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

From Snake's gripping elevator ascent to the rain-soaked cliffs of Shadow Moses to the intense mentor-student confrontation in the finale of Snake Eater, Hideo Kojima and Konami's epic spy thriller series, Metal Gear, has given us some of the most memorable moments in gaming history. Spanning multiple console generations, the adventures of Solid Snake and Big Boss have pushed the boundaries of storytelling and gameplay, cementing their place as some of the most influential releases in the medium.

In 2015, the release of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain seemed to mark the end of the franchise, especially with Kojima's departure from Konami to start his own studio. However, Konami has breathed new life into the series with re-releases and remakes, including the highly anticipated Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, set to launch later this year. As new players dive into this world of undercover espionage, shady government conspiracies, and iconic characters with cool eyepatches, we've put together a guide to the chronological order of the Metal Gear Solid series. This will help both newcomers and returning fans get up to speed.

Jump to:

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

Every IGN Metal Gear Review

19 ImagesExcluding remakes, ports, or remasters, there are a total of 17 Metal Gear games: 11 mainline games, five on handheld devices, and one on mobile. While that's a lot of games, a significant number are considered non-canon, as their stories diverge from the main saga and explore alternate takes on the universe.

Metal Gear Survive, released in 2018, takes place in an apocalyptic setting with a zombie virus, which places it outside the main canon. The PSP's Metal Gear: Acid and Metal Gear: Acid 2 deviate from the timeline, offering new stories that are considered alternate-timeline spin-offs. The Game Boy Color's Metal Gear: Ghost Babel presents an alternate-universe sequel that ignores the events of Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, removing it from the official timeline. Additionally, Metal Gear Mobile and Snake's Revenge have been declared non-canon by the community and Kojima himself in interviews.

This leaves 11 games within the main storyline, each considered part of the true Metal Gear Saga, spanning from a fictional alternate history in the 1960s to the late 2010s. Let's guide you through all the games in this compelling narrative.

Which Metal Gear Should You Play First?

We recommend two starting points for the Metal Gear series. For those eager to experience the complete saga, the 2023 Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 is ideal, as it includes the best available versions of Metal Gear Solid 1–3. For those who prefer a more modern entry or have a lower tolerance for older games, we suggest starting with Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, which offers a contemporary take on the franchise.

Prime Day Deal### Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol.1 (PS5)

5See it at AmazonMetal Gear Games in Chronological Order

These blurbs contain mild spoilers for each game, including characters, settings, and story beats.

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 US Special Forces operative, on a mission to extract a Russian scientist from the Soviet Union to prevent the development of the Shagohod, a weapon of mass destruction. Snake is shocked to find his former mentor, The Boss, has defected to the Soviet side.

After a fierce battle, Naked Snake is left for dead but survives and is tasked with returning to Russia to confront The Boss and stop the Shagohod from triggering nuclear war. By the story's end, Naked Snake assumes the name Big Boss, becoming a legend among US Special Forces. However, his battle with The Boss and the truths he uncovers leave him disillusioned with his duty and the government he serves.

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

Six years after his confrontation with The Boss, Big Boss's story continues in Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops. He must now confront his former unit, FOX, which has gone rogue and betrayed the CIA.

Captured and tortured by FOX at a Colombian base, Big Boss escapes and learns he's been accused of treason. Determined to clear his name, he hunts down his former allies and their leader, Gene. At the game's conclusion, Big Boss discovers Gene's plan to create a mercenary nation called Army's Heaven and seizes the resources meant for the project. Back in the US, he forms FOXHOUND, a special operations unit.

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 behind, founding a new mercenary group called Militaires Sans Frontières (MSF) with Kazuhira Miller. Their mission is to protect countries unable to defend themselves, leading them to battle the Peace Sentinels, an armed militia that has invaded Costa Rica.

Big Boss uncovers that The Boss is involved with the Peace Sentinels' plans, which include the use of nuclear weapons via a powerful mech called the Peace Walker. From their offshore base, Motherbase, Big Boss and MSF fight to uncover the Sentinels' motives and secrets. The game ends with Big Boss confronting Paz, who is revealed to be a Cipher agent.

Read our review of Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker.

4. Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes

Shortly after Peace Walker, Metal Gear Solid V: 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. He rushes to extract her, discovering a Cipher cell called XOF, led by the sadistic Skull Face.

