Earlier this week, it was reported that Konami is looking to outsource some of its iconic properties in order to produce future games. More specifically, it's believed that Metal Gear Solid and Castlevania are up for grabs — but who should be chosen to reinvigorate these classic franchises?
Now, we have no idea who the Japanese publisher would have in mind for this rather daunting task — but let's have some fun and ask who you would like to see make a new Metal Gear Solid or Castlevania game. In the polls below, we've compiled a list of developers for each property that we think make some degree of sense on a gameplay level (and yes, some of them are completely unrealistic). If you don't agree with any of them, be sure to select the 'Other' option and enter a different studio of your choosing.
Pick a developer, and then give us your reasoning in the comments section below.
Which developer would you like to see make a new Metal Gear Solid game? (2,548 votes)
Naughty Dog (Uncharted, The Last of Us)7%
Sony Bend (Syphon Filter, Days Gone)4%
Bluepoint Games (Shadow of the Colossus, Demon's Souls remakes)20%
Kojima Productions (Death Stranding)54%
Sucker Punch (Sly Cooper, InFAMOUS, Ghost of Tsushima)4%
Robert (or Rob if you're lazy) has been a fan of PlayStation since the 90s, when Tekken 2 introduced him to the incredible world of video games. He still takes his fighting games seriously, but RPGs are his true passion. The Witcher, Dragon Quest, Mass Effect, Final Fantasy, he's played 'em all — a little too much, some might say.
Let's be honest, it's never gonna be Kojima for MGS (very happy to be proven wrong though!) - but in terms of giving MGS that trademark MGS/Kojima weirdness, there could be no other when it comes to the vote
I voted Capcom but I could really see Team Ninja doing Castlevania too. I love FROM and with Bloodborne they have proven they can pull off the atmosphere and aesthetic. But even with Sekiro I’m not sure about the platforming doing justice to the series.
Castlevania: If it's 3d then give MercurySteam another shot, LoS1 was amazing, 2 not so much but it kinda went through development hell. Yacht Club could well make a decent 2d one or maybe Sabotage Studio.
I would rather From focus on new mysterious worlds where the lore is new. But can see why people would like them to do Castlevania. As for MGS, whoever does that would prob need people with the same flair for weird and wacky atmospheres or else it won't feel like MGS to me lol. Team Cherry for Castlevania and Platinum Games (crazy factor) for MGS maybe.
Some random developer who would destroy the name of the franchise making Konami decide to finally sell the IP to someone who would respect the franchise and renew the IP
I went with the non obvious picks, Bluepoint deserves a franchise by this point, Metal Gear would be awesome. And Team Ninja could do Castlevania for sure!
Kojima getting MGS again would be too optimistic. Honestly he's probably happy to be free from the series now.
IO or Eidos could be a good match for the series since they have experience with quality stealth games, and they had to reboot it, they're probably the teams I'd trust to do it the best.
As for Castlevania, FromSoft would just make it another Soulsbourne so I'd rather have Team Cherry for a 2D game or Team Ninja for a 3D one.
For MGS, Kojima would be first choice obviously but Konami might not be too warm with Kojima these days. Bluepoint would be my second pick since they have been so respectful of source materials in their past remakes. I would fear any other studio would take too much creative license and bring Metal Gear in a different direction.
I still say Guerrilla Games for MGS. Variant timeline narrative, mixture of stealth and action gameplay, a wide variety of approaches for enemy neutralization, experience with futuristic robotic combat, a protagonist who never smiles... where have I seen this all before?
I know Kojima Productions is the obvious one for MGS, but I'd love to see IO Interactive take a crack at it. And FromSoftware for Castlevania all the way.
Since "Other" doesn't seem to be a valid option in the poll, for Castlevania I'd say ArtPlay, since I think Igarashi knocked it out of the park with Bloodstained.
Leave MGS as it is. Unless it's a bluepoint remake.
You can't retcon the story just to keep the series going it's perfect* as it is beginning to end. Solid Snake is MGS and it's crapping on Kojimas work to find non existent gaps to continue the series.
*Other than the missing story in 5 it's perfect that is.
Some things should be just left as they are. I'd be all over a re-release though.
I think Kojima is long done with Metal Gear. I'd prefer they allow the series to die with some dignity. Although a remake of the first one from Bluepoint wouldn't be unwelcome.
As for Silent Hill, Bokeh Game Studio seems like the obvious choice.
@TheFrenchiestFry If another 2D Contra is made, it should go to WayForward, IMO. Contra 4 is probably the best games in that series. AMAZING quality for something that was formed out to an external developer.
