Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater release date and trailer revealed

Almost 21 years after it first landed, the remake of Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater will whisk players back to a swampy Soviet wilderness on August 28.

The game’s release date was first spotted in a leaked trailer on the PlayStation Store’s backend by the user of a popular gaming forum called ResetEra – and later corroborated by others.

In the clip, super soldier Naked Snake infiltrates a Russian military base, dodges alligators and mosquitoes in the surrounding forest, and battles military mechs and augmented operatives – just another day in the wild world of Metal Gear, a paranoid, global espionage series that’s built a devout following since the late ’80s.

The trailer also signals the return of the quirky 'Snake vs Monkey' mode from the original. In this mini-game, unlocked after completing the main campaign, players must capture cheeky chimps from the Ape Escape series, which also recently popped up in Astro Bot for the PS5.

Here’s all the intel we’ve declassified on the upcoming stealth action game, including its new features and early access period.

Officially titled Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, with the Greek letter Delta in its name (shaped like a triangle) to signify that it’s an update, the new game preserves the original’s storyline while sprucing up the graphics and adding some quality-of-life improvements.

Movement and aiming have been fine-tuned, with Snake now able to crouch-walk, eliminating the need to constantly toggle between belly-crawling and sprinting. You can also aim over his shoulder with the left trigger, bypassing the iron sights for more precise shots. Plus, the cuts and bruises Snake collects along the way will stay visible, and could slow him down – so don’t forget to treat those wounds.

But, the biggest change is in the visuals. Unlike previous Metal Gear games that were built on Kojima Productions’ proprietary FOX engine, Delta was developed using Unreal Engine 5.

While this reportedly results in lavish graphics and more fluid animation, it also points to a massive dilemma for players. As a prequel, Delta is the perfect entry point for newcomers to the Metal Gear series, which is packed with unforgettable characters. But for long-time fans, the big concern is the absence of one key, series-defining figure: Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima.

Following his acrimonious departure from Konami, Kojima has focused on his own projects, such as Death Stranding and its forthcoming sequel, under the now independent Kojima Productions banner.

As such, the remake is being developed by Konami's internal team, with support from Virtuos, a studio known for its work on titles like Dark Souls Remastered and Uncharted 4. That may be a deal-breaker for some.

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is releasing on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC (via Steam).

Alas, it won’t be available for last-gen consoles like the PS4 and Xbox One. But, there are rumblings that it could come to the forthcoming Nintendo Switch 2, though nothing is confirmed yet.

Want to be among the first to dive in? Delta will offer three days’ early access to those who purchase the Deluxe Edition, which releases on August 25 for £89.99.

For that price, you get the base game, a special SteelBook, future expansions and DLCs, a keychain, Fox unit patch and various other extras.

With a new PlayStation State of Play rumoured for mid-February, it’s not a stretch to think that the leaked Delta trailer was meant for Sony’s upcoming gaming showcase.

The event, which should air live on YouTube, could very well turn into a Kojima fest, with reports suggesting that Death Stranding 2 will also make an appearance. The sequel was recently given an age rating in South Korea in a sign that it could be ready soon.