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Metal Gear Solid Games in Order
All ten mainline Metal Gear games, listed in release order and in true in-universe chronological order, untangling Hideo Kojima's famously knotted Big Boss and Solid Snake timeline.
Metal Gear Solid Games in Order — complete list
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Why this order?
Metal Gear is the rare series where the order you play it genuinely changes the experience, because Hideo Kojima wrote it out of sequence on purpose. The release order starts with the two 2D MSX classics, jumps to the genre-defining Metal Gear Solid on PlayStation, then leaps backward and forward across decades as each new entry fills in a different slice of the timeline. This is the order most players actually grew up with, and the one we default to.
Release order is the order we recommend for newcomers. The reveals, retcons and dramatic reversals were authored to land in this sequence, so playing chronologically spoils several of the saga's best surprises. Start with Metal Gear Solid (1998) if the two MSX originals feel too dated; everything you need to know is recapped.
Chronological order is where the real fun is, and it splits the saga cleanly into two eras. The Big Boss era runs first: Snake Eater is set in 1964, Peace Walker in 1974, Ground Zeroes in 1975 and The Phantom Pain in 1984. Then the Solid Snake era follows: the original Metal Gear in 1995, Metal Gear 2 in 1999, Metal Gear Solid in 2005, Sons of Liberty around 2007-2009, and Guns of the Patriots in 2014. Portable Ops (set in 1970) bridges Snake Eater and Peace Walker.
The key gotcha: release year and setting year almost never match, so a chronological playthrough scrambles the disc order completely. Note that Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is an action spinoff and sits outside this main list. Fans of Kojima's later work should also look at Death Stranding.
Timeline 1987–2015
Every entry plotted by release year — see the gaps, clusters and revivals at a glance.
Where to play it today
- Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 (PS5, Xbox, Switch, PC)
- Steam / GOG (MGS1-3 plus 2D originals)
- PlayStation Store (MGS4, Peace Walker, MGSV)
- Xbox Store / Game Pass (MGSV titles)
Affiliate links (Bookshop.org for books, store links for games/films) slot in here.
Frequently asked questions
How many Metal Gear Solid games are there?
There are ten mainline Metal Gear games, from the 1987 MSX2 original through Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (2015). Spinoffs like Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance are separate.
What order should I watch Metal Gear in?
For first-timers, play in release order so the plot twists land as Kojima intended. Once you know the story, replaying in in-universe chronological order (starting with Snake Eater, set in 1964) is rewarding.
Which Metal Gear game should I start with?
Start with Metal Gear Solid (1998) for newcomers, or Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater if you prefer to begin at the chronological start. Both recap what you need to know.
What is the in-universe chronological order?
Snake Eater (1964), Portable Ops (1970), Peace Walker (1974), Ground Zeroes (1975), The Phantom Pain (1984), then Metal Gear (1995), Metal Gear 2 (1999), MGS1 (2005), MGS2 (2007-2009) and MGS4 (2014).
Is Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance part of the main series?
No. Revengeance (2013) is an action spinoff developed with PlatinumGames, starring Raiden. It is canon-adjacent but sits outside the main stealth saga, so we keep it off this list.
Where can I play the Metal Gear games today?
The Master Collection Vol. 1 bundles the early titles on modern consoles and PC. MGS4, Peace Walker and Metal Gear Solid V are available on PlayStation, Xbox and PC.
Last updated · Sources: en.wikipedia.org, Wikidata
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