When Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain dropped at the beginning of September, fans were thrilled to find that the game lived up to the huge expectations placed upon its shoulders. Delivering an open world to Metal Gear Solid players, the title toed the line between player choice and intriguing narrative perfectly, all the while injected with a healthy dose of the franchise’s iconic quirk. The game has been a smash hit, winning huge plaudits from critics and becoming the best-selling game in the series in the process.
Unfortunately, the success of the title had a bittersweet aftertaste. After the tumultuous behind-the-scenes drama at Konami, series creator Hideo Kojima allegedly departed the company, leaving behind him a blazing trail of bad blood that saw in-process projects such as Silent Hills completely eradicated. Metal Gear Solid 5 was likely to be the last Metal Gear title that Kojima helmed.
Many have wondered, however, whether Konami would continue to build upon the franchise after Kojima departed, be it in the form of spin-off titles or more sequels in the Metal Gear Solid series. Now, it seems as though fans of the franchise have been given a finite answer on the matter. As it turns out, Metal Gear may have lost its creator, but Konami may still release games from the series in the future.
In an interview with Game On Daily (via VideoGamer.com), Konami’s senior UK community manager Graham Day has confirmed that the Metal Gear franchise may live on without Hideo Kojima’s influence. “Obviously the Metal Gear brand will continue,” said Day when asked about Kojima’s exit from Konami. The community manager continued by stating that “Metal Gear is about the story, it’s about the characters,” suggesting that Konami will revisit the franchise at some point in the future.
Day also addressed the rumors that Konami will stop AAA development, and instead focus on mobile devices. “Don’t believe everything you read in the press,” said Day, who reiterated that “things have been taken out of context.” He continued to focus on the company’s future, stating that “Konami has a history of making the best games around and that is something that will continue,” in spite of recent reports that PES will be the only console franchise that will continue to see release.
Although some fans may be happy to hear that Metal Gear Solid may see another release in the future, others will no doubt be wary about a Metal Gear title without Kojima’s auteur stamp upon it. One need only take a look at the diminishing returns of other Konami franchises, such as Castlevania and Silent Hill, when their creators have made way for other developers. With Day also citing action spin-off Metal Gear Rising as an example of the way the series could continue in “a new direction,” perhaps any further Metal Gear Solid title could be a very different beast from its beloved predecessors.