Andrew Webster for The Verge, reporting Gamespot’s scoop:
After much speculation, it looks like the brains behind the Metal Gear Solid series is leaving publisher Konami.
It was Thanksgiving break, and I was a freshman in high school. And all I wanted to do was play Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty.
The hype leading up to launch was immense. MGS2 was, without a doubt, the Playstation 2 title to have the holiday season of 2001. Up until that point, there was no native PS2 Metal Gear entry.
MGS2 introduced tons of gameplay innovations, and the story was—like the rest of the Metal Gear series—excellent.
I occasionally look back on my video game days and wax nostalgic. And when I do, it is often for MGS2 or Gran Truismo 3: A-Spec.
It is sad to hear that Kojima’s last MGS title will be the latest one.
Still, as Webster notes:
Kojima is no stranger to PR stunts, and over the course of the MGS series has frequently claimed that the next game would be his last. With regards to The Phantom Pain, he previously said that “I’m finally closing the loop on that saga. In that sense, this will be the final Metal Gear Solid. Even if the Metal Gear franchise continues, to me, this is the last Metal Gear.”
I guess we’ll see?