Along with this, Kojima also revealed that he had spoken to Zampella following the former’s departure from Konami. Kojima was seeking advice from Zampella during the creation of Kojima Productions, since Zampella had experience with going independent to found Respawn Entertainment. “Without [Zampella], the gaming industry wouldn’t be what it is today,” he said.

Unfortunately, aside from the fact that it was going to be a shooter, we don’t really get to learn why this Zampella-headed Metal Gear game was never made. Considering his experience with the Call of Duty series, and the eventual release of two Titanfall games and Apex Legends, it would have likely been quite the action-packed ride.

The video package featured a number of important figures from across the gaming industry, from Hideo Kojima to Microsoft Gaming boss Phil Spencer, Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford, and even members of the gaming media like Geoff Keighley.

“What struck me most was his restlessness,” Keighley said on stage, according to Game File. “Nothing was ever quite good enough. That relentless hunger for excellence drove him to believe he could always make a better game, a better company, be a better leader.”

“He was direct, impatient with nonsense and fiercely loyal to the people doing the work,” Keighley continued. “As he liked to say, he was always a few days away from quitting every job he ever had. And somehow that’s what made him invaluable. He could be inside the system without becoming it. That independence led him to always put the player first, to push even the biggest organizations to take risks.’“

Vince Zampella passed away back in December in a tragic driving accident along Angeles Crest Highway. The accident was noted as occurring at 12:45 PM, and resulted in two fatalities – both occupants of Zampella’s 2026 Ferrari 296 GTS. Zampella died at the age of 55, and has left behind a massive legacy in the gaming industry.

Zampella was known for having a hand in creating games like the original Medal of Honor and the Call of Duty franchise after co-founding Infinity Ward with Jason West and Grant Collier. After having worked at the studio, and with Activision, for several years, Zampella and West would leave, founding Respawn Entertainment to work on games like Titanfall, the Star Wars: Jedi series, and Apex Legends.

After serving as the head of Respawn Entertainment for several years, Zampella would eventually become the CEO of Ripple Effect—the studio previously known as DICE LA and one of the studios that worked on Battlefield 6. As part of his role, Zampella was tasked with overseeing the Battlefield franchise as a whole. The latest entry was released in October across PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

Silent Hill has also seen a rise in sales, totalling up to 14 million units. This marks a growth in sales by a million, since Konami had previously confirmed 13 million units sold for the franchise back in October. These sales were likely helped by the critical acclaim seen by Silent Hill f, alongside anticipation for future games in the horror series.

Other console game franchises listed by Konami include Pawafuru Puroyakyu, which has sold 26.3 million, Yu-Gi-Oh!, which has sold 32.5 million, and Momotaru Dentetsu, which sits at 19.9 million. Free-to-play mobile games Jikkyu Pawafuru Puroyakyu and Professional Baseball Spirits A (Ace) have been downloaded 53 million and 66 million times, respectively. Titles available on consoles and mobiles have also been listed; eFootball sits at 950 million downloads, while Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel has been downloaded 90 million times.

The latest entry in the Metal Gear franchise has been a remake – Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater. Having launched in August 2025 on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, the title has seen critical acclaim by veterans of the series and a new generation of gamers. You can check out more details about it in our review.

In December, series producer Noriaki Okamura spoke about this being the ideal time to have remade the seminal Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, and how much respect he and director Yuji Korekado have for the original creators.

“Because the series has been around for a long time, we have a wide variety of fans,” said Korekado. “And we are conscious of being respectful to the previous games in the series. With this remake, we thought about how it would be best to bring the game to modern players, while respecting the thoughts and concepts of the original creator. However, if you reproduce the original work exactly as it is, some aspects can be difficult to play [for today’s gamers], so we adapted them.”

As for Silent Hill, the title has seen continuous support through the release of free updates. One of these, released in November, brought with it a new difficulty mode and the ability to skip more things during a New Game+ run. Writer Ryukishi07 also spoke earlier this month about why it made sense to use the fictional town of Ebisugaoka as the main setting for the game rather than its traditional setting of the eponymous Silent Hill.

