

The Forward Operating Bases? Not so much. Especially the Cloak and Dagger mode that fits the essence of the game exactly. Metal Gear Online was an interesting game that never gained the attention it might have deserved. Metal Gear Solid led to two online spin offs: 1) Metal Gear Online and 2) The ‘Forward Operating Base’ (FOB) mode. Exploring how Big Boss becomes the antagonist of the series, not the FOXHOUND leader, should be the first order of business, with up to ten years of MGS lore yet to be explored as a game although we do have a broad timeline of events that runs through this period as captured by the excellent MGS wiki. The Phantom Pain might be the more recent title, but covers the chronological year 1984 in MGS lore, while Metal Gear - originally released on the MSX system in 1987 - is set in 1995 in MGS canon. For all the possible scenarios Metal Gear 6 could explore, there’s an opportunity to bridge the gap between The Phantom Pain (released 2015) and the first Metal Gear (released 1987). Now that we know what happened to Big Boss, or rather the ‘Big Boss’ of MGS5, his story still remains untold, at least in a game.

However, there’s a compelling argument that MGS5 was meant to feel ‘unfinished’, mirroring the game’s themes of identity and the phantom pain of unresolvable trauma. Metal Gear Solid 5’s non-ending was much-discussed, and possibly a victim of mounting tensions during the development of the game. Metal Gear Solid 6 - should it come to pass - is likely to be led by Konami, but as things stand, there’s currently no info when, or even if the company plans to return to the franchise. While Sony is reportedly looking to buy both from the publisher, it’s unlikely Konami would part with its strongest franchises, especially factoring in the aforementioned reboot.

Currently, that’s the only way Kojima can work on both Silent Hills and Metal Gear, as Konami is the sole owner of both IPs. It’s tempting to conclude that Kojima and Konami didn’t separate on good terms, but if the rumours about Kojima Productions’ involvement with the planned Silent Hills reboot for PS5 are true, maybe both parties are on their way to reforging their relationship. The only details of this dispute available to the public are an inside report published by GameSpot and a report by Nikkei Asian Review which notes that according to former employees, Konami barred ex-Metal Gear team members from using their experience with Konami on their CVs. At that time, the Kojima Productions logo disappeared from the official Konami website and all promotional material for MGS5, with Kojima leaving the company not long after the game’s release. It was located near the Seychelles off the eastern coast of Africa.Prior to the release of Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain (MGS5) in September 2015, publisher Konami announced news of internal restructuring efforts. Like the MSF before them, Diamond Dogs' Mother Base was an offshore plant comprised of several connected struts. Read more about Metal Gear REX Mother Base Mother Base was the base of operations for Diamond Dogs, a mercenary unit originally composed of surviving members of the Militaires Sans Frontières and later expanded to include thousands of personnel of various backgrounds. However, REX's prototype was captured by the special forces group FOXHOUND, which had originally been assigned to oversee the final testing of the secret new weapon.

In 2005, both ArmsTech President Kenneth Baker and DARPA chief Donald Anderson attended a rail gun testing exercise for Metal Gear REX at the nuclear weapons disposal facility on Shadow Moses Island. Read more about Big Boss Metal Gear REX Metal Gear REX was a Metal Gear prototype that was jointly developed by DARPA, ArmsTech, and Livermore National Labs for the United States Army in the early 2000s. Considered by some as "The Greatest Warrior of the 20th Century," he earned such monikers as "the Legendary Soldier" and "the Legendary Mercenary," feared in combat by both friend and foe as a hero and a madman. Big Boss later established the military states of Outer Heaven and Zanzibar Land as bases for his companies, in order to realize his ambitions of creating a nation for soldiers. Army Special Forces Unit FOXHOUND, along with the mercenary company Militaires Sans Frontières, and was one of the founding members of the Patriots. Big Boss Big Boss, formerly known as Naked Snake, was a renowned special forces operative and mercenary commander.
