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Enter the Metal Gear universe

Metal Gear Games in Chronological Order

Start with Big Boss. Follow the Snake legacy.

Follow Big Boss, Solid Snake and Raiden from 1964 to 2018, with remakes grouped and alternate games separated.

Explore Metal Gear by its in-universe years, from Snake Eater in 1964 to Revengeance in 2018. Remakes and adaptations stay attached to their games, while Acid, Ghost Babel, Survive and Snake’s Revenge have separate branches.

Open the full timeline ↓
Last editorial check

Universe orientation

Start with Big Boss. Follow the Snake legacy.

The quick answer

The main route is MGS3 → Portable Ops → Peace Walker → Ground Zeroes → Phantom Pain → Metal Gear → Metal Gear 2 → MGS → MGS2 → MGS4 → Rising. Release order preserves the series’ original reveals on a first playthrough.

Switch to release order, or choose Core for the main story route.

Universe explored

The Metal Gear universe, story by story

Explore Metal Gear by its in-universe years, from Snake Eater in 1964 to Revengeance in 2018. Remakes and adaptations stay attached to their games, while Acid, Ghost Babel, Survive and Snake’s Revenge have separate branches.

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Story chronology · Core route

Portable Ops is included with a continuity caveat. Collection packages are not new events. Alternate games appear after the main route as a directory of separate branches, not later points on one calendar.

Showing 11 of 16 released stories.

  1. GameCanon

    Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

    PlayMetal Gear Solid 3: Snake EaterOfficial franchise reference · Reference pageCanonPlayMetal Gear Solid Delta (Δ): Snake Eater — remakeOfficial franchise reference · Reference pageCanon

    Naked Snake begins the Big Boss story.

    Story era1964ContinuityMain continuityIn-world placement1964First release2004Placement confidenceApproximate
  2. GameCanon

    Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops

    PlayMetal Gear Solid: Portable OpsOfficial franchise reference · Reference pageCanon

    Konami backstory includes these broad events; later games treat some details lightly.

    Story era1970ContinuityMain continuityIn-world placement1970First release2006Placement confidenceApproximate
  3. GameCanon

    Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker

    PlayMetal Gear Solid: Peace WalkerOfficial franchise reference · Reference pageCanon

    Big Boss leads Militaires Sans Frontières in Costa Rica.

    Story era1974ContinuityMain continuityIn-world placement1974First release2010Placement confidenceApproximate
  4. GameCanon

    Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes

    PlayMetal Gear Solid V: Ground ZeroesOfficial franchise reference · Reference pageCanon

    Camp Omega leads directly to the gap before The Phantom Pain.

    Story era1975ContinuityMain continuityIn-world placement1975First release2014Placement confidenceApproximate
  5. GameCanon

    Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

    PlayMetal Gear Solid V: The Phantom PainOfficial franchise reference · Reference pageCanon

    Diamond Dogs and the history leading toward Outer Heaven.

    Story era1984ContinuityMain continuityIn-world placement1984First release2015Placement confidenceApproximate
  6. GameCanon

    Metal Gear

    PlayMetal GearOfficial franchise reference · Reference pageCanon

    Solid Snake infiltrates Outer Heaven.

    Story era1995ContinuityMain continuityIn-world placement1995First release1987Placement confidenceApproximate
  7. GameCanon

    Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake

    PlayMetal Gear 2: Solid SnakeOfficial franchise reference · Reference pageCanon

    Solid Snake confronts Zanzibar Land.

    Story era1999ContinuityMain continuityIn-world placement1999First release1990Placement confidenceApproximate
  8. GameCanon

    Metal Gear Solid

    PlayMetal Gear SolidOfficial franchise reference · Reference pageCanonReadMetal Gear Solid — novelizationOfficial franchise reference · Reference pageCanonReadMetal Gear Solid — comic adaptationOfficial franchise reference · Reference pageCanonReadDigital Graphic NovelOfficial franchise reference · Reference pageCanon

    The Shadow Moses incident.

    Story era2005ContinuityMain continuityIn-world placement2005First release1998Placement confidenceApproximate
  9. GameCanon

    Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

    PlayMetal Gear Solid 2: Sons of LibertyOfficial franchise reference · Reference pageCanonReadMetal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty — novelizationOfficial franchise reference · Reference pageCanonReadMetal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty — comic adaptationOfficial franchise reference · Reference pageCanonReadBande DessinéeOfficial franchise reference · Reference pageCanon

    Tanker chapter in 2007; Big Shell in 2009.

    Story era2007 / 2009ContinuityMain continuityIn-world placement2007 / 2009First release2001Placement confidenceApproximate
  10. GameCanon

    Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

    PlayMetal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the PatriotsOfficial franchise reference · Reference pageCanonReadMetal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots — novelizationOfficial franchise reference · Reference pageCanon

    The conclusion to Solid Snake’s principal story.

    Story era2014ContinuityMain continuityIn-world placement2014First release2008Placement confidenceApproximate
  11. GameCanon

    Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

    PlayMetal Gear Rising: RevengeanceOfficial franchise reference · Reference pageCanon

    Raiden’s follow-up is set four years after MGS4.

    Story era2018ContinuityMain continuityIn-world placement2018First release2013Placement confidenceApproximate

Find your route

Metal Gear order guide

Use one authoritative timeline, then choose the view that matches how you want to experience the universe.

Metal Gear remakes and adaptations

Delta, comics and novelizations attach to their original games. Master Collection packages are editions, not new chronology events.

Suggested routes

Choose a way in.

Use the full chronology or follow a shorter route.

01 · Big Boss

1964–1984

Snake Eater through The Phantom Pain traces the origins of the military factions.

02 · Solid Snake

1995–2014

Metal Gear through MGS4 follows the next generation.

03 · Alternate games

Choose a separate branch

Acid 1 and 2 form one route. Ghost Babel, Survive and Snake’s Revenge remain separate.

Abstract branching map representing separate story continuities

Story versions

Choose how to experience it.

Researched editions and adaptations stay together under one story.

See how stories are organised

Sources

What anchors this order.

Official franchise, creator and publisher sources anchor the chronology. Conflicts and uncertain placements are labelled.

Konami — Metal Gear archive ↗Konami — official backstory timeline ↗

Continue exploring

Similar themes, different worlds.

Missing something?

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Story Order

Every story has a place.

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