[SPOILERS] returns to Metal Gear Solid 5 in a recent patch

Massive spoilers here for the ending of MGS5. You've been warned!

To say that the last third of Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain has been controversial among fans is a huge understatement. One of those controversies was the removal of expert sniper Quiet, one of your most valuable allies, from your available squad of buddies. Normally, she leaves your party after the conclusion of mission 45, and no matter how hard you try, there's no way to get her back. It's a bold move by Kojima Productions to instill a sense of loss in the player, and it's been met with a mixture of outrage and acceptance from the game's most vocal fans.

That's all changed now, as a recent patch has added in an opportunity for players to get Quiet back on their team, without a single mention of the change in the patch notes - an about-face that's almost as bizarre as what you actually have to do to get her back. Eagle-eyed redditor Brotigan noticed that if you play the mission "Cloaked in Silence" seven times, the word [Replay] changes to [Reunion]. Finishing it once more will allow Quiet to permanently re-join Diamond Dogs, allowing you to take her on missions with you once again.

There isn't a new cutscene that accompanies this change - she simply shows up back in your roster as if she'd never left. So this is either Konami simply appeasing its fans by giving them what they want, or there's something else approaching on the horizon - perhaps a certain chapter three people are desperate for.