MGS Timeline: How to Play Metal Gear Solid Games in Chronological Order

From the gripping elevator ride in Shadow Moses to the poignant final duel in Snake Eater, Hideo Kojima and Konami's Metal Gear series has delivered some of the most memorable moments in gaming history. Spanning multiple console generations, the adventures of Solid Snake and Big Boss have not only pushed the boundaries of video game storytelling but have also solidified their place as some of the medium's most influential releases.

In 2015, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain seemed to conclude the saga, with Hideo Kojima parting ways with Konami to establish his own studio. However, Konami has since breathed new life into the franchise with re-releases and remakes, such as the highly anticipated Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, set to launch later this year. As new players dive into this world of espionage, conspiracy, and iconic characters, understanding the timeline of the series can enhance their experience. Below, we outline the chronological order of the Metal Gear Solid series for both newcomers and returning fans.

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• How to play in chronological order
• How to play by release order
• How Many Metal Gear Solid Games Are There?

Every IGN Metal Gear Review

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Excluding remakes, ports, and remasters, the Metal Gear series encompasses 17 games: 11 mainline titles, five handheld entries, and one mobile game. While this number might seem overwhelming, several of these are considered non-canon, branching off into unique narratives within the universe.

For instance, Metal Gear Survive (2018) explores an apocalyptic scenario with a zombie virus, thus falling outside the main canon. The PSP's Metal Gear: Acid and Metal Gear: Acid 2 diverge from the established timeline, creating alternate storylines. Metal Gear: Ghost Babel for the Game Boy Color offers an alternate-universe sequel that disregards the events of Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, while Metal Gear Mobile and Snake's Revenge have been deemed non-canon by both the community and Kojima himself.

This leaves us with **11 games within the main storyline**, which collectively form the true Metal Gear Saga, stretching from the alternate-history 1960s to the late 2010s. Let's delve into these games in chronological order.

Which Metal Gear Should You Play First?

For those eager to explore the entire saga, we recommend starting with the 2023 release, Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1, which includes the definitive versions of Metal Gear Solid 1–3. For those looking to dip their toes into the series with a more modern entry, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is an excellent starting point.

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5See it at AmazonMetal Gear Games in Chronological Order

These summaries contain mild spoilers regarding characters, settings, and key plot points.

1. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

The saga begins with Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, which is also slated for a modern remake. Set during the Cold War, the game follows Naked Snake, a U.S. Special Forces operative, tasked with extracting a Russian scientist to prevent the development of a weapon of mass destruction, the Shagohod. The mission takes a shocking turn when Snake discovers his former mentor, The Boss, has defected to the Soviet side. After a brutal defeat and near-death experience, Snake is ordered to return to Russia to confront and eliminate The Boss, all while thwarting the Shagohod's potential to ignite nuclear war. By the end, Naked Snake becomes Big Boss, a legendary figure among the U.S. Special Forces, though his disillusionment with his duty and the government begins to surface.

Read our Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater Review or see updates about the Metal Gear Solid 3 remake.

2. Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops

Set six years after Snake Eater, Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops continues Big Boss's journey as he confronts his former FOX Unit, now rogue and staging a revolt against the CIA. Captured and tortured in Colombia, Big Boss escapes and sets out to clear his name by hunting down his former comrades and their leader, Gene. The game concludes with Big Boss thwarting Gene's plan to create a mercenary nation called Army's Heaven, and he later establishes the special ops unit FOXHOUND.

Read our review of Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops.

3. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker

Four years after Portable Ops, Big Boss has left FOXHOUND and the Patriots to form Militaires Sans Frontières (MSF) with Kazuhira Miller. Their mission is to protect nations unable to defend themselves, leading them to confront the Peace Sentinels in Costa Rica. Big Boss uncovers a connection to his former mentor, The Boss, and the Peace Sentinels' access to nuclear weapons via the Peace Walker mech. Operating from Motherbase, an offshore oil rig, Big Boss and MSF uncover the true motives behind the Peace Sentinels, culminating in a battle against Paz, a secret agent of Cipher.

Read our review of Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker.

4. Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes

A few months after Peace Walker, Ground Zeroes serves as a prologue to The Phantom Pain. Big Boss learns that Paz survived their previous encounter and is being interrogated by Cipher at Camp Omega. Infiltrating the base, he encounters XOF, a Cipher cell led by the sadistic Skull Face. The mission ends with Big Boss extracting Paz, only to discover that XOF has attacked and destroyed Motherbase, leaving MSF in ruins and Big Boss near death.

Read our review of Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes.

5. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Nine years later, The Phantom Pain opens with a severely injured Big Boss waking up in a Cyprus hospital, narrowly escaping an assassination attempt. Rescued by Revolver Ocelot, he leads a new mercenary group, the Diamond Dogs, under the codename Venom Snake. His mission is to stop XOF and Skull Face, who are developing a parasitic weapon capable of devastating the Western world. The game concludes with Big Boss setting the stage for Outer Heaven, a military nation where soldiers can live free from government manipulation.

Read our review of Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain.

6. Metal Gear

Eleven years later, the original Metal Gear introduces Solid Snake, a rookie FOXHOUND member under Big Boss's command. Sent to Outer Heaven to investigate a weapon of mass destruction, Snake discovers Metal Gear, a nuclear-capable mech. The mission culminates in a confrontation with Big Boss, who reveals his role in Outer Heaven's creation.

Read our review of Metal Gear.

7. Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake

Four years after the first game, Solid Snake returns to stop Big Boss, who has survived and is now building another Metal Gear in Zanzibar Land. With the help of various allies, Snake infiltrates the nation, destroys the weapon, and faces Big Boss once more.

See more about Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake.

8. Metal Gear Solid

Six years later, Solid Snake is sent to Shadow Moses to confront his former FOXHOUND unit, which has gone rogue and taken over a facility housing a new Metal Gear. Battling members like Revolver Ocelot and Psycho Mantis, Snake uncovers the plot and escapes, presumed dead by the government.

Read our review of Metal Gear Solid or see more of the best PS1 games.

9. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

Two years after Shadow Moses, a now-rogue Solid Snake infiltrates an oil tanker to stop a new Metal Gear, only to see it stolen by Revolver Ocelot. Two years later, Raiden, a new FOXHOUND agent, is sent to Big Shell, a decontamination facility hijacked by the Sons of Liberty. As Raiden uncovers the facility's secrets, he meets Iroquois Pliskin, who is revealed to be Solid Snake. Together, they confront Ocelot, now possessed by Liquid Snake's will, and the Patriots.

Read our review of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty or check out more of the best PS2 games.

10. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

Marking the end of the main storyline, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots follows an aging Solid Snake, now called Old Snake, on his final mission to assassinate Liquid Ocelot, who leads a new Outer Heaven in the Middle East. Equipped with nanomachines, Snake battles his deteriorating health and the FOXDIE virus to confront his nemesis in a climactic showdown.

Read our review of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.

11. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

The final entry in the current timeline, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, focuses on Raiden, now a cyborg working for Maverick Security Consulting. After being attacked by Desperado Enforcement in Africa, Raiden uncovers sinister secrets about the group and vows to bring them down, embarking on a mission of violent justice.

Read our review of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.

How to Play the Metal Gear Games by Release Date

• Metal Gear (1987)
• Snake’s Revenge (1990)
• Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (1990)
• Metal Gear Solid (1998)
• Metal Gear Solid: Ghost Babel (2000)
• Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (2001)
• Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (2004)
• Metal Gear Solid: Acid (2004)
• Metal Gear Solid: Acid 2 (2005)
• Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (2006)
• Metal Gear Solid: Mobile (2008)
• Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (2008)
• Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (2010)
• Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (2013)
• Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes (2014)
• Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (2015)
• Metal Gear Survive (2018)
• Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater (2025)

What’s Next for Metal Gear?

Although it once seemed that the Metal Gear series had reached its end, Konami has confirmed a remake of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, titled Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater. Unveiled during PlayStation's 2023 summer showcase, this remake promises a modern reimagining of Naked Snake's legendary battle with The Boss, set to release on August 28, 2025, as announced in Sony's February 2025 State of Play.

As for new entries, Konami has not confirmed plans for original Metal Gear games without Hideo Kojima. However, Virtuous Studios, the developer behind Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, has hinted that remakes of other Metal Gear games could be considered based on player demand.

Metal Gear Games: Complete Playlist

Here are all the standalone Metal Gear games and spin-offs, in order of release. Log in to rank them, mark games owned, completed, or create a game plan for what to play next.

See All1Metal Gear (MSX)Konami2Metal GearKonami3Snake's RevengeKonami4Metal Gear 2: Solid SnakeKonami5Metal Gear SolidKonami6Metal Gear Solid: VR MissionsKonami7Metal Gear Solid [2000]Konami OSA (KCEO)8Metal Gear Solid IntegralKonami9Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of LibertyKCEJ10The Document of Metal Gear Solid 2Konami

For more lists like these, also see Assassin's Creed Games in Order and a list of Far Cry Games in order.