Konami’s return to high-profile console development has been cemented with the launch of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, a remake of the beloved 2004 classic. According to a recent interview with Bloomberg, the project was quietly in the works since 2020, with a dedicated team established to both modernize the series and lay the groundwork for future installments.
The decision comes after years of uncertainty for the Japanese publisher. Following the release of Metal Gear Solid V in 2015 and the much-publicized departure of creator Hideo Kojima, speculation spread that Konami had abandoned traditional console gaming to focus on mobile titles and pachinko machines. Producer Noriaki Okamura, who has been with Konami for decades, explained that this perception did not match the internal reality. “We got a lot of people saying, ‘Konami no longer makes console games,’” Okamura said. “That may have been the outside perception, but internally it didn’t really feel like that at all.”
Still, the company had little to show for its legacy franchises during those years. The release of Metal Gear Survive in 2018 was met with a lukewarm reception, leaving the franchise largely dormant. Behind the scenes, however, Okamura and other veterans were preparing a revival. Recognizing that younger audiences were less familiar with Metal Gear, the team chose to remake Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, both for its popularity and because it serves as a prequel within the franchise timeline.
Development of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater involved a new internal division supported by Singapore-based studio Virtuos. Yuji Korekado, who worked as a programmer on the original Snake Eater, also contributed to the project. He described the process as both humbling and rewarding. “It was so embarrassing” to see younger engineers study his old code, Korekado admitted, “but it was great in that now they can take a look at how the game was originally made, and I can explain it to them.”
The remake launched on August 28, 2025, for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S. Reviews have generally praised its modernized visuals and loyalty to the source material, though performance concerns and a poor PS5 Pro port have drawn criticism. Konami has indicated that updates will be released to improve these issues.
Okamura stressed that Delta was not only about revisiting a classic but also about preparing for the future of Konami’s console development. “We definitely built a team that could create a Metal Gear game,” he said. “We’ve tried to get a lot of young people to build them up to create high-end triple-A games. We believe it would be a great opportunity for them to not only work on just one franchise, but to be able to take on a lot of different types of projects.”
Yet the absence of Kojima looms large. The director, now running his own independent studio, has distanced himself from the remake and has no plans to engage with it. Whether fans will embrace new entries without his involvement remains uncertain. For Konami, however, the commitment to keep the franchise alive is clear. “One of the concepts that we have moving forward, and what we feel is our duty, is to keep the legacy going,” Okamura explained. “We want to show our love and respect to those who worked on the games, and be able to make sure it still goes on.”
With Metal Gear Solid Delta now released, Konami appears determined to prove that its console ambitions extend well beyond a single remake. The coming years may reveal whether this new team can truly shape the future of Metal Gear without the figure who defined its past.