Why no Inti Creates or Artplay for Castlevania?!?! They literally both developed the Bloodstained spiritual successor with Igarashi and everything?!?! Surely that's the most logical choice.
As others have said, the first Lords of Shadow really was an amazing game and I’d love to see Castlevania continue in that direction, though I’d gladly see what Ska Studios could do with the I.P. in keeping with a 2D perspective. I voted Platinum.
I adore Metal Gear but strongly feel it needs to rest for a good long while. With that said, I voted Eidos Montreal.
Trying to vote for ArtPlay in Other for Castlevania, but I keep getting an error message. And its gotta be Bluepoint for MGS, as I've been a bit indifferent with Kojima's games.
If the rumours are true about the possibility of a new Castlevania game coming out then the only person I trust with the IP is Koji Igarashi.
Same goes for Silent Hill for it to feel anything like how the games were back on the PS1/PS2 it needs to go back to Keiichiro Toyama and his new team .
There has been so many bad Silent Hill games after SH4 cause devs didnt understand the franchise and thought hey! wouldnt it be cool just to throw pyramid head in everything .
Ive seen so many people say give Metal Gear back to Kojima but Kojima stated countless times since MGS1 he was done with the series but the man kept getting death threats and abuse so he made sequels and spin offs until he left konami . I dont think he wants anything to do with that series anymore .
Platinum games for both. I want absurdity and over the top, taken to the nextgen. I want platinum games to look at the words "over the top" and consider them tame, to what they want to do with metal gear and castlevania series.
Hi there fellow gamers. I have already mentioned this in a previous article, but I´m making some differences.
Metal Gear Solid, Bluepoint for the remake and Sony Bend in collaboration with Kojima Productions for a new one(obviously). Still don´t know if I want a new one.
Castlevania, either Team Cherry or The Game Kitchen. Blasphemous was a really good surprise and Hollow Knight is THE Castlevania that I´ve been waiting for. Everyone should give that game a chance. And I still believe Fromsoftware would do an amazing job with it. Cheers, stay safe and happy gaming to us all
@Clytorial_Impact Hi there friend. THAT ending in MGS4 is one of the reasons I don´t really want a new MGS. The other is MGSV....... That´s it. Just let Snake live his last years of life in peace with is best bud Otacon. Hal and Dave. One of the best friendships in videogames. Cheers, stay safe and have a good one
@Flaming_Kaiser Hi there friend. Absolutely. Housemarque would be perfect for Contra. They just know how to make awesome shooters with addicting gameplay mechanics. Really good choice 👍 Cheers, stay safe and have a good one
Metal Gear Solid is way too Japanese for any studio or company outside Japan to produce it. Capcom, Platinum, Namco, Sega, or Square Enix are probably the only options.
What a cop out putting Kojima productions there. OBVIOUSLY people are going to pick that one. As for me, I honestly do believe the Hitman devs would do a good job with a MGS game. They know how stealth works and how to make stages that favor sneaking around. It's why I'm confident they can deliver a 007 game that isn't just Bond running around blasting things.
Metal Gear - nobody can touch that franchise without Kojima involved. Sorry Konami. Even remakes would expect that Kojima touch. They are wrapped together with a bow and that's it. Or at least no dev would want to touch that franchise to make a new entry.
I instantly voted for FromSoft for Castlevania, but then I remembered I want Elden Ring, Bloodborne 2 and Dark Souls 4, or Demon’s Souls 2... or Demon’s Souls DLC first.
For a new game in both series it should be a Japanese studio so I would eliminate most of the choices. If is a remake or remaster then yeah I would give them to Blue point.
Bloodborne is already the best 3D Castlevania game ever so if I had to give the IP to anyone else on the list beside FromSoft it would be Platinum Games or Team Cherry, with the proper budget of course.
For Metal Gear Solid the only sensible choice would be Kojima productions as this game is so inherently japanese, ideally with Kojima in a more hands-off aproach as producer and maybe get Yoko Taro to direct, mask on 24/7.
WayForward or IntiCreates are the only devs who should touch Castlevania.
As far as Metal Gear...man, I just cannot even remotely picture a Metal Gear that isn't from Kojima. Something remarkably different like Revengeance notwithstanding, my brain can't comprehend what a non-Kojima MG even looks like.
As a couple of others have said, I feel Kojima should be allowed to move on with other things like he did with Death Stranding. A new Metal Gear game would probably have to distance itself from the existing entries anyway, so why not give it to another talented developer like IO Interactive instead?
