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Planning to dive into the expansive world of Metal Gear? Here is a complete explanation of the Metal Gear Solid games’ chronological order.
With Metal Gear Solid Delta Snake Eater set to launch on August 28, 2025, many players are curious to dive into the world of Metal Gear. It is a remake of Metal Gear Solid 3 Snake Eater (2004), which is the starting point of the series’ chronology. Created by Hideo Kojima and published by Konami, the Metal Gear franchise canon timeline spans over six decades. This can be highly confusing for franchise newcomers to follow the storyline across the 11 mainline games.
Revolving around the tales of Solid Snake and Big Boss, Metal Gear is widely considered one of the greatest tactical action franchises to date, introducing groundbreaking stealth mechanics. With the Snake Eater remake on the horizon, understanding the chronological order of the mainline games can be highly helpful. This article provides a complete overview of all 11 Metal Gear Solid canon games in chronological order, leaving out spin-off titles and those with alternate timelines.
Related: Is Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater Deluxe Edition Worth Buying
Note: This article contains spoilers for the Metal Gear Solid games.
Every Metal Gear Solid Mainline Game in Chronological Order
1) Metal Gear Solid 3 Snake Eater (1964)
Released in 2004, Metal Gear Solid 3 Snake Eater set the stage for the complete Metal Gear saga. Despite its title, it is the first entry in chronological order. The story follows Naked Snake as he embarks on a mission to save a Russian rocket scientist and stop the creation of the superweapon called ‘Shagohod’.
After being betrayed by his former mentor, The Boss, Naked Snake is set on a mission to Russia to kill her. By the end of the game, Naked Snake earns the title Big Boss and becomes a legendary figure within U.S. Special Forces.
2) Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops (1970)
Although it is a PSP game, Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops is considered canon to the storyline. Released in 2006, Portable Ops takes place six years after the events of Metal Gear Solid 3 Snake Eater. It focuses on Naked Snake teaming up with Roy Campbell and fighting against the FOX Unit.
The former squad of Naked Snake becomes rogue under the leadership of Gene. The game explores how Naked Snake escaped from the FOX Unit base in Colombia, while ending their reign.
3) Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker (1974)
Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker, another PlayStation Portable game, which feels like a direct sequel to Metal Gear Solid 3 Snake Eater, more than Portable Ops. Released in 2010, Peace Walker takes place four years after Portable Ops. After leaving FOXHOUND and the Patriots, Big Boss forms a mercenary army called Militaires Sans Frontières (MSF).
When Peace Sentinels invaded and threatened Costa Rica, MSF intervened and went to war against them, defending the land from the armed militia. Big Boss uncovers the secrets of Peace Sentinels, including their nuclear weapons and Peace Walker, a powerful mech.
4) Metal Gear Solid V Ground Zeroes (1975)
Released in 2014, Metal Gear Solid V Ground Zeroes serves as the prologue for Metal Gear Solid V The Phantom Pain. Ground Zeroes is set after a few months of Peace Walker. Big Boss learns that Paz is alive, being captured and interrogated at Camp Omega in Cuba.
On his mission to extract Paz and Chico, he also learns about XOF, led by Skull Face. While Big Boss rescues Paz, the XOF army launches a devastating blow on the Militaires Sans Frontières at the Motherbase.
5) Metal Gear Solid V The Phantom Pain (1984)
Metal Gear Solid V The Phantom Pain, the direct sequel to Ground Zeroes, was launched in 2015. Taking place nine years after the Ground Zeroes, a severely injured Big Boss is hospitalized in Cyprus. After recovering from the assassination attempt from the Ground Zeroes ending, Big Boss leads another group called ‘Diamond Dogs’. With the moniker Venom Snake, Big Boss heads to Africa to find and destroy XOF forces, as well as stopping Skull Face from using the powerful parasitic weapon.
6) Metal Gear (1995)
With Metal Gear, the iconic stealth franchise debuted in 1987. The classic stealth action game takes place after 11 years, introducing Solid Snake as a FOXHOUND rookie. Serving under the commanding officer Big Boss, Solid Snake is set on a mission to a heavily fortified nation known as ‘Outer Heaven’. His goal is to track down and find a mysterious weapon.
The weapon Solid Snake and Grey Fox are looking for is later revealed as ‘Metal Gear’, a powerful bipedal tank capable of launching nuclear bombs. The game ends with a shocking twist, revealing that Big Boss is actually the one who is plotting behind Outer Heaven’s plans.
7) Metal Gear 2 Solid Snake (1999)
The sequel to Metal Gear was released in 1990, continuing the journey of Solid Snake four years after Metal Gear 2 Solid Snake. This time, Solid Snake is out on a mission to the Zanzibar Land nation in Central Asia. The game focuses on Snake’s efforts to rescue the scientist and destroy the revised Metal Gear weapon, all while battling Big Boss and his forces.
8) Metal Gear Solid (2005)
Metal Gear Solid takes place six years after Metal Gear 2 Solid Snake. Released in 1998, the game throws Solid Snake into another dangerous mission against his former unit. Since FOXHOUND has gone rogue and is testing a secret Metal Gear at Shadow Moses, Solid Snake infiltrates the base to stop the nuclear attacks. The game also introduces Liquid Snake, the leader of FOXHOUND.
During his mission, he fights with various FOXHOUND members, including Revolver Ocelot, Psycho Mantis, and Greyfox. Although Solid Snake was presumed dead at the end of the game, he managed to escape alive from Shadow Moses.
9) Metal Gear Solid 2 Sons of Liberty (2007/2009)
Metal Gear Solid 2 Sons of Liberty, released in 2001, features two protagonists. Alongside Solid Snake, you will also play as Raiden, an agent of FOXHOUND. The game starts in 2007, two years after Metal Gear Solid. While infiltrating an oil tank, the rogue Solid Snake discovers a Metal Gear Ray, a new prototype. While Revolver Ocelot steals the Metal Gear Ray, Solid Snake is framed for the oil tank destruction.
Then the game switches to Raiden, while narrating the events two years later. He was sent on a mission to infiltrate Big Shell. The offshore clean-up facility is run by a military group, Sons of Liberty, who also keep the US president hostage. While exploring the facility, you will learn about Patriots. Solid Snake joins Raiden’s mission by the end of the game, where he pursues Ocelot and the Patriots.
10) Metal Gear Solid 4 Guns of the Patriots (2014)
Metal Gear Solid 4 Guns of the Patriots, released in 2008, serves as the finale of Solid Snake’s story. The game takes place three years after the Sons of Liberty, featuring Solid Snake in a prematurely aged appearance, caused by the effects of FOXDIE virus mutations. With not having many days to live, Solid Snake, now known as Old Snake, sets out on one final mission. His mission is to assassinate his archenemy, Liquid Ocelot, and stop his dangerous plans.
11) Metal Gear Rising Revengeance (2018)
Launched in 2013, Metal Gear Rising Revengeance marks the end of the current Metal Gear Solid Saga. With Solid Snake’s story concluded with the Guns of the Patriots iteration, this one focuses solely on Raiden. While sharing the core narrative plots of the Metal Gear series, Rising focuses heavily on action-based combat.
Now a katana-wielding cyborg, Raiden serves as a bodyguard for a private military company called Maverick Security Consulting. The title focuses on Raiden investigating the rival private military company Desperado Enforcement and putting an end to their control.
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