Hideo Kojima discussed a Metal Gear Solid FPS with Call of Duty co-creator Vince Zampella during the early days of Respawn Entertainment

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Oh, what could've been

Metal Gear Solid 4
(Image credit: Konami)

Although Metal Gear Solid spin-offs have tended to be more good than bad, most of them are pretty forgettable. A possible collaboration between series creator Hideo Kojima and Respawn, however, would likely have been a standout if it came to pass.

During a tribute to Vince Zampella at DICE 2026, Kojima revealed that conversations about such a game had taken place between him and the Call of Duty co-creator after the release of Metal Gear Solid 4. As reported by VGC, Kojima stated the notion was a first-person shooter set in the world of Solid Snake, and it was one of the potential ideas for a then-nascent Respawn Entertainment.

Metal Gear Solid 4 E3 2006 Teaser - 1080p (Highest Quality Ever) - YouTube Metal Gear Solid 4 E3 2006 Teaser - 1080p (Highest Quality Ever) - YouTube
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No reason is given for why it didn't happen, but ultimately, the devs went with an original idea, eventually making Titanfall. Zampella and Kojima maintained a relationship, as the Death Stranding creator says he sought advice when going independent himself, after parting ways with Konami to form Kojima Productions.

"Without him, the gaming industry wouldn't be what it is today," Kojima added. Zampella passed away late last year. As one of the central architects behind the Call of Duty series and Respawn, that description is more than apt. More recently, Zampella led DICE through the development and launch of Battlefield 6, breaking multiple records with the blockbuster sequel.

Metal Gear Solid 2 is "often mistaken for a story about AI," Hideo Kojima says, but it's actually about "what human life would become" in the digital age.

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Anthony McGlynn
Anthony McGlynn
Contributing Writer

Anthony is an Irish entertainment and games journalist, now based in Glasgow. He previously served as Senior Anime Writer at Dexerto and News Editor at The Digital Fix, on top of providing work for Variety, IGN, Den of Geek, PC Gamer, and many more. Besides Studio Ghibli, horror movies, and The Muppets, he enjoys action-RPGs, heavy metal, and pro-wrestling. He interviewed Animal once, not that he won’t stop going on about it or anything.

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