As for Castlevania, I'd be interested in seeing what From Software can do with the IP, but a Capcom crossover with Devil May Cry is too good to pass up, so I had to go with that.
From software no thanks, would end up with some ridiculous hard as nails, off putting difficulty level. For me personally Santa Monica or Platinum games. Or Mercury Steam.
I don't really care for metal gear like I used to, but I'm gonna need fromsoft to handle castlevania. It's literally cookies and milk, peanut butter and jelly, burgers and fries and whatever other food combinations you can think of. I'd like to see what other Japanese studio would do with it like cappy or team ninja even, but fromsoft NEEDS to be the ones to take over castlevania
No way will Kojima ever work on another MGS, and I can't see Konami out sourcing to them can you. If anything for that to happen would be Sony to get the license to a Metal Gear and they have the right to use whoever to make the game. If anyone was to do a new game Kojima only would be the right person but for a remake of MGS I would put my eggs in Blue Point Games
Platinum Games for Castlevania for sure; sorry but From's approach will be too Souls-like, and the formula doesn't always translate to other IPs all that well (looking at you, Fallen Order).
Platinum can bring back the ferocity that was seen in Lament of Innocence, combined with the open-ended experience of Nier Automata, it's a match made in heaven!
I agree that Kojima Productions should get Metal Gear but I think either Arkane Studios, Ubisoft, Rocksteady or IO Interactive should reboot the series because I think Metal Gear needs a reboot after Metal Gear Survive that way Metal Gear can come back to greatness like how Tomb Raider returned to greatness after the Angel of Darkness Disaster.
Comments 90
Kojima Productions, just to be in the room during the negotiation.
Eidos Montreal would actually be perfect for MGS. Didn’t think of that one at all.
Bluepoint all day on a MGS Remake. Sony make it happen.
Sony Japan Studio
Nobody.
The ending with Snake and Big Boss in the cemetery was perfect way to end the series.
(I guess MGS5 came out after but that was a prequel)
CAPCOM no one else
I don't mind who make the game as long as it's original Aura remains intact....
Let's be honest, it's never gonna be Kojima for MGS (very happy to be proven wrong though!) - but in terms of giving MGS that trademark MGS/Kojima weirdness, there could be no other when it comes to the vote
I wouldn't mind if Bluepoint would try their hand at either a remake or new MGS.
I actually don't want Kojima to touch MGS again after MGSV.
As for Castlevania, I wouldn't mind seeing FromSoftware helm the project.
I voted Capcom but I could really see Team Ninja doing Castlevania too. I love FROM and with Bloodborne they have proven they can pull off the atmosphere and aesthetic. But even with Sekiro I’m not sure about the platforming doing justice to the series.
MGS: KojiPro or bust.
Castlevania: If it's 3d then give MercurySteam another shot, LoS1 was amazing, 2 not so much but it kinda went through development hell. Yacht Club could well make a decent 2d one or maybe Sabotage Studio.
I would rather From focus on new mysterious worlds where the lore is new. But can see why people would like them to do Castlevania. As for MGS, whoever does that would prob need people with the same flair for weird and wacky atmospheres or else it won't feel like MGS to me lol. Team Cherry for Castlevania and Platinum Games (crazy factor) for MGS maybe.
I hope kojima production made metal gear solid while fromsoftware made castlevania (with normal difficulty)
Some random developer who would destroy the name of the franchise making Konami decide to finally sell the IP to someone who would respect the franchise and renew the IP
I went with the non obvious picks, Bluepoint deserves a franchise by this point, Metal Gear would be awesome. And Team Ninja could do Castlevania for sure!
HEY PUSHSQUARE YOUR "OTHER" BUTTON DOESN'T WORK
It keeps saying the choice is invalid.
I VOTE FOR FROM SOFTWARE FOR METAL GEAR EVEN IF THE SITE WON'T LET ME
NINJA APPROVED
Kojima getting MGS again would be too optimistic. Honestly he's probably happy to be free from the series now.
IO or Eidos could be a good match for the series since they have experience with quality stealth games, and they had to reboot it, they're probably the teams I'd trust to do it the best.
As for Castlevania, FromSoft would just make it another Soulsbourne so I'd rather have Team Cherry for a 2D game or Team Ninja for a 3D one.
Castlevania: Inti Creates for 2D, FromSoft for 3D
Metal Gear: Kojima Productions
Contra: Insomniac Games
Suikoden: Either Atlus or Falcom
Silent Hill: Also Kojima Productions
Kojima Productions of course, it's Kojima.
Jeez, no Ubisoft, please no Ubisoft.
