A longtime producer at Konami who worked closely with the Metal Gear Solid series has teased exciting announcements for 2023, and previous leaks and job listings may hold clues as to what players can expect. Konami recently announced a return to the Silent Hill series with several new projects in development, like the Silent Hill 2 Remake and Silent Hill F. However, producer Noriaki Okamura stated that this new year would see announcements of more long-awaited projects from Konami.
Disappointment struck fans last year when Metal Gear‘s 35th anniversary passed without any new projects being announced. Players hoping to experience the digital HD ports of MGS2 and MGS3 can still not purchase the games due to their delisting from digital storefronts. It has been more than five years since Konami released Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain and Metal Gear Survive. After the series’ primary designer and writer, Hideo Kojima, left Konami in 2015, players wondered if the company would continue to release Metal Gear games. Fortunately, job listings and Konami producer Noriaki Okamura have suggested that 2023 could contain news fans have awaited.
2023 Should Give Metal Gear Fans Something To Look Forward To
A short interview with a Metal Gear Solid franchise producer, Noriaki Okamura, on Famitsu revealed that 2023 will “be a year with many announcements.” While the interview reported by Insider Gaming is light on details, leaks and rumors have suggested an MGS3 remake from Konami has been in the works for some time. Still, with the Metal Gear series being one of the company’s most popular franchises and recently passing its 35th anniversary, it would be surprising if fans didn’t hear about a new Metal Gear project to get excited about soon.
While MGS3 has seen its share of remake rumors, the original Metal Gear Solid has also been teased to receive a large-scale PS5 remake. MGS1 was previously updated and remade on the Nintendo GameCube in 2004 with Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes. Bluepoint Games recently delivered the stunning Demon’s Souls Remake on the PlayStation 5, and leaks suggested that the team’s next project would be a current-gen rendition of MGS1. However, after Sony bought Bluepoint Games, it spelled bad news for MGS fans, as it would’ve meant Konami needed to find another studio to take on the monumental task.
Konami Can Make A New Metal Gear Story Without Kojima
While remaking or remastering the game’s first four games have been long-rumored, Konami announcing Metal Gear Solid 6 would be a huge surprise. With Kojima no longer working with the company in charge of the MGS franchise, the task would fall onto other talented minds who may have helped write and produce previous Metal Gear games, like Noriaki Okamura. The mysterious storylines of Big Boss and Solid Snake have previously reached satisfying conclusions, but a story for another installment wouldn’t be impossible to create in a series filled with clones and cyborgs. Still, it is up in the air if there will be a Metal Gear Solid 6, with many preferring Kojima’s story remain untouched.
Refreshing Metal Gear Solid for modern audiences would be an excellent way for new players to discover the groundbreaking series that helped revolutionize storytelling in gaming. Still, Noriaki Okamura’s comments may be referring to the anticipated return of the Castlevania franchise or even Konami’s Winning Eleven soccer games. While many players await the return of the series that Konami controls in 2023, an official reveal of something Metal Gear Solid-related would be exciting. Hopefully, it will be something more substantial than the necessary relisting of MGS2 and MGS3.
Sources: Insider Gaming, Famitsu