“I discussed a lot of things with series producer Okamoto in a meeting after I received the request [to write Silent Hill f]” said Ryukishi07. “Like ‘Why is it set in Japan?’ and ‘What exactly is Silent Hill?’ In the end, we came to the conclusion that Silent Hill is not just the name of a place; it is a phenomenon. Looking back, I think I was able to create a pretty satisfying base for the story and world from this.”

For more on Silent Hill f, check out our review. It is available on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

The Silent Hill franchise has similarly seen a rise in sales, coming in at 13 million copies sold since the franchise first made its debut back in March 1999. This marks a 1.3 million rise in sales since the end of June. The sales of both Metal Gear and Silent Hill franchises were likely buoyed by the release of newer titles in their respective series – Silent Hill 2’s remake, Silent Hill f and Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater.

Interestingly, the largest spike in the update figures comes from digital trading card game Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel, which now sits at 80 million – 10 million higher in cumulative sales and downloads when compared to March 2025.

Aside from Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel and the eFootball series – currently at 900 million in cumulative sales and downloads – Metal Gear is currently the best-selling franchise for the company. Konami has also noted earlier this month that it remains committed to the Silent Hill franchise as well.

The statement came from series producer Motoi Okamoto, who revealed that Konami announced three projects simultaneously – Silent Hill 2 remake, Silent Hill f and Silent Hill: Townfall – to show how committed it was to bringing the franchise back into the mainstream.

“Three years ago, in 2022, we announced three titles: Silent Hill 2, Silent Hill f, and Silent Hill: Townfall,” wrote Okamoto on social media. “We didn’t want to just announce a single remake to ‘test the waters.’ We wanted people to feel how serious we were about reviving the series. Developing a remake and a new title simultaneously naturally involves risks, but we wanted to convey our commitment first and foremost.”

“Only when a new game is announced can the future of a series be seen,” he continued. “Users won’t feel motivated to engage with an IP unless they can sense it has a future. If the company takes a wait-and-see approach, so will the players. The company needs to show how serious it is so that users can get genuinely excited. I think that’s only fair.”

Silent Hill f is the most recent title to have been published by Konami. Developed by NeoBards and featuring writing by Ryukishi07, the title has seen an incredibly positive response from fans of the Silent Hill franchise as well as fans of the overall horror genre.

Konami had also confirmed that last year’s Silent Hill 2 remake had sold more than 2.5 million copies worldwide, helping the franchise cross the 10 million units milestone. This indicates that Silent Hill f has likely sold somewhere around 2 million copies since its release earlier this month. For more details, check out our review of Silent Hill f.

It features questions across various topics, but the one that sticks out the most is which games in the Metal Gear series fans would like to see remade next. Almost everything is included, from the original Metal Gear titles to Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain. Even Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, which is playable only on PS3, and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker are fair game.

It’s not surprising to see Konami considering future remakes. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater sold over one million copies on its first day and received extensive critical acclaim. Regardless of what fans vote for, however, an announcement may take a while, so stay tuned and check out our review.

As a franchise that has pioneered the rise of the stealth action genre, and one whose meta-narrative could be quite overwhelming to anyone who hasn’t been paying attention to its many twists and turns, it features great titles that have each brought something brilliant to the table.

While the task of ranking each instalment in the title could be quite daunting, that’s exactly what we’ve set out to do! Without further ado, here’s our take on the Metal Gear titles that have caught our attention – and kept it – over the years.

13. Metal Gear (1987)

The title that started it all features everything the franchise has come to be known for. There’s the stealth-action gameplay loop, a main narrative that features Solid Snake and Big Boss, and Kojima’s penchant for examining the world around him through the eyes of his characters, and a couple of fourth-wall breaks.

But given its age, it does rank lower on this list simply because its successors have overtaken it in terms of both their gameplay and presentation, despite the game being good enough to make it to the PS3’s Metal Gear Solid: The Legacy Collection. If you have one of those lying around, this one is well worth a visit and could have you quite invested in its story!

12. Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (2006)

This PlayStation Portable title, which features Naked Snake in the lead a few years after his time in Russia, brought several noteworthy additions to the table. The Comrade System, for example, allowed Naked Snake to recruit fallen foes and other soldiers to his cause in various inventive ways that stayed true to the franchise’s stealth-action roots while giving players a unique mechanic that would later make its way to other titles in the franchise.