@TheFrenchiestFry At least we’re getting that Suikoden spiritual successor from the original devs!
@nessisonett Eiyuden Chronicle looks SUPERB
Platinum Games for Castlevania --- perfect fit..
MGS 1 Remake — Bluepoint
Lol who is voting for Arkane to take stewardship of Metal Gear following Microsoft's Bethesda purchase??
I think Bluepoint would be good fpr a remake of MGS, but i'm not sure about a new game in the series.
I think Koj is done with the series and i think its probably a good thing to let him work on other things at this point
Naughty Dog - I can see snake bouncing on enemies to collect apples whilst being vey woke.
Kidding !
I don't care. As long as there's more MGS and Castlevania.
For MGS, Kojima would be first choice obviously but Konami might not be too warm with Kojima these days. Bluepoint would be my second pick since they have been so respectful of source materials in their past remakes. I would fear any other studio would take too much creative license and bring Metal Gear in a different direction.
Guildford-based Media Molecule
Kojima made it
Kojima gets it
I don't think we should have another MGS if it isn't Kojima. The two go together like cheese and baked potatoes.
New game, it can only go to Kojima.
Remake, Bluepoint.
No one. Remaster the original for ps5
I still say Guerrilla Games for MGS. Variant timeline narrative, mixture of stealth and action gameplay, a wide variety of approaches for enemy neutralization, experience with futuristic robotic combat, a protagonist who never smiles... where have I seen this all before?
I know Kojima Productions is the obvious one for MGS, but I'd love to see IO Interactive take a crack at it. And FromSoftware for Castlevania all the way.
Why have an "Other" selection if you can't do anything with it? Is it just something you can't edit out?
Since "Other" doesn't seem to be a valid option in the poll, for Castlevania I'd say ArtPlay, since I think Igarashi knocked it out of the park with Bloodstained.
Leave MGS as it is. Unless it's a bluepoint remake.
You can't retcon the story just to keep the series going it's perfect* as it is beginning to end. Solid Snake is MGS and it's crapping on Kojimas work to find non existent gaps to continue the series.
*Other than the missing story in 5 it's perfect that is.
Some things should be just left as they are. I'd be all over a re-release though.
I think Kojima is long done with Metal Gear. I'd prefer they allow the series to die with some dignity. Although a remake of the first one from Bluepoint wouldn't be unwelcome.
As for Silent Hill, Bokeh Game Studio seems like the obvious choice.
@TheFrenchiestFry If another 2D Contra is made, it should go to WayForward, IMO. Contra 4 is probably the best games in that series. AMAZING quality for something that was formed out to an external developer.
@nessisonett
Eiyuden Chronicle = Suikoden
Project Triangle Strategy = Final Fantasy Tactics
Getting massive PS1 vibes with some of these recent nostalgic JRPG projects.
How to write SEGA or Blizzard into "other"?
Who were those guys who made Bubsy 3D? Not those guys.
Capcom castlevania will be interesting and metal gear bluepoint oh yeah.silent hills japan studio s.word up son
Bethesda of course...
As long as they are Xbox exclusive and on game pass day one I couldn't give a toss.
Why no Inti Creates or Artplay for Castlevania?!?! They literally both developed the Bloodstained spiritual successor with Igarashi and everything?!?! Surely that's the most logical choice.
Demons Souls Remake was so impressive I’d love to see what Bluepoint could do with MGS1.
Also if Konami is looking for money can we get a MGS4 remaster on PS5 please?
Housemarque can do Contra they are masters with awsome action games.
I'd love to play MGS in Capcom's RE Engine. Third person of course.
Anyone else but Ubisoft, Activision, or EA
As others have said, the first Lords of Shadow really was an amazing game and I’d love to see Castlevania continue in that direction, though I’d gladly see what Ska Studios could do with the I.P. in keeping with a 2D perspective. I voted Platinum.
I adore Metal Gear but strongly feel it needs to rest for a good long while. With that said, I voted Eidos Montreal.
Trying to vote for ArtPlay in Other for Castlevania, but I keep getting an error message. And its gotta be Bluepoint for MGS, as I've been a bit indifferent with Kojima's games.
Ubisoft making Metal Gear Solid?! When I read that I threw up in my mouth.
If the rumours are true about the possibility of a new Castlevania game coming out then the only person I trust with the IP is Koji Igarashi.
Same goes for Silent Hill for it to feel anything like how the games were back on the PS1/PS2 it needs to go back to Keiichiro Toyama and his new team .
