On Metal Gear's 35th Anniversary, Konami Hints At Metal Gear Solid 2 & 3 Being Relisted

Metal Gear, Hideo Kojima's beloved and deeply weird stealth series, turns 35 today. Released in 1987, Metal Gear became an instant hit around the world and first introduced players to Solid Snake, the main protagonist of the series and one of the most instantly recognizable characters in video game history. To celebrate the occasion, Konami has revealed that it is currently working to relist a couple of titles that were temporarily removed from digital storefronts last fall.

Konami used the Metal Gear Solid Twitter account to make the announcement: "Thank you to everyone that enjoyed and celebrated the series so far. We ask for your patience as preparations are underway to make the temporarily removed titles available again."

Last November, Metal Gear Solid 2 and Metal Gear Solid 3 were delisted on every digital store they were on due to the expiring licenses on the archival footage that each featured. This meant that versions of the game as far as Metal Gear Solid 3 on the 3DS unceremoniously came down, making it virtually impossible for anyone to get their hands on these legendary titles through legitimate means. The Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, which allowed for the games to be played on the modern generation of consoles, was also struck by the takedown.

Though Konami stressed at the time that the removals were only temporary, this is more or less the first time there's been an update on the matter in more than half a year. Unfortunately, the post's wording also suggests it could be a while longer for these games to be widely available again. Worry not though, they're definitely worth the wait.