 PlayStation 3 exclusive. Successfully remastering MGS4 means it could be included in future collections as well, so a Master Collection containing MGS4 is practically the release of a new Metal Gear.

Metal Gear Solid’s Past And Future May Hinge On Master Collection Vol. 2

Fears Over Metal Gear Solid 4’s Port Can’t Also Get Stuck In Limbo

There's more to lose here than several run-of-the-mill remasters, which is why the radio silence surrounding the MGS Master Collection Vol. 2 has become worrying. Okamura also stated that the second collection would see more pre-release polish to avoid the issues of the first, which, combined with the apparent difficulty of remastering an HD PS3 game for the first time, explains its absence, but doesn't make it feel any better. Fans don't want to see one of the most pivotal MGS games locked away for any more decades, and this series needs the strongest base possible going forward.

Not helping matters, it's difficult to determine when the next Master Collection will be announced and released. Almost two years have passed since the first MGS Master Collection, but factoring in the second Master Collection's extra polish time and potential increased technical issues could mean the new one still isn't ready to be shown. Alternatively, Konami may be holding back the second Master Collection to ensure Metal Gear Solid Delta gets undivided attention. Whether or not the game is reliant on Delta’s release, Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2 can't afford to let a piece of Metal Gear Solid’s history slide out of reach once again.