Its story is nothing to be scoffed at either, bringing Naked Snake in conflict with the FOX Unit while other important characters like Campbell are also in play. Although Kojima was only a producer on this one, it’s still quite a solid addition to the franchise. However, like Metal Gear, its relative inaccessibility, thanks to it being PSP-exclusive, does not let it rank higher on this list.

11. Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (2004)

Although an effort to blend the story and locations of Metal Gear Solid with the gameplay and graphics of Sons of Liberty sounds like a very ambitious and bold move on paper, The Twin Snakes both succeeded and failed to fully recapture the magic of the game it was supposed to emulate.

While the new graphics, improved enemy AI, and of course, the story were well-received by critics and players alike, the GameCubie seemed unable to handle the load that the game’s systems placed on it. Moreover, the gameplay loop from Metal Gear Solid was marred by the addition of new mechanics from Sons of Liberty, making several parts of the original game feel too easy by comparison.

The Twin Snakes’ ambitious effort does earn it a place on this list, albeit a low one owing to its flawed take on a great title.

10. Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes (2014)

As a bridge between the events of Peace Walker and The Phantom Pain, Ground Zeroes brings an excellent story to the table, continuing the adventures of Big Boss while setting up the events of its sequel with aplomb.

Despite its relatively short runtime, the gameplay loop was, and perhaps still is, a very good representation of the franchise’s biggest strengths, made even better by its companion app, excellent stealth animations and mechanics, and what Kojima saw as a stepping stone to Metal Gear being a “true open-world experience”.

However, its place in the franchise’s canon as a prologue to The Phantom Pain does not let it rank very high on our list, owing to other titles proving far more expansive in their stories or simply more memorable as a whole.

9. Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (1990)

As the sequel to the original Metal Gear Solid, Solid Snake builds on its mechanics while continuing the adventures of its titular character in a story that sees him face off against Big Boss once again.

The expanded enemy AI, along with matching expansions to Solid Snake’s skill set, makes this a title that enthralled many fans of the original game while also being a very attractive option for newcomers to the franchise. Its very positive reception earns it a place among the franchise’s greats, and its influence on the later titles cannot be overlooked, too.

8. Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D (2012)

As a 3DS port of one of the franchise’s greatest titles, Snake Eater 3D made good use of the console’s features to recreate the magic of Naked Snake’s battles against The Boss and Colonel Volgin, a narrative that set events of the entire franchise in motion.

As such, bringing that adventure into the hands of players who may not have experienced it was a clever move from Kojima and Konami, who did a great job working around the console’s limitations while making good use of its unique strengths. For instance, the third-person camera view and crouch-walking added new layers of nuance to the gameplay loop, while the innovative use of the 3DS’s gyroscope to make balancing on bridges and tree branches more immersive was a welcome touch alongside a camouflage system that made excellent use of the console’s camera.

Snake Eater 3D deserves its place among the franchise’s best games and does a great job of bringing the title that inspired it to life on a new platform.

7. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (2013)

Bringing Raiden back into the fold after the events of Guns of the Patriots while straying away from the franchise’s usual stealth-action formula? Revengeance is a spin-off that shouldn’t have worked, but did.

The sword-wielding combat was a whole lot of fun, while Raiden’s story was poignant and philosophical, his inner conflict arising from his conditioning forming a meaningful part of both the narrative and gameplay.

Kojima Productions’ story worked very well with PlatinumGames’ gameplay ideas to present a novel approach to Metal Gear in which combat was the only option, and a very entertaining one to boot!

6. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (2010)

We’re now diving into the meat of this list, with Peace Walker being a great vehicle to take us toward the best of the Metal Gear franchise. After making its debut on PSP, it was eventually ported to the PS3 and Xbox 360. Big Boss’s time with the MSF was an excellent look into the character’s past with The Boss while also taking his story forward.

Its examinations of nuclear deterrence are another great addition to the title, giving Hot Coldman a lot of credence as the main antagonist, while Zero’s motivations with Cipher were quite the thrill when we first played the game. It’s perfect as a bridge between Big Boss’ past, present, and future, and handles its complex themes with style and substance.

