Metal Gear (Japanese: METAL GEAR, Hepburn: Metaru Gia) is a Japanese series of action-adventure stealth games created by Hideo Kojima. Konami developed and published the first game, Metal Gear, which was released in 1987 for MSX home computers. Players often control a special forces operative, usually Solid Snake, who is typically assigned to find the main weapon, "Metal Gear," a robot that walks on two legs and can launch nuclear weapons.
Many follow-up games have been released for different consoles, expanding the story and introducing new characters who support or oppose Snake. Earlier games in the series explore the origins of Metal Gear and recurring characters. The third game, Metal Gear Solid for the PlayStation, introduced 3D graphics and helped the series gain worldwide recognition.
The series is known for starting and popularizing stealth games and "cinematic video games." Key features include movie-style scenes, detailed stories, unusual humor that refers to the game itself, and themes related to cyberpunk, dystopian futures, politics, and philosophy. The series also includes references to Hollywood movies. Individual games have received high praise and awards. As of December 2025, the series has sold 65.5 million copies. It has also been adapted into other forms of media, such as comics, novels, and drama CDs. Solid Snake has appeared in other games, including the Super Smash Bros. series, Ape Escape 3, LittleBigPlanet, and Fortnite.
Games
Hideo Kojima created the first Metal Gear game, which was released in Japan and Europe in 1987 for the MSX2 computer. A different team made a version of the game for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), which came out in Japan on December 22, 1987, North America in June 1988, and Europe and Australia in 1989. Konami later made an NES sequel called Snake's Revenge, but Kojima was not involved in this project. It was released in North America and Europe in 1990. One of the designers of Snake's Revenge met with Kojima and asked him to make a real sequel to Metal Gear. In response, Kojima began working on Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, which was released in Japan in 1990 for the MSX2.
After finishing Metal Gear 2, Kojima worked on other projects before directing his third Metal Gear game, Metal Gear Solid, for the PlayStation. Development started in 1994, and the game was shown at the 1996 Tokyo Game Show before being released in 1998. The success of Metal Gear Solid led to many more games, including sequels, prequels, and remakes for platforms like Microsoft Windows, Game Boy Color, PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360, Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. A sequel to Metal Gear Solid, called Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, was released in November 2001 for the PlayStation 2. A remake of the original Metal Gear Solid, named Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, was released for the Nintendo GameCube in 2004. Later that year, the third numbered entry, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, was released on the PlayStation 2. This game was the first prequel, set before all previous Metal Gear games, and served as the origin of the franchise. A sequel to Snake Eater, Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, was released on the PlayStation Portable in 2006. The main storyline of the series ended with Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, released in 2008 for the PlayStation 3. This game included a multiplayer spin-off called Metal Gear Online.
In April 2010, another sequel to Snake Eater, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, was released for the PlayStation Portable and was set shortly after the events of Portable Ops. A spin-off game, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, was released in 2013 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and in January 2014 for PC. This game was set after Guns of the Patriots and featured Raiden, the protagonist from Sons of Liberty who became a cyborg ninja.
Expanded re-releases of games in the series were also made, such as Integral (Metal Gear Solid), Substance (Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty), and Subsistence (Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater). Portable versions of the games are usually set outside the main storyline. Metal Gear: Ghost Babel was released for the Game Boy Color, and several games were made for the PlayStation Portable. A different type of game, Metal Gear Acid and its sequel, used turn-based strategy mechanics based on collectible cards.
On May 18, 2009, a teaser site for the next Metal Gear game was uploaded by Kojima Production. The site had countdowns and images of two characters resembling a middle-aged Big Boss and a cyborg Raiden. An article in the July 2009 issue of Famitsu PSP + PS3 covered the site and included an interview with Hideo Kojima. The interview was heavily censored at Kojima’s request, and the full version was planned for a later issue. The new game was eventually revealed to be Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, announced on June 1, 2009, at E3 during the Microsoft Press Conference.
At E3 2010, a demo called "Metal Gear Solid 3D: Snake Eater – The Naked Sample" was shown on the Nintendo 3DS. Screenshots and art for the demo were later released on the official Kojima site. Kojima said this was not a preview of a full game but a sample of what could be done on the 3DS hardware. At Sony’s PlayStation Meeting on January 27, 2011, Kojima demonstrated a possible portable version of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots for the PlayStation Vita.
