Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater — How to pre-order, release dates, story, gameplay, and everything else you need to know

In 2004, Hideo Kojima, in partnership with Konami, would release a game on the PlayStation 2 that would go on to become one of the most critically-acclaimed games of all time, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.

This 3rd mainline entry into the Metal Gear Solid franchise is considered by many to not only be Hideo Kojima's greatest work or just the best game in the series, but one of the greatest games ever made.

It captured the hearts and imagination of fans worldwide for its refined stealth action gameplay, revolutionary graphics that pushed the limitations of the PlayStation 2's hardware, and a captivating espionage story filled with political intrigue, betrayal, action, and tragedy.

Even someone like me, who absolutely sucks at stealth games and prefers action-heavy titles like Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, can't deny how impactful Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater was to the gaming industry.

Now, over two decades later, Konami has decided to resurrect this classic title with a next-gen remake called Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater. This remake will reimagine the original game with improved visuals, new camera controls, extra game modes, and more.

Here is everything you need to know about Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater.

When is the release date for Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater?

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater was announced in 2023, with its release date being leaked two years later. Metal Gear Solid and stealth action game fans will be able to play this game when it releases on August 28, 2025.

However, if you pre-order the Digital Deluxe Edition of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, you will be granted a 48-hour early-access period to play the game two days before its full launch date.

When is Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater up for Preorder and what is its price?

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is available for pre-order at multiple online and offline retailers for $69.99.

This price, however, applies to the Standard and the Tactical Editions of Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater. There is also a Digital Deluxe Edition and a Collector's Edition available for pre-order for $79.99 and $199.99, respectively.

The contents of each edition are as follows:

• Standard Edition: Full game.
• Tactical Edition: Full game and the Sneaking DLC Pack, which contains several cosmetic outfits and accessories for Naked Snake.
• Digital Deluxe Edition: Full game and the Sneaking DLC Pack.
• Collector's Edition: Content from both the Tactical Edition, along with several bonus items including a Collector's Box, a Terrarium Diorama, Naked Snake's ID Card Lanyard, a FOX Patch, a HALO Jump Patch, and a metal game case.

Pre-ordering any edition of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater will grant you access to a White Tuxedo cosmetic outfit for Naked Snake.

Also, as stated previously, pre-ordering the Digital Deluxe edition will grant you 48 hours of early access to the game.

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater

Infiltrate enemy territory to stop an evil military group from causing all-out war and punish your former mentor for betraying you in Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater.

Standard Edition: $69.99 at Xbox | $69.99 at GreenManGaming (Steam)

Tactical Edition (Xbox): $69.99 at Amazon | $69.99 at Best Buy | $69.99 at GameStop

Digital Deluxe Edition: $79.99 at Xbox | $79.99 at GreenManGaming (Steam)

Collector's Edition: $199.99 at Best Buy

What will the gameplay and story be like in Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater?

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is a third-person stealth-action game set during the height of the Cold War in 1964. You play as Naked Snake, a covert operative assigned by the US government to infiltrate Soviet Union territory to extract a defecting Soviet Union scientist named Nikolai Sokolov, who is forced to develop a nuclear superweapon for the USSR.

Snake's first attempt at rescuing the scientist goes horribly awry when his mentor, the legendary soldier codenamed 'The Boss', betrays Snake by siding with the USSR's Cobra Unit and leaves Snake for dead.

After recovering for a week, Naked Snake HALO-jumps right back into enemy territory to complete his mission, destroy the superweapon that Sokolov was coerced into building, and make The Boss pay for her betrayal.

Like most Metal Gear Solid games, this is a stealth game where you will need to sneak around to avoid enemy detection and use a variety of weapons and close-quarters combat techniques to silently take your foes.

However, there will be times when you will be forced to confront bosses head-on, and you will need to employ quick thinking and mastery of your tools to dispatch them before they can silence you forever.

What makes Snake Eater stand apart from other Metal Gear Solid titles is that you will need to employ outdoor guerrilla warfare tactics to get past enemies.

These tactics include covering your body with camouflage outfits to blend into the environment, using the environment to your advantage by luring enemies to hostile wildlife like bees and crocodiles, and more.

Additionally, Snake Eater has unique survival-based mechanics to keep track of if you hope to survive. Naked Snake will sometimes get hungry, so you will need to hunt wild animals to keep him fed and maintain his stamina.

During combat, Naked Snake can get brutally injured, so you will need to employ first-aid items crafted from the wild to heal broken bones and wounds.

What's changed from the original Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater?

The story and gameplay of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater's main campaign will remain largely unchanged from the original game.

However, the remake will include a few new features such as:

• A third-person camera control mode where you can move the camera like any modern third-person action game. There is also a Legacy Style camera mode where the camera will be overhead at all times, like the original Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.
• The remake will have updated graphics rendered in Unreal Engine 5, designed to help the player get deeply immersed in the setting.
• The battle damage system from the original game will be refined in the remake. Battle damage Naked Snake endures will be shown in real-time, and any injuries healed will leave scars that will stick for the rest of your playthrough.
• A side game mode where Naked Snake will need to capture monkeys from the Ape Escape franchise.
• A side game mode where Naked Snake will face off against Bomberman from the Bomberman franchise.
• A competitive multiplayer mode called Fox Hunt, where players need to sneak around and silently take down each other until one player remains standing.
• A Secret Theater mode where you can watch funny vignettes involving characters from the main campaign. However, you will need to find 8mm film canisters found throughout the main campaign in order to unlock the vignettes and watch them in the Secret Theater.

What platforms will Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater be released on?

It has been confirmed that Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater will be launching on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam.

This upcoming Xbox title/upcoming PC title will not be coming to Xbox Game Pass at launch. However, there's a chance it may do so in the future, as Metal Gear Solid V: Phantom Pain and Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 once did.

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