Among all the exciting titles players are hoping to get their hands on in 2021, there is one long-dead franchise that some fans can't wait to see return, especially on next-gen consoles. This would be Hideo Kojima's Metal Gear Solid series, which has seemingly been on permanent hiatus since Metal Gear Survive released after the series' creator left Konami.
Now, there are new next-gen consoles and PC tech to enhance the cinematic quality of the Metal Gear Solid series, adding ray tracing and higher frame rates to Kojima's iconic style. However, looking at the way the series ended, it might be some time before anything knew comes out of the franchise that isn't a pachinko machine.
Kojima Productions Left Konami
Hideo Kojima's development studio Kojima Productions, recently celebrating five years, parted ways with Konami not long after the release of Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain. The separation has been reported and speculated on consistently for the last few years since the publishing titan lost one of its biggest names and the creator of a massive franchise. Reports indicate that Konami was abusive toward Kojima on all levels, while others purport that it was Koijma's micromanagement. Regardless, things did not end amicably (though Kojima has shown interest in just moving on and forgetting the whole thing over the years).
Most fans also assume that this is what caused The Phantom Pain's disappointing ending, with hours worth of cut content and the final chapters being somewhat cobbled together with retreads of previous missions. There currently hasn't been any official announcement or comment from either Kojima or Konami that would confirm this theory, so much is left up for fans to interpret as they please. However, what isn't up for interpretation is the lasting effect that the last title Konami attached the Metal Gear name to has had on the public opinion on both the franchise and the publisher.
Konami Severely Damaged the Franchise with Metal Gear Survive
The botched release of Metal Gear Survive is now an infamous mark on the franchise, remaining the first and final attempt that Konami has made at both using the Fox Engine that built Metal Gear Solid 5 and continuing the series without Kojima. This isn't to say that Kojima is some super genius and the series can't possibly stand without his influence driving a new Metal Gear to success, but it does emphasize how importance he is to the franchise. It's entirely possible that any chance of Metal Gear Solid 6, with or without Kojima Productions, died with the release of Metal Gear Survive and the ensuing onslaught of negative reception.
Kojima Productions Doesn't Need Metal Gear
Another important note for the likelihood of Kojima Productions moving forward with a new Metal Gear title, either following the end of Phantom Pain or continuing past Metal Gear 4 somehow, is that the developer doesn't need the franchise anymore. With 2019's Death Stranding releasing to a divisive reception, leaving some fans disappointed and others amazed, the new era of an independent Kojima Productions has started off with more success than failure. So, the chances are that the developer may be working on either Death Stranding 2 or moving forward with a completely new IP with the goodwill earned through its latest title, all before any sort of collaboration for Metal Gear Solid 6 could come to fruition.
Of course, for the Metal Gear Solid fans that are looking the franchise to continue, a spiritual sequel of sorts may be the best that Kojima Productions can deliver with the series still owned by Konami. However, looking at the tiny details already in Death Stranding and many of the repurposed ideas that crossed over from the canned Silent Hills, Kojima has a knack for reintegrating unused concepts. It's possible that whatever was planned to come after The Phantom Pain will appear in a future title, only under a different name, and Metal Gear Solid 6 really has no feasible way forward.
Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain is available now for PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.