Konami has confirmed that neither Hideo Kojima—the original creator of the Metal Gear series—nor his company, Kojima Productions, are involved in any way with Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater.
In an interview with IGN, it was confirmed by the development team at Konami that Metal Gear Solid 3 director Hideo Kojima and series artist Yoji Shinkawa will not be a part of the upcoming Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater after the rough break-up between Kojima Productions and Konami back in 2015 following the release of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. The “central role” will be taken on by Konami themselves, with prolific support studio and porting house, Virtuos (Dark Souls Remastered and The Outer Worlds Nintendo Switch ports), on board to help as well.
“They are not involved,” a Konami spokesperson said. “However, the development team will work hard to create this remake and also the ports (for Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection) so that they can be enjoyed on multiple platforms by even more players all around the world.” This collection was announced alongside Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater and includes the original Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, and Metal Gear 1 and 2.
While this shouldn’t come as a huge surprise after the incredibly-visible, public break-up between Hideo Kojima and Konami, it is still a bit disappointing that the original creator won’t be involved. No word on whether or not a role was offered to Hideo Kojima at all or whether it was something he decided to turn down, but regardless, Kojima Productions moved on from the Metal Gear series a long time ago, with the release of Death Stranding, an upcoming sequel, and a signed Xbox Game Studios release.
Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater will release for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC without an official date as of yet, while the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection is slated for a release in Fall 2023. While some fans are bummed out with the voice acting outside of this Hideo Kojima news, as they plan to use the original game’s voice track with no alterations, Konami pledges to create “a faithful remake”. With several classic Konami titles rumored to be getting the remaster treatment, let’s hope this one nails it so the others can follow suit!
