Metal Gear Solid Timeline: Chronological Order Guide

The Metal Gear franchise, a product of Hideo Kojima and Konami, is currently undergoing a revival. With the release of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater approaching, the timeline of this spy thriller series has become a focal point for gamers. The narrative spans multiple decades, detailing the missions of Solid Snake and the origins of Big Boss.

The series is divided into canon and non-canon entries. There are 17 total games, but only 11 are considered part of the main storyline. Non-canon titles include Metal Gear Survive, Metal Gear: Acid, and Metal Gear: Ghost Babel. To fully appreciate the story, playing the games in chronological order is recommended, starting with the Cold War-era Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.

The Metal Gear franchise is home to some of gaming's most iconic moments, from the rainy cliffs of Shadow Moses to the jungles of the Soviet Union. Following the departure of Hideo Kojima from Konami in 2015, the series seemed dormant. However, the announcement of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater has revitalized interest in the franchise's deep narrative.

For newcomers, the sheer volume of games can be daunting. The series features a complex story that spans from a fictional alternate-history 1960s to the late 2010s. To streamline the experience, it is essential to distinguish between the main saga and spin-offs.

There are 17 total Metal Gear games, comprising 11 mainline titles, five handheld games, and one mobile title. However, a significant portion of these are considered non-canon. These titles often override events from the main saga or present unique alternate timelines.

Games such as Metal Gear Survive take place in an apocalyptic reality with a zombie virus, placing it outside the main canon. Similarly, the Metal Gear: Acid series on the PSP veers from the timeline to tell a new story. The Game Boy Color title Metal Gear: Ghost Babel is an alternate-universe sequel that removes itself from the timeline of Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. Additionally, Metal Gear Mobile and Snake's Revenge have been deemed non-canon by the community and Kojima himself.

Understanding the Metal Gear Saga requires looking at the timeline rather than the release dates. The story begins with the origins of Big Boss (initially known as Naked Snake) and continues through the exploits of his clone, Solid Snake. Below is the chronological order of the 11 mainline games.

1. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

Set during the Cold War, this game follows US Special Forces operative Naked Snake. He is sent to the Soviet Union to extract a scientist and prevent the creation of the Shagohod weapon of mass destruction. The mission turns personal when Snake discovers his mentor, The Boss, has betrayed the US. After defeating her, Snake adopts the moniker Big Boss, though the betrayal leaves him disillusioned with the government.

2. Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops

Six years after the events of Snake Eater, Big Boss faces his former squad, the FOX Unit, which has gone rogue. Captured and accused of treason, Boss escapes and hunts down the unit's leader, Gene. The game concludes with Big Boss acquiring funds intended for a mercenary nation project and forming the squadron FOXHOUND.

3. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker

Set four years after Portable Ops, Big Boss has left the Patriots and FOXHOUND. He has formed a new mercenary group, Militaires Sans Frontières, in Costa Rica. The group faces threats from a CIA-backed private army and a nuclear-equipped tank known as Peace Walker. Big Boss must stop a nuclear crisis while managing his growing army.

4. Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes

This prologue to The Phantom Pain takes place in 1975. Big Boss infiltrates a US black site in Cuba to rescue his kidnapped personnel. The mission ends in tragedy, leading to the destruction of Militaires Sans Frontières and a nine-year coma for Big Boss.

5. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Set in 1984, Big Boss wakes from his coma and builds a new private army, Diamond Dogs. He seeks revenge against those who destroyed his previous group. The game explores the rise of the Patriots and the creation of the Outer Heaven

6. Metal Gear

The original 1987 game introduces Solid Snake, a rookie operative for FOXHOUND. He is sent to Outer Heaven to stop a nuclear-equipped walking tank, the Metal Gear, and its creator.

7. Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake

Solid Snake returns to FOXHOUND for a mission in Zanzibar Land. He must stop Dr. Kio Marv from being kidnapped and a new superweapon from being activated.

8. Metal Gear Solid

Set in 2005, Solid Snake comes out of retirement to infiltrate Shadow Moses island. He must stop a nuclear threat from a rogue special forces unit using a bipedal walking tank, the Metal Gear REX.

9. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

In 2007, Solid Snake investigates a tanker incident involving a new Metal Gear prototype. The story later follows rookie operative Raiden as he infiltrates a captured offshore facility to stop a terrorist group.

10. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

Set in a future where private military contractors dominate warfare, an aging Solid Snake is tasked with hunting down his former comrades from FOXHOUND. The game concludes the saga of the original Snake.

11. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

Set four years after MGS4, this game focuses on Raiden, now a cyborg ninja. He protects a private military company from a cybernetic insurrection.