Peace Walker is a Metal Gear title that we would dive back into with glee.

5. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (2015)

Although The Phantom Pain suffered from being bang in the center of Kojima and Konami’s well-documented fallout, it does rank high on our list of the best Metal Gear titles nonetheless.

Its place in the franchise’s meta-narrative makes it an important part of its lore, connecting Big Boss to events in the original games in a way that makes sense, while indirectly setting him as an antagonist to Solid Snake.

Its gameplay and stealth mechanics are another highlight, bringing new twists and turns to the franchise’s formula. While we can’t help but wonder about what it could have been if Kojima had achieved his vision for it, The Phantom Pain is still Metal Gear at its finest.

4. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (2008)

As the title that brought an end to Solid Snake’s adventures, Guns of the Patriots was a rollercoaster from start to finish.

Story beats aside, its gameplay was another feather in its cap, with the Octo Camo and Solid Snake’s advanced ageing being integrated quite well into the game’s mechanics. These additions made for an experience that felt authentic in its presentation and very immersive in the way players had to account for Solid Snake’s limitations.

Challenging and riveting, Guns of the Patriots continues to be a story that haunts us from time to time.

3. Metal Gear Solid (1998)

As the adventure that brought Solid Snake to his iconic showdown with Liquid Snake, this one was sure to rank high on our list of the best Metal Gear titles. However, its story is not the only factor that makes it special; its gameplay for its time manages to thrill many players despite the years since its release.

It brings in some insane twists and chills that would define the franchise’s future entries, and is a very interesting peek at the early years of its stealth-action trappings. Its influence on the genre as well as on the cinematics and presentation of other popular franchises makes its high place on this list a no-brainer, honestly.

2. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater/Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (2025/2004)

It’s no surprise that Snake Eater, in both of its iterations, ranks very high on this list of the best of Metal Gear. Its story, gameplay, bosses, and unique mechanics have made it the ideal choice for Konami’s attempt to introduce the franchise to a new generation of gamers.

Kojima’s storytelling chops are nearly in overdrive in this title, as is his ability to create characters that have withstood the test of time. The members of the Cobra Unit continue to be among our favorite bosses in the franchise, while Naked Snake’s poignant battle with his former mentor and his learning the truth about her actions is right up there with some of modern gaming’s best moments.

Snake Eater is a Metal Gear title that will rank high on any list of our favorite games, and the remake just makes its strengths all the more obvious while making useful tweaks that elevate the amazing experience it presents.

1. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (2001)

There’s a reason that Sons of Liberty earns the throne of the best mainline Metal Gear title. Raiden’s adventure, and his partnership with Solid Snake in his quest to bring down Solidus Snake, is now the stuff of legends.

It’s a narrative that solidified Kojima’s reputation as a man ahead of his time, considering how the themes he attempted to tackle via the game’s narrative are now a part of modern discourse surrounding social media and the adverse effects of misinformation and a shorter attention span.

Its gameplay was nothing to scoff at either, presenting an enemy AI that was able to work in groups to attempt to capture the player, while a dearth of stealth options made it stay very true to the franchise’s roots. It’s a solid game all around and is one that reflects the best of what the franchise has to offer with ease.

What do you think about these rankings? Is there a title that you feel should have ranked higher, or perhaps taken the top spot? We’d love to hear what you think in the comments!

According to the game’s official Twitter, it will include “the latest information” for the series presented by “the creators themselves.” While the team could very well announce the long-requested Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1, it’s more likely that it will answer questions regarding Delta: Snake Eater.

It could also gather fan questions on the remake and provide updates on the current state of development. Considering recent criticism surrounding some of its animations in the latest trailer, this may be a good way to learn if further polish is underway.

Stay tuned for more details. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater launches on August 28th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC for $69.99.

Kojima explained that the idea to work on Physint after Death Stranding 2: On the Beach occurred to him because he believed that his fans want him to make a game like something in the Metal Gear franchise.

“Of course, I have lots of new ideas that I want to create,” Kojima said. “But when I became sick during the pandemic, I realised that a lot of people wanted me to make something like Metal Gear. That’s when I had the idea for a new espionage game. I reflected, and thought the idea was good.”

