Metal Gear Solid plans may have a lot to look forward to in 2023 as Konami's producer for the franchise is hinting at various plans to be revealed in the next year. Konami's dedication to Metal Gear Solid, and all of its franchises for that matter, has been in question for several years. Yet the recent announcement of several Silent Hill projects made clear a reinvigorated Konami was back in form. A Metal Gear Solid announcement seemed like an inevitable next step.
While Silent Hill is a relatively safe property to start over with, Metal Gear Solid has a lot of unfortunate baggage. It's not just that the man behind Metal Gear, Hideo Kojima, left Konami in a highly controversial manner. That's obviously the biggest issue, though, of course. It's also that the Metal Gear Solid franchise ended on somewhat of a bad taste. Metal Gear Solid 5 is beloved by many, but it was also criticized for its lack of a conclusion and repetitive format.
Fans of the Metal Gear Solid franchise are left questioning not just when Konami will bring the series back but whether it'll be the kind of experience that fans fell in love with. Those answers may be coming soon, at least. In an interview with Famitsu, longtime Metal Gear Solid producer Noriaki Okamura teased major plans for 2023. Okamura says that not only will 2023 be a year with "many announcements," but that fans can look forward to a specific "long-awaited" reveal, too.
Okamura is ambiguous with his description and doesn't explicitly state it'll be related to Metal Gear Solid, unfortunately. He could be referring to Castlevania, Contra, or even Dance Dance Revolution. It's Okamura's history with Konami that has led some to conclude he's talking about Metal Gear Solid returning. Okamura isn't solely the producer of Metal Gear Solid, though, so he could be referring to any of Konami's popular franchises.
What makes Okamura's tease particularly exciting to Metal Gear Solid fans, however, is that his comments follow reporting on a related major rumor. That rumor is that Konami has licensed out a Metal Gear Solid remake to Singapore studio Virtuos, not unlike how it licensed Silent Hill 2 to Bloober Team. It's said to be a PS5 exclusive with an announcement tentatively planned for 2023.
Where the truth lies between these rumors and reports is unclear, but it's very true that Konami's Silent Hill announcements were similarly preceded by now-confirmed rumors and leaks. Metal Gear Solid fans should maintain an amount of skepticism, but 2023 may be the year they've been waiting for. Kojima left Konami seven years ago. It might be time for Konami to give Metal Gear Solid another chance.
Source: Famitsu