Guerrilla Games isn’t working on a new Killzone by itself, however. The report notes that an external team is working alongside the studio on the project, which is believed to be a remake or remaster of one of the older Killzone games. While it is unknown which one of the games will be getting revisited, logic would indicate that the original 2004 release – simply titled Killzone – is going to be the subject.

The new Killzone was slated to be worked on after Guerrilla Games had wrapped up development on Horizon Hunters Gathering. However, reports have indicated that negative internal feedback has led to development on the live-service project being rebooted. While some of the team works on retooling it to address feedback, the rest of the studio has seemingly already started working on Killzone.

As for which team is working on the project alongside Guerrilla, People Can Fly is one of the candidates. The Polish studio had announced back in March 2025 that it was working alongside Sony on a new game based on the PlayStation IP, codenamed Project Delta. People Can Fly’s track record with shooters like Bulletstorm and Gears of War: Judgment would make the studio an easy guess for working on Killzone.

Following the remake remaster, Guerrilla Games will reportedly start working on a brand-new mainline entry in the Horizon franchise. However, the fact that the Killzone project is seemingly still quite early in its development cycle, these plans could change.

The original Killzone was released on PS2, and leading up to its release, was considered by many to be Sony’s attempt at a “Halo-killer”. Set in a universe where the Helghast Empire has launched an attack against the Interplanetary Strategic Alliance (ISA) following the former’s defeat during the First Helghan War, players take on the role of one of four characters across various missions. Much of the story revolves around the protagonists – Jan Templar, Shadow Marshall Luger, Rico Velasquez, or Gregor Hakha – trying to stop Helghast’s forces from conquering Vekta.

The title was followed up in 2009 with Killzone 2 on PS3, which picked up the story a couple of years after where it left off. With the Helghast invasion having been thwarted, the ISA launches a counter assault on planet Helghan to cripple the Helghast Empire. The third entry, 2011’s Killzone 3, picks up right after its predecessor and revolves around the survivors of the ISA invasion trying to escape from Helghan.

Killzone: Shadow Fall takes place 30 years after the trilogy. Taking place on planet Vekta, where the Helghast have been given asylum following the destruction of their planet, the title revolves around Shadow Marshall Lucas Kellan, who is trying to keep the peace between the Vektans and Helghast.

“I don’t want to tell tales out of school here, but I was told, and don’t make this a story because this could be nonsense […] The idea would be to do a third [Master Collection] with Revengeance and a cleaned-up version of 5, because that never got a fancy console version. I think it’s still good on PC.”

While Miller noted that it would be great if the “cleaned-up” version of Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain also included all of the content that was notoriously cut out of the game before its release, he said that it is likelier to simply be a 60 FPS version of the game running on modern platforms. Interestingly, he also expressed interest in the inclusion of the much-maligned Metal Gear Survive in a potential third collection.

“The third one would be the last one they can do because they’ve done all the games and then they’ll see what they go forward with in terms of like the Delta remakes and stuff, but yeah, I think it’s nice that Metal Gear is in this place again.” He also raises the question of whether Konami would eventually make a Metal Gear Solid 6 at some point.

A third collection that includes Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance would be especially notable since console players can’t really access it aside from backwards compatibility on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S for its Xbox 360 version. PlayStation gamers, on the other hand, would need to get a PS3 to play it. When it comes to modern hardware, PC is essentially the only way to experience Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance in all of its glory. There are also questions about the rights for Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, since the title was developed entirely by PlatinumGames.

As for Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain, a modern console version would likely be a welcome sight for many PS5 and Xbox Series X/S gamers since the original PS4 and Xbox One release has likely aged quite poorly due to it being more than a decade old at this point.

In the meantime, Metal Gear fans who never owned a PS3 can now finally play Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots thanks to the release of Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 2. The title was originally released all the way back in 2008, and before last week, it was essentially stuck in limbo due to the difficulties of porting PS3 games to other platforms.

For more details about it, along with the remastered version of Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, check out our review of Master Collection Vol. 2.

Delta was also a great way to bring the beginnings of Big Boss’s acclaimed character arc to a modern audience, along with the themes of loyalty, duty, and a soldier’s devotion to a cause that would define his journey. Well, the story now continues with Master Collection Vol. 2, which brings a couple of important chapters for both Solid Snake and Big Boss to players who might not have had the chance to enjoy them when they were originally released all those years ago.

