Metal Gear Solid Classic Collection: Rumored Release

The Metal Gear Solid franchise has been the subject of much speculation lately, with another potential project now being added to the list in the form of the Metal Gear Solid Classic Collection. This collection is set to include the tactical espionage classics Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. It is worth noting that the Classic Collection is a separate entity from the rumored Metal Gear Solid 3 remake, which is also slated to be released on multiple consoles soon.

The Metal Gear Solid Classic Collection is expected to make its way to multiple platforms, including PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. Each game will be presented as an HD remaster and will not be included in today's PlayStation Showcase or its potential line-up of games. Instead, the project is set to be revealed to the public next month, possibly by Konami directly during the Summer Game Fest promotional period.

According to Jez Corden of Windows Central, the Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots game will not be included in the Classic Collection. This is likely because the game was originally developed for the PlayStation 3, and the console's Cell microprocessor notoriously made that generation of games difficult to port. However, Corden suggests that there may be additional Metal Gear franchise installments in the form of a Metal Gear Solid Classic Collection Volume 2. This collection could feature side titles such as Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, and Metal Gear Solid: Revengeance.

Corden suggests that the Metal Gear Solid Classic Collection may have played a role in the removal of the digital editions of Metal Gear Solid 2 and Metal Gear Solid 3 in November 2021. Konami cited licensing issues related to "select historical archive footage" and noted that the games' removal would be temporary. However, the titles have yet to be re-released for download.

It is worth noting that this would not be the first time that these three games have been bundled together. Konami previously released the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2011. The compilation included a wide range of titles, such as the original Metal Gear, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence, and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. While the package received critical acclaim, fans were disappointed by the absence of Metal Gear Solid or its remake, Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes. Hideo Kojima, the series creator, later explained that The Twin Snakes, which was developed by Silicon Knights, was not considered canon as Kojima and his team were not directly involved in its production.