Metal Gear Solid board game sneaks back into production after being cancelled

Hero miniatures arrayed on the board in Metal Gear Solid: The Board Game
(Image credit: CMON)

After being canceled a couple of years ago, the Metal Gear Solid board game is back in action.

Created by Emerson Matsuuchi, Metal Gear Solid: The Board Game was canned back in late 2020 by publisher IDW for undisclosed reasons. Now, CMON - the group behind titles like Zombicide - has picked it up and will be publishing the Metal Gear Solid board game instead. While we don't have a release date yet, pre-orders are live now. In other words, it's good news if you've been hoping to add Snake's adventure to your collection of the best board games.

As an adaptation of the original Metal Gear Solid video game, this version challenges you to infiltrate Shadow Moses Island as a team and sneak past its defenses using guile, tactics, and trusty cardboard boxes (obviously). You'll then have to take down iconic bosses - each of which has its own miniature - in what CMON says during the trailer are "dedicated boss stages."

You can pre-order the Metal Gear Solid board game via CMON's website now. If you do, you'll apparently get Metal Gear REX and Graphic Novel promos along with a $10 discount.

Metal Gear Solid: The Board Game had generated a lot of buzz when it was originally announced, but then a post by Matsuuchi on BoardGameGeek revealed that it had been quietly shut down. He then wrote that he had been "pursuing a myriad of options to keep the project going." 

He also stated "I have offered to put in capital from my company to help fund the last leg of the project, and even to buy out IDW’s interest in the project along with purchasing all of the assets. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get any traction with those options." After the rights were given back to him in early 2021, he began seeking ways to bring the game to market. He clearly succeeded.

The announcement was well-timed; Metal Gear is already at the forefront of our minds after a Metal Gear Solid 3 remake was announced at the PlayStation showcase


For more tabletop, check out these essential board games for adults, must-have cooperative board games, and good board games for 2 players.

Benjamin Abbott
Tabletop & Merch Editor

As the site's Tabletop & Merch Editor, you'll find my grubby paws on everything from board game reviews to the latest Lego news. I've been writing about games in one form or another since 2012, and can normally be found cackling over some evil plan I've cooked up for my group's next Dungeons & Dragons campaign.