"When viewed as part of Konami’s broader effort to make Metal Gear’s most important stories readily available on modern hardware, MGS4 is arguably the linchpin of Vol. 2."

We’ve got Metal Gear: Ghost Babel, receiving its first-ever re-release as a fascinating non-canon adventure starring Solid Snake, alongside Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, and a collection of digital books and other extras. In terms of overall content, it’s definitely lighter than Vol. 1, but it might be more about quality rather than quantity with this one. It’s the first time anyone’s going to play Guns of the Patriots on anything other than a PS3, marking the end of 18 years of exclusivity with the aged platform.

We’ve already spoken at length about why that’s a big deal before, but this one’s legacy as the concluding chapter for both Solid Snake and Big Boss is something that’s relevant here. When viewed as part of Konami’s broader effort to make Metal Gear’s most important stories readily available on modern hardware, MGS4 is arguably the linchpin of Vol. 2. It was already an excellent game, blending stealth, action, and cinematic storytelling in ways that remain shockingly distinctive even today.

The new 4K/60fps presentation is immediately noticeable if you’re a franchise veteran, finally freeing MGS4’s visuals and performance from the limitations of the PS3. The higher resolution and smoother frame rate provide an immediate boost to image quality and responsiveness, even if the underlying assets naturally still show their age in places. You might find the graphics a tad dated if you’re picky, but it’s definitely a serious upgrade over the PS3 version. Loading times have also been dramatically reduced, which makes a surprisingly large difference to the overall experience. More importantly, the infamous act-by-act installation sequences from the PS3 release are gone entirely, meaning there are no lengthy waits while Snake sits around smoking before the next chapter begins.

The original game was a very polished experience already, and giving it this current-gen boost makes Vol. 2 the best place to play MGS4 today. Veterans certainly won’t miss those installation screens, and moving between major sections of the game now feels dramatically faster and less intrusive (although there is a secret way to actually bring it back!). That faster pacing also complements a campaign that constantly moves between stealth, enemy encounters, and lengthy cinematic sequences.

Solid Snake’s biggest enemy in this one is his own aging body, and he is once again confronted by his arch nemesis: Liquid Ocelot. Fortunately, he’s got a bunch of tools at his disposal to aid him, but with his own body working against him in the field, staying alive isn’t going to be as easy as it once was for the legendary soldier. Tools like OctoCamo and FaceCamo help him stay hidden, while the multifunctional Solid Eye remains one of the game’s most useful pieces of equipment.

"It is worth noting that Metal Gear Online 2 is not included, so this isn’t a complete preservation of every component that shipped with MGS4 on PS3."

MGS4 still packs a punch on the stealth front, and can even stand toe to toe with most of its modern counterparts if it comes to it. The story gels well with the gameplay while also taking the franchise forward towards its conclusion, although it has a plot that was designed with long-term fans in mind. You’re going to want to do a bit of homework if you’re diving into this one blind, and want to get the most out of the story. The included Metal Gear Solid 4 Database can help fill in some of those gaps, with sensitive information remaining hidden until you’ve progressed far enough to avoid spoiling major revelations.

MGS4 also offers a surprisingly decent range of PC settings including but not limited to DirectX 11 and DirectX 12 renderers, 30, 40, and 60fps caps and FXAA. We reviewed the collection on an RTX 3080 Ti paired with a Ryzen 9 5950X, and performance was fine at 4K with the game running at a largely stable frame rate.

Konami has even updated some of MGS4’s platform-specific jokes for the new release, including newly recorded Otacon dialogue surrounding the game’s famous disc-swapping codec call. It’s a small touch, but one that shows Konami’s surprising attention to preserving the spirit of the original. However, it is worth noting that Metal Gear Online 2 is not included, so this isn’t a complete preservation of every component that shipped with MGS4 on PS3. It is a shame that such a beloved online world wasn’t given a new lease on life within this collection.

Guns of the Patriots features phenomenal voice acting and choreography in its famous, exposition-heavy cutscenes. Nostalgia’s certainly a part of this one’s replay value but it also works well as a showcase of great presentation in video games that holds up remarkably well even after all these years.

