It's been five years since the last numbered entry in the Metal Gear Solid series released, Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain. Since then, there's only been one other particularly infamous spin-off in the franchise. Two years later, the Metal Gear series has gone quiet with no sign of returning with a sequel. The only major rumors involving the series recently have been surrounding a potential remake of the iconic first game. Even then, most people expect that to be a Bluepoint Games project rather than a Konami game.
As rumors continue to fly about a potential Metal Gear Solid remake, there's a very high likelihood Konami isn't interested in bringing back the Metal Gear Solid series at all. Considering the only post-Hideo Kojima outing for Metal Gear was a complete critical and commercial flop, Konami has certainly put some distance between itself and the series. Even moreso from the fans, who may have been willing to accept a proper Metal Gear Solid sequel without the franchise's brainchild overseeing development. There's a very real possibility that Konami is steering away from any and all efforts to make new games in the Metal Gear Solid franchise from now on.
The Metal Gear Solid Remake Conundrum
In the years since Metal Gear Survive, there's been no news, rumors, or leaks regarding any kind of Metal Gear Solid sequel or new entry. That's not surprising, considering Metal Gear Survive's poor reception. Rather, the rise of video game remakes has brought on the desire from fans to see a Metal Gear Solid remake. In fact, it's been rumored and reported on several times that a Metal Gear Solid remake is indeed in development, in some fashion. Of course, the reality of a remake being in development is entirely dependent on Konami, whether it's willing to dip back into triple-A game development or license out the franchise to a third-party developer.
There's a peculiar through line between all of the rumors and fan desires for a Metal Gear Solid remake that's worth pointing out here. Notice how every time a remake of the original game is discussed, Bluepoint Games is always touted as the developer for the job. Konami is never implicated as the developer for the remake in rumors, nor have very many fans expressed any desire to support a Konami-developed remake of the original game. Considering Konami's shifted most of its game development efforts into the mobile gaming market, perhaps the company would rather slap the Konami name onto the project and let Bluepoint Games do all the heavy lifting instead.
Konami Could Shift Focus Away from Metal Gear Solid Entirely
Either way, it's clear Metal Gear Solid is no longer a priority for Konami. With Survive in the rear-view, even if Konami seriously invests more money and manpower back into triple-A game development, it wouldn't necessarily be on a Metal Gear Solid game. There's still a wealth of Konami-owned IPs (Castlevania, Silent Hill, Yu-Gi-Oh!) that would make more sense to dive into, compared to a series that no longer has a creative platform to stand on. With numerous rumors and reports coming out in 2020 citing a new Silent Hill game in development, that makes it seem like Konami is wholly aware of that fact.
Silent Hill has been a dormant franchise even longer than Metal Gear Solid has been, with P.T. being the last major effort for that franchise. Not to mention Castlevania, a similarly innovative game series that helped develop an entire subgenre of video games. There's plenty of IPs other than Metal Gear Solid that Konami can focus on.
Metal Gear Solid Without Kojima is Controversy Waiting to Happen
However, putting aside any practical or logistical barriers, there's still the one obvious elephant in the room for Konami. Not to beat a dead horse, but there's really no avoiding any scenario where the development of a Metal Gear Solid sequel doesn't clash with Konami's controversial ousting of Hideo Kojima. There's very few realities where a Metal Gear Solid 6, or really any new Metal Gear Solid game announcement for that matter, isn't turned into a PR nightmare. Fans of the original series would likely rebuke Konami in every way, shape, or form for trying to iterate on the franchise without Hideo Kojima, especially after the commercial flop of Metal Gear Survive.
The controversy surrounding Kojima's departure from Konami, in tandem with Metal Gear Survive's controversy, is still a very valid reason not to touch the Metal Gear Solid franchise. Since Metal Gear Solid is often considered one of the most innovative and impactful video game franchises of all time, iterating on that legacy without the director who envisioned the series in the first place is a powder keg waiting to happen. More than likely, Konami has opted not to touch one of its cornerstone game franchises to preserve its pedigree, and also probably to avoid any unneeded controversy as well.