Kojima also spoke about discussing the concept of Physint with Sony, and the company agreeing. “We explored many options, and we agreed on doing Physint,” he said.

However, it is worth noting that Physint is still likely quite some time away. The game was officially announced back in February 2024. During the announcement, Kojima had said that the title will blend various aspects of games and film together, which likely means that Physint will be more similar than not to older Metal Gear titles.

“I cannot tell you so much now, but we plan to bring together cutting-edge technology and talent from around the world to create [Physint],” Kojima said. “Of course, it is an interactive game, but it is also a movie at the same time, in terms of look, story, theme, casting, acting, fashion, and sound. With this title, we hope to transcend the barriers between film and video games.”

Kojima’s asistant, Ayako Terashima, has also revealed earlier this month that Physint will take “another five or six years” before it comes out.

In discussing his decision to work on an espionage-based game, Kojima spoke about wanting to work on something new after leaving Konami, which he did with Death Stranding. However, the pull for him to create a new game in the vein of Metal Gear was too strong owing to fans of Kojima’s titles from all over the world.

“And since [the release of Death Stranding], there have been a lot of new ideas,” Kojima said back in 2024. “But in the last eight years, every day on social media, from users all around the world, people have been asking me to create another Metal Gear and stuff like that.”

“Having said that, if the users desire it so much, I thought I should change my priorities a bit. I still want to do new things, but I decided to make an action-espionage game.”

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach will be the next major title by the studio, after which, work is expected to begin on Physint as well as horror title OD.

As it turns out, it seems the actor may be stepping into the Big Boss boots again, though it’s unknown to what extent exactly. Taking to Twitter, Hayter teased that he recently recorded new lines for a role that he hasn’t played in a long time, before attaching a Big Boss / Naked Snake gif from Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater in a follow-up tweet. 

Fans of the series will obviously be excited at the prospect of David Hayter returning to the role of Big Boss, but it remains to be seen exactly what his tweets are referring to, from a new game to another remake to perhaps something else entirely- like promotional material for the upcoming MGS3 remake, perhaps. 

Either way, it does look like the Metal Gear franchise is building momentum again, with Konami also thinking about the series’ future and additional potential remakes down the line. Read more on that through here.

Noriaki Okamura, Metal Gear series producer at Konami, was asked in a recent interview with Famitsu if the company intends to remake any other titles in the beloved franchise, and though he gave the expected answer of being focused on the upcoming release and waiting for feedback from fans, that isn’t all he said. Okamura went on to touch on potential, hypothetical remakes of earlier instalments – such as the original Metal Gear 1 and 2, or the original Metal Gear Solid – saying that they would require significant changes in gameplay and design compared to MGS 3.

“For the time being, I think we should think about it after we finish making this work. For example, if we were to create a new remake of the original Metal Gear Solid or Metal Gear 1 and 2, there would inevitably be some aspects that would not work with the same methodology as MGS Delta, including the redesign of the level design. As a result, there are many parts that have to be created anew.

“So, we wondered if we could make the next Metal Gear series, and how far we could go. I would like everyone to play MGS Delta, understand their opinions, and then move on.”

Okamura did go on to add, however, that with the number of original Metal Gear staff dwindling in the current Konami team, the company is going to focus on paving a proper future for the franchise.

“The number of staff who worked with the original staff has decreased considerably,” he said. “Before anyone else is gone, we will create a path to preserve the Metal Gear series for the next 10 or 50 years. I think this is something we have to do.”

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is in development for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. It doesn’t yet have a release date.

It will be available on YouTube and Twitter, with the former having English subtitles. The last Hotline video saw Konami revealing the title screen for Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater and an upcoming update for Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 1.

Of course, there have been several other announcements since then, from the recent gameplay reveal of Delta: Snake Eater to its various new features (which you can read about here). Perhaps Konami will finally announce the release window, though rumors claim the remake may be out next year. Stay tuned for more details when the Production Hotline goes live later today.

本日6/28 20時(JST)に「METAL GEAR – PRODUCTION HOTLINE 01」を公開します！

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