The same can be said for Peace Walker, which began life as a PSP title before receiving an enhanced HD console release on PS3 and Xbox 360. It has often been described as the true bridge between Metal Gear Solid 3 and Metal Gear Solid V, and there are plenty of reasons for that. Its narrative significance cannot be overstated, as it lays much of the groundwork for Big Boss’s transformation and the events that eventually lead into Metal Gear Solid V.

"It’s quite easy to recommend Master Collection Vol. 2 to both veterans and newcomers alike."

Having Peace Walker alongside MGS4 also makes thematic sense, allowing Vol. 2 to explore two very different stages in the lives of Big Boss and Solid Snake, but that’s certainly not the only good thing about it. It expands on ideas explored in Portable Ops with the Fulton recruitment system and a much deeper base-building loop, systems that would later become fundamental to Metal Gear Solid V.

Its balance between gameplay and storytelling remains among the strongest in the franchise, particularly compared with the far more cutscene-heavy MGS4. When you combine that with an almost overwhelming amount of weapons and items to unlock, and a bevy of side operations outside of the main story to engage with, this one could keep you busy for even a hundred hours of gameplay. Online play also returns, with Co-Ops supporting up to four players and Versus Ops accommodating up to six, although the lack of cross-platform play is disappointing. Peace Walker also benefits substantially from Vol. 2’s presentation upgrades, running at up to 4K/60fps while offering multiple visual modes. The digital screenplay books are a nice touch, but I know I’m not going to revisit them beyond that first look. They’re still nice to have in a collection that’s going to be a trophy item to some of its buyers.

All in all, it’s quite easy to recommend Master Collection Vol. 2 to both veterans and newcomers alike. The main draw is certainly Guns of the Patriots, but Peace Walker and Ghost Babel provide enough additional value to make the collection feel worthwhile rather than like a vehicle for MGS4 alone. Vol. 2 may be lighter on games than its predecessor, but the quality and historical importance of what it preserves make it a must play for action-stealth players.

One can only hope that a subsequent volume featuring Portable Ops, The Twin Snakes, Ground Zeroes, and The Phantom Pain, complete with the elusive Episode 51, is currently being considered by Konami. Such a release would be a genuine dream for the fanbase and the ultimate conclusion to Konami’s fantastic Master Collection initiative.

This game was reviewed on PC.

Note: Varun Karunakar contributed to this review.

As caught by Reddit user LeimBR, the footage, split up across eight videos, was uploaded by the same user who has in the past showcased early builds of Grand Theft Auto 5, and even footage from the canceled Rockstar Games project Agent.

While the videos are of early builds of the Iron Man project, with copyright information on some scenes indicating that it was from 2012, we do get a pretty good idea of what kind of gameplay it would have featured. One video featured gameplay from a demo that was seemingly made for E3 2012, and offered two distinct gameplay demos: “Kinetic Combat” and “Freestyle Flight”.

The title would have seemingly taken many of its cues from the Marvel Cinematic Universe version of the character, which would have been quite popular at the time. The HUD for the game seems to focus on minimalism, with elements showing up to denote the number of hits in a combo, XP earned, and even remaining health showing up as needed. A radar was also placed in the top-right corner that would have warned the player about the number of foes ahead.

A progression system was also seemingly planned through which players could upgrade various aspects of Iron Man’s capabilities, like speed, defense, damage, and extra weapons.

The “Freestyle Flight” demo, as its name implies, focused more on Iron Man’s aerial capabilities. Along with flight itself, the character would also be capable of engaging in combat, having to take on a variety of paramilitary aircrafts.

The uploader for the video has noted that all of this gameplay footage is from a restored early build of the game running on a PS3 development kit. This, along with the 2012 copyright year, indicates that Avalanche was going to bring it to PS3 and Xbox 360. Considering the studio’s work at the time, a PC release may also have been planned. Evidence of the game running on old console generation hardware is quite visible throughout the videos, with things like long loading times, low-resolution textures, and even the hazy brown look of the games of that era being all over the place.