On June 2, 2011, Konami announced the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, released in November 2011 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The collection included remastered versions of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, with improved graphics and audio. In August 2011, UK retailer Zavvi secured the exclusive right to sell the Metal Gear Solid: Ultimate HD Collection for the PlayStation 3, released on November 25.
In November 2011, Kojima discussed the future of the series with PlayStation Official Magazine (UK), mentioning an upcoming Metal Gear Solid 5. He said, "I think we’ll probably have to make it [a sequel to MGS4] at some point, but what that will be, we have no idea." He also noted that Konami would have less influence on the game compared to previous projects. After mixed reactions to Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, Kojima assured fans that an "authentic stealth Metal Gear Solid" sequel would come in the future.
During a panel at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in March 2012, Kojima said he was working on a project he believed would be a "shining moment" for his career and the Metal Gear series. Konami revealed a demo for a new game, Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes, during the franchise’s 25th anniversary. A social game called Metal Gear Solid: Social Ops was released in December 2012 for the GREE platform.
On December 7, 2012, a teaser for The Phantom Pain was shown at the Spike Video Game Awards. After the trailer, many websites and fansites noted its connection to the Metal Gear series.
On March 27, 2013, Kojima announced at GDC 2013 that Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zero
Storyline
In the Metal Gear universe, history changed after World War I with the creation of a fictional secret agreement between the United States, China, and the Soviet Union. This group formed the fictional Cobra Unit, led by The Boss, who helped defeat the Axis Powers. Technology like cloning, AI, and robotics in the 1970s is more advanced. The eleven main Metal Gear games tell a story spanning over five decades, starting during the Cold War and ending in the near future. Big Boss is the most important character in the series, and five of the games are prequels focusing on his story, which happens decades before the first Metal Gear game. Solid Snake remains the main character of the series, as the prequels explain his purpose and his role as the opposite of his father.
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is the first game in the series. It introduces Naked Snake, a CIA operative working for the fictional FOX unit during the Cold War. The game shows Naked Snake’s journey from an apprentice to a legendary soldier, as well as the downfall of his mentor, The Boss. After The Boss joins the Soviet Union, Naked Snake is sent to Russia to kill her and stop Yevgeny Borisovitch Volgin, a Soviet colonel planning to overthrow the government. His heroism earns him the nickname "Big Boss" by the end of the game. The origins of The Patriots, an organization founded by Zero, are also explored.
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops follows Naked Snake after he leaves FOX. At this point, he has not yet accepted the nickname "Big Boss." The game shows the early days of his mercenary unit as he tries to escape the San Hieronymo Peninsula and fights former members of his unit. Some details in Portable Ops are not part of the main Metal Gear timeline, though the overall story is considered official.
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker takes place ten years after Snake Eater and focuses on Big Boss, now the leader of the mercenary group Militaires Sans Frontières (MSF). Big Boss discovers that nuclear warheads are being sent to Latin America and works to stop them. New characters help him, and some from later games, like a younger Kazuhira Miller, appear.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is the sequel to Peace Walker and has two chapters. The first, Ground Zeroes, takes place weeks after Peace Walker’s ending, with Big Boss rescuing VIPs in Cuba. His mission overlaps with an attack on his base by the XOF organization, leading to a helicopter crash that leaves Big Boss in a hospital for nine years. The main story, The Phantom Pain, follows Big Boss forming a new group, the Diamond Dogs, to fight back after the destruction of MSF. However, the "Big Boss" in this story is actually a brainwashed survivor of the crash, while the real Big Boss goes into hiding to create Outer Heaven, a place for soldiers to live without government control.
The first Metal Gear game for the MSX follows Solid Snake, a rookie in the FOXHOUND unit. He is sent by Big Boss to investigate a weapon called Metal Gear at the fortress of Outer Heaven in South Africa. After completing his mission, Big Boss is revealed as the leader of Outer Heaven, a place he created for soldiers to fight without government influence. He fights Snake and is killed, but this is later shown to be a body double from The Phantom Pain. In Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, the real Big Boss establishes a new nation, Zanzibar Land, and battles Snake again, who defeats him.
Metal Gear Solid explains that Solid Snake is a genetic clone of Big Boss, created by a secret government project. Liquid Snake, Snake’s twin brother, becomes the leader of FOXHOUND after Snake retires. Liquid and FOXHOUND take over a nuclear facility in Alaska and threaten to launch a weapon called REX unless the government gives them Big Boss’s remains. Solid Snake destroys REX and defeats most of FOXHOUND, except Revolver Ocelot.
