Metal Gear series tops a staggering 60m worldwide sales

Screenshot of Snake's face in Metal Gear Solid Snake 3
(Image credit: Konami)

Hideo Kojima's Metal Gear series has topped over 60 million sales worldwide. 

That's despite the fact that developer/publisher Konami hasn't released a mainline Metal Gear game since 2018, and its last numbered instalment was released almost a decade ago now back in 2015. 

That hasn't stopped players from indulging in the series' stellar back catalog, however. As spotted by VGChartz, the last time Konami provided us with sales data, we were told the series – which launched back in 1987 – had collectively shifted 57.7m by the end of September 2021, and 59.3m copies by the close of November 2022.

According to a recent update to the publisher's corporate site, that figure sits at 60 million sales as of June 2023. That means Konami's tentpole franchise has sold around 700,000 units in just the last seven months... despite lying dormant for half a decade. 

Will there ever be a Metal Gear Solid 6? Even though we've had no official word, it seems unlikely that Konami will abandon one of its most beloved – and profitable – properties. The upcoming Metal Gear Solid 3 Remake clearly shows that Konami isn't done with the ironic franchise, with or without Hideo Kojima.

That said, the series is in a difficult spot at the moment, not least because its last major release, Metal Gear Survive – the first Metal Gear game developed without series creator Hideo Kojima at the helm – currently sits with a 1.4 user score on Metacritic.

For more Metal Gear information, here's everything we know so far about Metal Gear Solid 6. And even though we don't have a sixth instalment confirmed to be on the way, don't forget that Konami's own website may have recently indicated that Metal Gear Solid may finally be coming to another platform (or several) that isn't the PlayStation 3.

ICYMI, after months of speculation, Konami finally revealed that The Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Volume 1 would be coming to Nintendo Switch alongside PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. And yes, the Switch release will boast the same games as other modern platforms: Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. It's expected to release on October 24, 2023.