As for what would eventually cause this game to be cancelled, Avalanche Studios co-founder Christofer Sundberg said back in 2022 that “company politics” got in the way, with tight deadlines meaning that the studio would have to massively increase its workforce.

In the meantime, a new Iron Man game is confirmed to be in development at EA Motive. While no details about the project have been revealed, job listings have indicated that it will feature “major singleplayer levels”, and that those applying for the job would also need to have experience with single-player action RPG games.

In an interview with FRVR, Russell spoke about how Uncharted doesn’t really need a remake, since its gameplay and visuals still hold up well today. Pointing to the remake of the original System Shock, he noted that it “makes a lot of sense because not just can you play it, but it had horrible key bindings, it kept a lot of people out from wanting to play it.” Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, on the other hand, is something Russell still considers to be “new” since its control scheme is pretty standard for third-person shooters even today.

This, along with the fact that PlayStation Plus subscribers can still play the original Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, makes Russell question, “What’s the point of remastering [or remaking] it?”

“I just don’t see the point of remaking [it],” he continued. “You’d have to rewrite the whole story to make it better, which means you’re going to change the spirit and you’re going to change the scenes and what the first one was about, right? You’re going to have to add all these scenes or take things away, and a lot of the key set pieces—are you going to keep those? Are you going to have to redo them because they don’t fit your story?”

Interestingly, Russell also believes that a remake of the original wouldn’t do much to introduce the franchise to a new game. Rather, he says that the studio should “take the lessons of Uncharted 4 and make a new game that’s in the past or wherever you need it to be.”

“It doesn’t make any sense. I honestly thought the same thing about The Last of Us Part 1… these are old games for a reason.” Russell also noted that a remake would feel “more like a cash grab than it would feel like anything necessary at this point.”

It is worth noting that, since the 2013 release of The Last of Us, Naughty Dog has released a remastered version of the game for PS4, and then a remake for PS5 and PC. Similarly, The Last of Us Part 2 also got a remaster. When it comes to Uncharted, however, the studio has only released two games throughout the 2010s – Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy.

While it might seem like Naughty Dog is ready to move past the Uncharted franchise, a report from earlier this year has indicated that the studio at one point “flirted with the idea” of making an Uncharted 5. According to Insider Gaming’s Tom Henderson, “there was some planning of an Uncharted 5 before COVID.”

In the meantime, Intergalactic is slated for release exclusively on PS5. It doesn’t yet have a release date, however.

Red Dead Redemption 2, meanwhile, has sold over 87 million units, up from 85 million. It became the third-best-selling title in the United States, and with this continued sales momentum, that gap may continue to widen over time. That is, unless Nintendo Switch Sports Resort can replicate the success of Wii Sports.

As for Grand Theft Auto 6, it launches on November 19th for Xbox Series X/S and PS5. Over a year after its second trailer, Rockstar Games will debut an extended look on August 27th. The catch is that it will premiere first on Netflix at 3 PM ET before becoming available on YouTube and the official site at 9 PM ET.

While we wait for everything it could showcase, you can check out our feature for all the latest revealed details, including pricing and what’s available in the Ultimate Edition. Pre-orders have reportedly been very strong, reaching $260 million in the first week.

Among our favorite facets of our time with Metal Gear over the years is how each individual title has managed to remain special in our hearts and minds. It’s why remastered versions of some of its greatest hits, and a remake of one that did well to usher it into the current generation of gaming audiences, have been absolute treats for us to play.

It’s a stealth-action formula like no other, made eternal by Kojima’s visionary storytelling and gameplay design, and a potent narrative vehicle whose lore only gets more elaborate with every passing chapter. However, one of its titles has been rather quiet over the years, held back from reaching new generations of audiences thanks to its exclusivity to the PS3, a console that’s now two generations behind us.

If you’re among those players, we envy you. You might know Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriot from the memes. You might have heard about those cutscenes leaving enough time for a quick snack, or know it thanks to Old Snake’s iconic look as a weathered version of a seasoned protagonist. But you haven’t played it yet, and this one’s mechanical ambition, structural unpredictability, emotional excess are remnants of a time long gone in gaming that you might not be ready for.

We sense you scoffing at the idea of a game that’s around eighteen years old at this point giving you trouble of any sort. But that’s the point, as this one is full of surprises that are baked into the experience. Allow us to explain.