Solidus Snake, a third brother of Big Boss, becomes the U.S. president and is the main villain in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. He learns about "The Patriots," a secret group controlling history. After leaving office, Solidus takes over the Big Shell facility, where a weapon called Arsenal Gear is being built to control AI systems. The game follows Raiden, a soldier who fights Solidus and learns he was once a child soldier under Ocelot’s command. Ocelot is revealed to be working for The Patriots, and Liquid Snake’s nanomachines later take control of Ocelot’s mind.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots follows an aging Solid Snake, now called "Old Snake," as he fights Revolver Ocelot, now known as Liquid Ocelot. Despite the destruction of Arsenal Gear, The Patriots continue their plans to control the world using AI. Ocelot opposes them and tries to take over their systems. Solid Snake’s mission shifts to destroying the Patriots’ AIs and ending their control. After succeeding, Snake chooses to live peacefully.
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance takes place four years after Guns of the Patriots and follows Raiden, a cyborg mercenary. He joins Maverick Security Consulting to protect an African prime minister but faces a crisis when the mission goes wrong.
Development
The first Metal Gear game was planned to be an action game that showed modern military fighting. However, the MSX2 computer's technology limited how many bullets and enemies could appear on the screen at once. Hideo Kojima believed this made the combat less exciting. Inspired by the movie The Great Escape, he changed the game to focus on a prisoner trying to escape. In articles for Official PlayStation 2 Magazine, Hideo Kojima said several Hollywood films were the main influences for the story and gameplay of the Metal Gear series. He also mentioned that the James Bond movies had the biggest impact on creating Metal Gear Solid. The original story included ideas about fear of nuclear war during the 1980s, which came from the Cold War. Later games included themes about checking nuclear weapons in Iraq and Iran, but this idea was removed because of growing concerns about politics in the Middle East. Other changes happened in Metal Gear Solid 2 because of the September 11 attacks.
After Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, Kojima planned to release the third game for the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer in 1994. The game was later moved to the PlayStation, renamed, and future games added the word "Solid" to their titles because the series began using 3D computer graphics. From then on, the games were designed to feel more realistic to improve player enjoyment. Metal Gear Solid 3 was first planned for the PlayStation 3, but because the console took too long to release, the game was made for the PlayStation 2 instead. Earlier games had indoor settings because of the consoles' limits, but Kojima wanted to change this despite the challenges. Since Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty left some plot points unanswered, it was meant to let players discuss them and form their own ideas. This caused problems with story consistency in the English versions of Metal Gear Solid and Metal Gear Solid 2 because they mentioned events later explored in Metal Gear Solid 4.
Related media
In 1988, a book version of the original Metal Gear was published as part of Scholastic's Worlds of Power series. This series included books based on games for the NES. The book was written by Alexander Frost. It did not follow the official story of the game but instead used the version of the plot adapted by Konami of America. The book changed the name of the main character, Solid Snake, to Justin Halley, and renamed his unit from FOXHOUND to the "Snake Men." In Japan, a gamebook version of Metal Gear was released on March 31, 1988, shortly after the game came out for the Famicom. This gamebook took place two years after the events of the original Metal Gear and was part of Konami's Gamebook Series.
A book version of Metal Gear Solid was published in 2008. It was written by Raymond Benson, who also wrote nine James Bond novels. Benson also wrote a book version of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, which was published in 2009. People generally liked Benson's books. Bookgasm.com said Benson did a good job turning the game into a book, and MishMashMagazine.com called Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty a great companion to the game. A Japanese-language book version of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots was published on June 12, 2008, by Project Itoh. It was translated into English by Viz Media and released on June 19, 2012.
A comic book version of Metal Gear Solid was published by IDW Publishing in 2004. It was written by Kris Oprisko and illustrated by Ashley Wood. A comic book version of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty was also published by IDW, written by Alex Garner and illustrated by Ashley Wood. The comic series had 24 issues and was collected in two trade paperbacks and a hardback book that is no longer available. A paperback version called Metal Gear Solid Omnibus was released in June 2010. A digital version of the first comic was released for the PlayStation Portable in 2006. A second digital version, Metal Gear Solid 2: Bande Dessinée, was released in Japan on DVD in 2008. It included fully voiced versions of both comic adaptations. Most Japanese voice actors from the games returned for the series, except those who had passed away.
