There have been so many great announcements in the past several months, with so many beloved video games becoming board games and CMON now has another excellent announcement to make. Metal Gear Solid will indeed be getting the board game treatment it seems as the company posted on its Twitter account a cryptic cardboard box with the caption “IMPORTANT: DO NOT OPEN UNTIL TOMORROW”.
This time, the cake is not a lie, as cardboard boxes have been well-featured in Metal Gear Solid’s gameplay and yes, they too have been the subject of some popular Internet memes. But if a cardboard box was all there was, and the whole thing would have been put to rest. Sharp-eyed fans have spotted the smushy text on the sides of the box which seems to contain verbatim quotes from Solid Snake’s speech, one of the main characters in the franchise, who says: ”Life isn’t just about passing on your genes. We can leave behind more than just DNA”
Yikes. The blurry text on the sides also suggests that the whole thing is addressed to the series antagonist, Big Boss. So, can we reliably say that Metal Gear Solid is becoming a board game? There is good evidence to suggest that this is indeed the case. But wait, wasn’t a Metal Gear Solid game already in the works?
It was, with designer Emerson Matsuuchi, known for his blockbusters Century and Foundations of Rome, dropped the project in 2021 because of lack of support. He has also worked on a similar game that drew inspiration from the hidden-movement stealth mechanic which he more or less polished in Specter Ops, another board game reminiscent of Metal Gear Solid.
Although IDW Games dropped the project, Matsuuchi’s design must still be alive, just like Samuel Bailey’s coveted expansion to Forbidden Stars is going to be reimplemented as part of a new or original franchise. Matsuuchi confirmed back in 2021 that he still had the rights to release the game, but no further details were made available.
Now, however, players may finally have the chance to play as Meryl Silverburgh, Dr Hal Emmerich, Gray Fox, Solid Snake, and other prominent characters. If you ask us, chances are this will be Matsuuchi’s design but until CMON confirm itself we would dabble in our well-informed speculation.
Speaking of board games based on video games, there have been quite a few successful Kickstarter campaigns of late. Apex Legends has surpassed its funding goals easily and Monster Hunter World Iceborne: The Board Game did well for itself in the two games recent and still ongoing as of the time of writing campaigns.