The mission ends with Big Boss extracting Paz, only to find his allies at Motherbase under attack by XOF. The assault destroys Motherbase and decimates MSF, leaving Big Boss severely injured.

Read our review of Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes.

5. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Nine years later, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain opens with Big Boss waking up in a Cyprus hospital. Surviving an assassination attempt by a man on fire, a telekinetic soldier, and a sniper, he's rescued by Revolver Ocelot and assumes leadership of a new mercenary group, the Diamond Dogs.

Swearing vengeance against XOF, now led by the rogue Skull Face, Big Boss adopts the codename Venom Snake and pursues them to Africa. He learns of Skull Face's plan to unleash a devastating parasitic weapon. By the game's end, Big Boss sets in motion his plan to create Outer Heaven, a nation where soldiers can live free from exploitation by shadowy government agencies.

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

6. Metal Gear

Eleven years later, the narrative continues with the first Metal Gear game. Rookie soldier Solid Snake, a member of FOXHOUND led by Big Boss, is sent to infiltrate Outer Heaven and locate a weapon of mass destruction.

During his mission, he encounters another agent, Grey Fox, who reveals that the weapon is a nuclear-capable mech called Metal Gear. The game culminates in a confrontation between Solid Snake and Big Boss, who is revealed to be the mastermind behind Outer Heaven.

Read our review of Metal Gear.

7. Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake

Four years later, Solid Snake returns in Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake after learning that Big Boss survived their previous encounter and is now building another Metal Gear for Zanzibar Land.

Teaming up with various allies, Snake infiltrates Zanzibar Land to destroy the weapon, facing off against Big Boss and his forces along the way.

See more about Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake.

8. Metal Gear Solid

Six years after Metal Gear 2, Solid Snake is sent on a mission to Shadow Moses Island, where his former unit, FOXHOUND, has gone rogue and taken over a secret government facility. They threaten to use a new Metal Gear to launch nuclear strikes unless their demands are met.

Snake battles members of FOXHOUND, including Revolver Ocelot, Psycho Mantis, and a cyborg Grey Fox, ultimately confronting the unit's eccentric leader, Liquid Snake. The game concludes with Snake escaping Shadow Moses after being 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 later, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty begins with Solid Snake infiltrating an oil tanker to track a new Metal Gear, only to discover the prototype Metal Gear Ray, which is stolen by Revolver Ocelot. Ocelot sinks the tanker, and Snake is blamed for the incident.

The story shifts to Raiden, a FOXHOUND agent sent to the Big Shell facility, which is hijacked by the Sons of Liberty. Raiden uncovers the facility's secrets and meets Iroquois Pliskin, who is revealed to be Solid Snake. The game ends with Snake and Raiden confronting Ocelot, who is possessed by Liquid Snake, 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

Three years after Sons of Liberty, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots marks the end of Solid Snake's journey. Due to his accelerated aging caused by the cloning process and the FOXDIE virus, Snake, now called Old Snake, has only a year to live. His final mission is to assassinate Liquid Ocelot, who has formed a new version of Outer Heaven in the Middle East.

Equipped with nanomachines, Snake battles his age and the mutating FOXDIE virus as he confronts Ocelot, who seeks to execute a mysterious plan involving Big Boss's corpse.

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

11. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

The final entry in the current Metal Gear timeline, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, focuses on Raiden, who has become a cyborg. Four years after Guns of the Patriots, Raiden works for Maverick Security Consulting and is attacked by Desperado Enforcement during an operation in Africa.

Left for dead by Jet Stream Sam, Raiden investigates Desperado, uncovering dark secrets about the group and its allies. Driven by a desire for justice, Raiden embarks on a mission to bring them down.

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?

Despite seeming like the end of the series, Konami has announced a remake of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. Revealed during PlayStation's 2023 summer showcase, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater promises a modern reimagining of Naked Snake's battle with The Boss, set for release on August 28, 2025, as announced in Sony's February 2025 State of Play.

Regarding new entries, Konami has not confirmed plans for original Metal Gear games without Kojima. However, Virtuous Studios, the developer of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, 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, listed in order of release. Log in to rank them, mark games as owned or completed, or plan your next gaming adventure.

See All1

Konami2Konami3Konami4Konami5Konami6Konami7Konami OSA (KCEO)8Konami9KCEJ10KonamiFor more lists like these, also see Assassin's Creed Games in Order and a list of Far Cry Games in order.