A radio drama based on Metal Gear Solid aired in Japan from 1998 to 1999 as part of Konami's CLUB db program. It was directed by Shuyo Murata and written by Motosada Mori. The radio drama had 12 weekly episodes divided into three story arcs. It was later collected into two volumes. The series told stories that were not part of the main Metal Gear story but continued events from Shadow Moses. Characters like Solid Snake, Meryl Silverburgh, Mei Ling, and Roy Campbell went on missions as FOXHOUND operatives. Mei Ling and Meryl wore different uniforms in the series. Japanese voice actors from the game returned for the radio drama, and new characters were introduced.
Several DVDs have been released to promote the Metal Gear series. Metal Gear Saga vol. 1 was released in 2006 as a pre-order disc for MGS3: Subsistence. It included five chapters, each focusing on one game in the Metal Gear series in order, with discussions by Hideo Kojima. Metal Gear Saga vol. 2 was shown at the 20th Metal Gear Anniversary Party and released as a pre-order disc for MGS4. It was presented as a documentary about Solid Snake and divided into a prologue and four chapters, covering the stories of Naked Snake, Liquid Snake, Solidus Snake, and Solid Snake.
In 1999, McFarlane Toys, with Konami's help, created action figures of characters from Metal Gear Solid. In 2001, after the success of the first series and the release of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, McFarlane and Konami made more figures of characters from the game. Each figure came with a piece of the Metal Gear RAY robot, so collecting all the figures was needed to build the robot.
Konami released 4-inch blind-box figures based on MGS2 in Japan in 2002 and Substance in 2003. The Substance series was later sold in the U.S. and U.K. in card packages instead of blind boxes. During the release of MGS3, Medicom made 12-inch action figures of Snake as part of their Real Action Heroes line. Medicom later made figures of characters from Snake Eater and Guns of the Patriots, including 7-inch and 12-inch versions.
In 2009, toy company ThreeA partnered with Hideo Kojima to make related products. In late 2012, ThreeA released a large 1/48 scale model of Metal Gear REX with working lights. The model could be dressed to show REX's damaged state from Guns of the Patriots. ThreeA also worked with artist Ashley Wood to make a similarly scaled Metal Gear RAY. A prototype was shown at a hobby event in Hong Kong in 2012.
Square Enix began making toys based on the Metal Gear series, starting with characters and vehicles from Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. These toys, part of Square's Play Arts Kai line, were released in 2010. The line later expanded to include characters from Metal Gear Solid, Sons of Liberty, Ground Zeroes, and The Phantom Pain, with more detailed designs than earlier figures.
In 2012, Hot Toys released a 1/6th scale action figure of Naked Snake in his original sneaking suit from MGS3, as well as a figure of the Boss. To celebrate the Metal Gear series' 25th anniversary, Kotobukiya released a 1/100 scale model of Metal Gear REX with small figures of Solid Snake, Liquid Snake, and Gray Fox in different poses. Kotobukiya later made a similar model of RAY. Kaiyodo's Revoltech line includes figures of Big Boss from Peace Walker, Raiden from Rising: Revengeance, and characters from The Phantom Pain, including a 12-inch figure of Venom Snake and a 7-inch Soviet soldier.
The soundtracks for the first two Metal Gear games were made by Iku Mizutani, Shigehiro Takenouchi, and Motoaki Furukawa. For Metal Gear Solid, Hideo Kojima wanted a system that could change the music's tempo and texture in real time instead of switching tracks. This feature was not possible at first but was added in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. Kojima's choice
Reception and legacy
The Metal Gear franchise has sold over 65.5 million copies as of December 2025. By February 2007, the series had earned more than $1 billion (about $1.6 to $2.8 billion when considering inflation) from 20 million copies sold. It also sold other products, such as 3 million strategy guides, 1.5 million action figures, and 200,000 comic books. As of 2019, the franchise had earned about $2.5 billion worldwide.
