The very first Metal Gear launched on July 13, 1987—exactly 35 years ago today. As part of its big anniversary celebration, Konami has announced that two of the oldest games in the series—Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3—are going back on sale.
MGS2 and 3 were delisted in late 2021 (opens in new tab) because of their use of licensed footage in cutscenes, including news footage of US president John F. Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis. The licenses for those clips had expired and, like good music in a Grand Theft Auto game, that meant they had to disappear. Konami said at the time that the delistings were temporary, and while we still don’t have a date for their return, we at least now have confirmation that it’s happening.
❗Today marks the 35th anniversary of the #METALGEAR series! Thank you to everyone that enjoyed and celebrated the series so far. We ask for your patience as preparations are underway to make the temporarily removed titles available again. #MG35th pic.twitter.com/KxXoYfCAGBJuly 13, 2022
“Today marks the 35th anniversary of the #METALGEAR series!” the studio tweeted. “Thank you to everyone that enjoyed and celebrated the series so far. We ask for your patience as preparations are underway to make the temporarily removed titles available again.”
Konami hasn’t said whether the licenses for the troublesome video clips have been renewed, or if the segments have been replaced or cut completely, but whatever solution was found, the return of the games is good news. They’re aged—Metal Gear Solid 2 originally came out in 2001, while MGS3 followed in 2004—but they’re also excellent and widely acclaimed: Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (opens in new tab) has a 96 Metascore, while Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (opens in new tab) clocks in at 94.
I’ve reached out to Konami to ask about a timeline for the return of the games, and will update if I receive a reply.