An Underplayed Variation On The Formula

Let’s begin with the fact that if your time in modern gaming began with the PS4 or later, the chances are you’ve only heard of this one, or perhaps caught its story cutscenes to help you understand what you were missing between titles that you could actually get your hands on. You might be coming into this one after Delta Snake Eater introduced you to Big Boss, and set the events of the franchise’s narrative in motion.

Well, this one’s going to be quite the culture shock, since it switches out meticulous, room-by-room infiltrations with active war zones, where soldiers, vehicles, patrols, and multiple factions vying for control of tightly contested spaces make for an experience that can be quite jarring to you. It could make you think that the quiet jungles that set Big Boss on his journey to infamy, and the patient, curated approach you could carve to them have been sacrificed on the altar of a more combat-focused title.

But you only have to dive into the many ways that Snake literally hangs back, using a cautious approach to pit factions against each other, his loyalty between them wavering on your whims. You could cause chaos, pitting them against each other and using the chaos of the ensuing firefight to pursue your own reasons for being there. Snake is a seasoned hunter in this one, and his years of accrued experience over his lifetime are woven into his gameplay loop so well it stands out as soon as you get some depth out of its systems.

Of course, the narrative framing leans into that playstyle, nudging you towards a more careful approach by making Snake’s ageing body a system all on its own, with visual cues that provide tangible feedback on your actions via animations, stress and physical strain being measured components of gameplay. The Psyche system is a layer that underlines it all, working well to give you the implicit understanding that you’re in control of a soldier who’s pushing a tired physique beyond its normal limits. It’s designed to make you feel like a soldier who simply refuses to die.

The change it brings to a gameplay loop that saw different innovations over the years is something that isn’t going to make itself known until you pick up a controller and begin messing around for yourself. Of course, Snake and his new hunting grounds are not the only parts of the equation that Guns of the Patriot switches up.

Tools Of The Trade

OctoCamo is certainly something that’s going to stand out when you get your hands on it. It’s the perfect example of how MGS4 adapts the franchise’s stealth-action formula to the new level designs, giving you an invaluable way to navigate complex spaces unseen by simply blending with the background, Meccha Chameleon style. A relatively short cooldown on it meant that the ability to hide in plain sight was never too far away, making it a responsive and fluid part of traversal.

Expect to find yourself using it to carve a path through enemy forces with a lot of the usual sneaking and skulking, but with a new energy and pace as you find yourself improvising on the fly, stopping only when the moment requires that you pause to exploit a new weakness, or perhaps figure out a new route based on a changing situation. You’re always adaptable, but Snake’s personal constraints mean every choice you make matters.

The Solid Eye was a superb way to complement that mobility, being a great way to spot interest in your immediate vicinity and from afar, while also giving you a map to help navigate areas with more precision. Between the two tools, you’re going to find that instead of feeling like stealth is restricted to controlled spaces, you now have an entire battlefield at your disposal and it’s a sense of liberation we’re happy you’re going to experience.

With other gadgets, the threat detection ring, weapons and their modifications, and Drebin’s shop, there’s a lot of depth to what’s on offer in this one. It brings a sense of freedom, and feels like the game’s always working with you as you make and execute plans to navigate heavily guarded space without no one being any the wiser to your presence. Where you might expect the game to fail it’s stealthy roots, it doubles down on them while also allowing the action part of things to take the spotlight

The boss battles may have been a step down from the incredible Cobra Unit encounters in Metal Gear Solid 3, but they still pushed us to our limits. The battles against the Beauty and the Beast Unit, along with the different ways each encounter could be approached, are something we can’t wait to experience again. And then there’s the chance to pilot Metal Gear REX against Metal Gear RAY, followed by the unforgettable final showdown between Snake and Liquid Ocelot, a rivalry built over years, brought to life with incredible passion.

You never know when a firefight is going to break out with you thrust into the thick of it all, with an aggressive approach often favored by its large-scale combat encounters. It’s a potent military shooter when a situation that brings such battles into play unfolds, but that it doesn’t compromise on the franchise’s famous stealth traditions to do so is something that could catch many of you unawares at several points if you’re not watching out for it.

There’s also that story to talk about.