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty sold 7.03 million copies worldwide. It was followed in sales by Metal Gear Solid, with over 7 million copies sold, and then by Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots and Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, each with over 6 million copies sold. According to Chart-Track, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots was the second fastest-selling PlayStation 3 game in the United Kingdom after Grand Theft Auto IV. The Phantom Pain earned $179 million on its release day, more than the combined opening day box office of the films Avengers: Age of Ultron and Jurassic World. The PlayStation Portable games had lower sales, but this was partly because the console itself sold few copies when the games were released. Metal Gear Survive, the first Metal Gear game developed after series creator Hideo Kojima left Konami, sold only a small fraction of the copies sold by Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.
The series, especially the games directed by Hideo Kojima, is often considered one of the most influential in video game history and has received a lot of praise from critics and players. Most of the numbered games are considered among the greatest video games of all time. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty currently has a score of 95.09% on GameRankings and 96/100 on Metacritic, making it the highest-scoring game in the series. In 2002, Metal Gear Solid was ranked the best PlayStation game ever by IGN. In Game Informer Magazine’s list of the top 200 games of all time, Metal Gear Solid 2 ranked No. 50. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater was voted the fifth greatest PlayStation game in a poll by PlayStation Official Magazine (UK). Metal Gear Solid and Metal Gear Solid 2 were displayed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s “The Art of Video Games” exhibition from March 16 to September 30, 2012. The games have won many awards, such as Metal Gear Solid, which received the “Excellence Award for Interactive Art” from the Japan Media Arts Festival, and Metal Gear Solid 2, which won the Game of the Year award from Game Informer.
Metal Gear was the first mainstream stealth game, with players starting the game unarmed. It sold over a million copies in the United States. Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake improved the stealth gameplay of its predecessor and is considered one of the best 8-bit games of all time. Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2 are credited with starting the use of stealth mechanics in games. Metal Gear Solid, which debuted at the 1996 Tokyo Game Show, was the first 3D stealth game and helped popularize the stealth genre and the hiding-behind-cover mechanic. The series introduced cinematic techniques into video games, with Metal Gear Solid being called the “first modern video game” by Eurogamer.
Several boss fights in the series are praised for their variety and the strategy needed to defeat them. The series is known for breaking the fourth wall, which means characters sometimes speak directly to the player. The story is noted for its strong character development and for addressing controversial topics. Hideo Kojima’s script in Metal Gear Solid 2 has been praised, with some calling it an early example of a postmodern video game. Others say it anticipated ideas like post-truth politics, fake news, echo chambers, and alternative facts. The series’ storytelling has been praised as some of the most interesting science fiction stories in any medium. The cutscenes in the games are often praised for their graphics and the quality of the actors’ performances. However, some critics have pointed out that the cutscenes are too long and that parts of the story are confusing. The sudden introduction of Raiden as the main character in Metal Gear Solid 2, without much warning and after replacing fan-favorite Solid Snake, is considered one of the most controversial parts of the series. The audio in the games has been highly praised, with awards given for its use of sound and music.
The Metal Gear series inspired many video game developers. Clint Hocking, the designer of Splinter Cell and Far Cry 2, said that every stealth-action game “owes its existence to the success of Metal Gear” and that “without Metal Gear, there would be no stealth games.” Mathieu Ferland, a producer for Splinter Cell, said Metal Gear Solid was a major inspiration and that it “was a pioneer for both the genre and the quality of directing.” Denis Dyack, founder of Silicon Knights, said Metal Gear Solid’s “story, script, characters, voice acting, and cinemas” were “a landmark” and “guiding light to the future of video games.” Cliff Bleszinski, creator of Unreal and Gears of War, said the military themes and action gameplay of Metal Gear influenced his work, and he named Gears of War in honor of Metal Gear. Takuma Endo, creator of Tenchu, cited the early 2D Metal Gear games as an influence. Tom Leonard, creator of Thief, said Metal Gear Solid’s success showed that experimental stealth gameplay could be successful and “revitalized the team” during the final stages of their project. Emily Knox, a designer at Sumo Digital, said Metal Gear Solid was an early influence on her work. Luke Kelly, an animator for Crysis 2, said the game’s animations were inspired by Metal Gear Solid 4. Neil Druckmann, a game developer, said the introduction of Raiden in Metal Gear Solid 2 influenced The Last of Us Part II (2020).
Beyond video games, filmmaker Jordan Peele cited the series as an inspiration, especially Metal Gear Solid 2. Some critics have compared the Metal Gear Solid series, particularly Metal Gear Solid 2, to the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014).