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The latest outing for Hideo Kojima’s stealth-action Metal Gear Solid franchise is set for the beginning of September.
That’s according to a video leaked ahead of time from IGN, which had been originally been set for an exclusive reveal at 2pm tomorrow, March 4th.
In the video[UPDATE: The file now appears to have been pulled], which is captioned in Italian, series creator Hideo Kojima discusses the gameplay of the fifth Metal Gear Solid instalment, before the video ends with the worldwide release date of September 1st 2015.
"I’d like to thank everyone for their patience," says Kojima in the video. "The goal is almost in sight.
"Right now we’re putting the final finishing touches on The Phantom Pain to make sure it will be ready by launch."
Hints are also given about the narrative structure of the game, with Kojima referencing the difficulty of telling a non-linear story. He continues that a ‘freely-assembled episodic format’ will be utilised:
"Like a TV drama, the story comes together as players proceeds through missions and gathers episodic pieces of the story."
The appearance of the franchise’s titular bipedal walking tank is additionally confirmed, albeit in the form of ‘some new incarnation’.
The Phantom Pain had previously been revealed to include revived multiplayer game mode Metal Gear Online, but now it also seems that the main campaign of the game could implement a form of seamless multiplayer.
"Today, hardware is constantly connected online," Kojima states. "Therefore, whenever you play, there will always be someone in the world doing the same thing.
"In the early stages of the game, players will enjoy a standalone experience.
"However, at some point, the game opens up and each player’s story becomes interwined with the experiences of other players online."
Kojima concludes that the game, which is due for release on PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360 and PC, will be the last in the series he will work on, but hints that the series could continue without his input.
However, Kojima made similar claims in the past about the original Metal Gear Solid, as well as follow-ups 2, 3 and 4.