Twists In The Tale

Part of why the switch to action from stealth can feel as surprising as it does is the story, where the very structure and pacing of the narrative bring new locations, objectives, and infiltration techniques needed to get there. The rest is up to you, as you’re encouraged to get as creative as you can with what’s in your pockets and in the world around you. There’s very little repetition on offer in this one, and that can be a switch from what’s on offer today.

It switches things up with each act, its tone also varying between military tragedies, the influence of political ideologies on conflict across the globe, questions of identity and agency, absurd comedy, fanservice, melodrama, and even a bit of horror thrown in. Those cutscenes aren’t talked about for so many years after the game’s release for no reason, and if you’re new to the franchise, a lot of what you find is going to have you diving for the wikis more often than not.

Of course, all of this only serves to lend the spectacle this one offers a unique charm, and it carries that with a confidence that’s both impressive and deeply self-indulgent and it flits between its excessive exposition, uneven pacing, and a few well-placed moments of closure for franchise veterans that were much needed at the time of its release, and are welcome bits of nostalgia for those of you replaying this one again.

You might think that all of these factors we’re talking about could be seen as flaws, and they would be if you look at them through the lens of a gaming industry that’s been more risk averse than Kojima and Konami were back in the day. It took an already ambitious and unique franchise in a bold new direction, leading into MGS5 with aplomb. Its ambitions, and the resolution of decades of complicated threads of continuity make it a game that’s more demanding than its peers, but it’s one that makes you feel like a truly powerful superspy trapped in an old man’s body.

That’s not something you can find everyday, and MGS4’s current-gen debut is something we’re excited for just to join Solid Snake on one last replay of his last adventure. If you’re a newcomer to its strangeness, massive scale, and its experimental excess, know that it doesn’t behave like anything you’re used to, and expects the same kind of controlled chaos from you.

It’s what has made it so special to us over the years.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

As caught by social media user Anonimo, changes were discovered on the SteamDB page for Wolfenstein, despite the title having been delisted from Steam entirely. A host of updates have seemingly been made to the metadata for the title, with some even mentioning modern features like controller glyph displays and default graphical configurations. Interestingly, among the changes is the original listed release date of the game – August 18th, 2009. This could hint at an upcoming remastered release.

There have also been mentions of Steam Deck compatibility, which would indicate that Bethesda and Microsoft are looking at a wide release for the 2009 shooter.

While neither of the companies has made any announcements as of yet, QuakeCon 2026 is right around the corner, kicking off on August 6th and running until August 9th. Bethesda has maintained a tradition of remastering some of the older shooter franchises it owns so far, and this year, we could see Wolfenstein getting the treatment. We’ve previously seen this happen with Quake, Quake 2, Heretic, and Hexen.

2009’s Wolfenstein was developed by Raven Software – a studio that was previously known for its work on classic shooters like Hexen and Heretic, and more recently known as a support studio working on the Call of Duty franchise.

The title revolves around American superspy B.J. Blaskowicz on a mission to stop the Nazi forces from being able to harness the power of an ancient alternate dimension known only as the Black Sun. While the Nazis have been using the power from the dimension to create new super soldiers and other monsters, Blaskowicz is equipped with a magic amulet that allows him to pull off some fantastical moves, like slowing down time, for example.

Interestingly, the story was a follow-up to 2001’s Return to Castle Wolfenstein, which laid many of the foundations of the Nazis and their obsession with occult artifacts leading up to the 2009 title.

Interestingly, while Wolfenstein: The New Order was a soft reboot for the franchise, developer MachineGames brought over some of the story elements from Wolfenstein to flesh out the world, including characters like Caroline Becker and Wilhelm Strasse. Many of the technological advances made by the Nazi forces in MachineGames’ series could also be attributed to their discovery and use of the Black Sun.

However, in terms of overarching continuity, the B.J. Blaskowicz of MachineGames’ titles is not the same as the one from the 2009 shooter, and the newer entries have also opted to take on a much more serious tone for their stories when compared to their predecessors.

During his tenure at Rockstar Games, Roberts had worked on the Midnight Club franchise as well as the multiplayer for the original Red Dead Redemption. As for what happened with Midnight Club, he confirmed that the studio ultimately canceled the project.

“When I [left], the core Midnight Club team continued to develop. I think they had even had some prototype cities; I kind of recall London was the one they were doing map development and stuff for. There was effort, and they were starting, and they were starting Midnight Club 5, or whatever they were going to call it, but it didn’t last, and it was canceled.” Roberts said that one of the core reasons behind the cancelation was a “non-trivial conflict” that arose between Rockstar’s New York Studio and the San Diego-based Midnight Club team. The same conflict also seemingly led to several missed milestones when 2008’s Midnight Club: Los Angeles was being developed.

The distance between both of the studios likely played a major role, especially in a time when online communication and collaboration tools weren’t as robust as they are in modern days. However, Roberts also believed that creative control may have played a major role, with the New York team noting that “you’re not GTA”, and making the Midnight Club team feel like they were working on “a red-headed stepchild project” that “never got the accolades or the reception.”

“I think that might have been the core of it, but it was also creative control,” he said. “The team in San Diego kind of…we felt, in any other studio environment, Midnight Club was a solid game.”

“The perception was we never got the accolades or the reception. The New York perspective was, ‘You’re not GTA’. When you’re the red-headed stepchild project—you know, we’re doing a good job, we’re world-class, but we’re still treated less than. It was challenging.”

The cancelation of the project would eventually lead to the entire team being dismissed. While Roberts himself was tasked with working on Rockstar’s in-house RAGE engine, many others were laid off. He said that the general feeling at the time was that “there would be no more Midnight Club and everything was going to be GTA and stuff moving forward, and that’s just the way it was going to be.”

The Midnight Club franchise started off on PS2 back in 2000 with Midnight Club: Street Racing. It would get a pair of sequels in a relatively short time frame – 2003’s Midnight Club 2 and 2005’s Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition. The franchise would then jump into the next console generation with its final game – Midnight Club: Los Angeles, which got a Complete Edition release in 2009 on PS3 and Xbox 360.

But for eighteen long years, Guns of the Patriot has been largely ignored, forcing you to hold on to a PS3 if you’re die-hard enough of a fan to want to replay it. That’s understandable, given how it sent Solid Snake off into the sunset in a story that had more twists and turns than a rollercoaster. But what isn’t understandable is why this classic making its way to the PS5, Xbox, PC, Switch and Switch 2 isn’t as big a deal as it should be.

There are many reasons for our bemusement, and we’re happy to get into them, as always. Let’s jump in!

A Muted Response To A Big Moment

Put aside the fact that MGS4 is stepping out of PlayStation exclusivity, which is in itself huge considering that the game helped sell more than its fair share of PS3s back in the day. It was definitely high among the console’s defining exclusive titles, and that it now gets a shot at reworking that magic on new hardware is certainly noteworthy.

Let’s consider this one’s significance to the franchise canon, for starters. It isn’t a forgotten spin-off shoved away into a dusty archive to be outshone by the rest of the franchise. It stands tall as a worthy conclusion to Solid Snake’s story, and has largely been a missing piece in conversations about modernising the entire Metal Gear collection for new hardware. It’s been a missing piece for so darn long, so why isn’t there more noise about its imminent arrival? Why doesn’t it feel like more than just a mere bullet point on the back of Master Collection Vol. 2’s cover?

It’s important to remember that it isn’t running the same build as the 2008 release. It’s targeting resolutions up to 3840×2160 with 60 fps framerates on the PS5, Series X, and PC. The Series S and Switch 2 are getting enhanced configurations too, while the Switch is naturally going to see a little bit of downscaling, but the fact that it’s getting a version too is definitely welcome. Why is that relevant? It means players aren’t just getting access to the original release, but an official version that’s the game at its best.

All of these are reasons enough for Konami, and the community it’s built around the franchise, to be singing about this one from the rooftops. So why doesn’t it feel bigger?

Making Sense Of The Silence

We can’t help but wonder what could have been if Konami had taken MGS4 out of the second Master Collection and released it as a standalone remaster for the current-gen platforms, with 4K 60 fps right off the bat. Even thinking about it gives us goosebumps, and we can only imagine how it might have felt like a whole event to look forward to if that had been the case.

But what we’re seeing instead is a collection of titles where it feels like MGS4 just happened to be shoehorned in alongside Peace Walker and Ghost Babel. What should have been the triumphant return to the limelight for a classic became a single, unremarkable entry in a compilation. You might argue that the fact that we’re here talking about it means it hasn’t lost its edge, but that only serves to strengthen the argument that it perhaps needed its own release to stand out.

We’re also looking at last year, and how Delta changed the benchmarks for a re-release of a beloved franchise mainstay. From its announcement, marketing campaign, graphical showcases, and the buzz that fed into itself as its release date drew nearer, Naked Snake’s origin story was definitely a hit, with 2 million copies sold as of March this year.

It was a game that was significant to the franchise’s lore, something it shares with MGS4, while the latter is also historically relevant from an availability perspective. It isn’t a full remake, though, with no new additions on the visual and gameplay fronts. It’s not a reinvention of a classic to suit modern hardware and the improved gameplay that comes with it. But it’s still a worthy effort at preservation that deserves its time in the sun. It’s probably harder to market that, though.

Of course, making things even harder is the fact that Master Collection Vol. 1 didn’t have the best release build there was, with technical issues that Konami would then take years fixing. A look at the official patch notes on that one is going to tell you that there were improvements as recent as February 2026, including corrections and visual settings that have made it a worthy addition to your library now. But that was far from the case when it was released, and that might be working against Vol. 2 and MGS4.

The baggage that Vol. 1 brought to the table means that players are sure to see the new collection through a lens of caution. It might not be the day one purchase that it should be, considering Metal Gear’s immense popularity and the fact that one of the games in its collection is a rare gem that has nothing to do with the launch impressions that surround the collection it’s a part of. But as it stands, Vol. 2 is likely a release that many players might wait out to see if its launch state is worth an immediate purchase or if waiting for a sale is a better option.

There’s also MGS4’s own troubled history to consider. It wasn’t a title you could dive into the way Delta put you right into the jungle with Naked Snake’s proficiency at CQC, stealth, survival, and the story with The Boss. That one was quite easy to romanticise, and this is exponentially easier to pitch as an entry point to the franchise to modern audiences who might have missed it the first time around, while also being a very welcoming addition to franchise veterans.

The latter camp are definitely the ones who understand the value of MGS4, and it’s possible that you’re one of them if you’re here. You know why it matters, but let’s be objective here. Its story is heavily dependent on knowledge of the franchise’s past releases, and some of those cutscenes give you enough time to fix yourself a snack if you’re quick. It’s also among the more divisive presences in the franchise’s history.

That’s a bit of baggage that the game itself brings to the table, and its existence makes its prospects today hugely dependent on existing fans. It wouldn’t make sense to pitch this one to a player if it was going to be their first Metal Gear title. When you consider that against everything else we’ve been discussing, the silence around its potential revival begins to make sense. But we still hold firm on our position that MGS4 on current-gen hardware should be a bigger deal than it is. Here’s why.

A Quiet Solution To A Loud Problem

We briefly touched upon the idea of preservation, and MGS4 is a great example of how some of the best releases disappear behind older hardware that’s probably obsolete or traded away for a shiny new upgrade. The storefronts that host them might be dead, or the architecture propping things up might become obsolete. Licensing problems might see them pulled away, or platforms they’re on could be abandoned.

If all of these sound familiar, you’ve probably joined us on our examination of Sony’s stony silence in the face of a lot of backlash to its decision to go digital-only on releases post 2028. Preserving games for players has become a facet of modern gaming that is taking us all to uncharted and turbulent waters. MGS4 is a perfect poster child for the preservation problem, and the fact that it’s suddenly becoming accessible again on modern hardware is proof that it’s a problem being solved.

What’s more, the solution is unfolding right in front of us, and is way more straightforward than streaming, emulation, or keeping an old PS3 on life support. It’s a native commercial release on contemporary platforms that you just buy, download, and play. It’s a cause for celebration, not just among Metal Gear fans, but for gamers who want to ensure that the best games of history remain ever accessible to subsequent generations of players.

MGS4 has spent eighteen years locked behind the wall of PS3 exclusivity. It would be a shame if the industry barely notices when that wall comes down, and what that means in the larger context of things.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.