There has been so many bad Silent Hill games after SH4 cause devs didnt understand the franchise and thought hey! wouldnt it be cool just to throw pyramid head in everything .
Ive seen so many people say give Metal Gear back to Kojima but Kojima stated countless times since MGS1 he was done with the series but the man kept getting death threats and abuse so he made sequels and spin offs until he left konami . I dont think he wants anything to do with that series anymore .
I didn't know I wanted team cherry to make a castlevania until today
Platinum games for both. I want absurdity and over the top, taken to the nextgen. I want platinum games to look at the words "over the top" and consider them tame, to what they want to do with metal gear and castlevania series.
@JohnnyShoulder do you want bluepoint to create a remaster or something entirely new, for mgs.
@PhhhCough Remake, as that is what they are good at.
Peace Walker 2 by Kojima Productions, please.
Let poor Hideo live his life. He's given enough.
Only Kojima Productions should develop any MGS games. As for Castlevania, I wouldn't mind seeing Igarashi's team get a chance.
Hi there fellow gamers.
I have already mentioned this in a previous article, but I´m making some differences.
Blasphemous was a really good surprise and Hollow Knight is THE Castlevania that I´ve been waiting for. Everyone should give that game a chance. And I still believe Fromsoftware would do an amazing job with it.
Cheers, stay safe and happy gaming to us all
I’d just like a remake of MGS 1
@Clytorial_Impact Hi there friend.
THAT ending in MGS4 is one of the reasons I don´t really want a new MGS.
The other is MGSV.......
That´s it.
Just let Snake live his last years of life in peace with is best bud Otacon.
Hal and Dave. One of the best friendships in videogames.
Cheers, stay safe and have a good one
@Flaming_Kaiser Hi there friend.
Absolutely. Housemarque would be perfect for Contra.
They just know how to make awesome shooters with addicting gameplay mechanics.
Really good choice 👍
Cheers, stay safe and have a good one
Bluepoint and a Metal Gear Solid (remake) are a match made in heaven!
If I could play a Castlevania game made by Fromsoftware, I could die happy. It's an obvious pair.
Metal Gear Solid is way too Japanese for any studio or company outside Japan to produce it. Capcom, Platinum, Namco, Sega, or Square Enix are probably the only options.
What a cop out putting Kojima productions there. OBVIOUSLY people are going to pick that one. As for me, I honestly do believe the Hitman devs would do a good job with a MGS game. They know how stealth works and how to make stages that favor sneaking around. It's why I'm confident they can deliver a 007 game that isn't just Bond running around blasting things.
Metal Gear - nobody can touch that franchise without Kojima involved. Sorry Konami. Even remakes would expect that Kojima touch. They are wrapped together with a bow and that's it. Or at least no dev would want to touch that franchise to make a new entry.
I instantly voted for FromSoft for Castlevania, but then I remembered I want Elden Ring, Bloodborne 2 and Dark Souls 4, or Demon’s Souls 2... or Demon’s Souls DLC first.
For a new game in both series it should be a Japanese studio so I would eliminate most of the choices. If is a remake or remaster then yeah I would give them to Blue point.
Bloodborne is already the best 3D Castlevania game ever so if I had to give the IP to anyone else on the list beside FromSoft it would be Platinum Games or Team Cherry, with the proper budget of course.
For Metal Gear Solid the only sensible choice would be Kojima productions as this game is so inherently japanese, ideally with Kojima in a more hands-off aproach as producer and maybe get Yoko Taro to direct, mask on 24/7.
WayForward or IntiCreates are the only devs who should touch Castlevania.
As far as Metal Gear...man, I just cannot even remotely picture a Metal Gear that isn't from Kojima. Something remarkably different like Revengeance notwithstanding, my brain can't comprehend what a non-Kojima MG even looks like.
As a couple of others have said, I feel Kojima should be allowed to move on with other things like he did with Death Stranding. A new Metal Gear game would probably have to distance itself from the existing entries anyway, so why not give it to another talented developer like IO Interactive instead?
As for Castlevania, I'd be interested in seeing what From Software can do with the IP, but a Capcom crossover with Devil May Cry is too good to pass up, so I had to go with that.
If it's not Kojima Productions then I would saw JAW. They did an amazing job with the Abe's Oddysee remake.
From software no thanks, would end up with some ridiculous hard as nails, off putting difficulty level. For me personally Santa Monica or Platinum games. Or Mercury Steam.
@Hyperluminal he's doing his own thing so don't know why you guy's keep mentioning him
platinum games would do a fine job.
they won't give it to Kojima big fall out . and metal gear has been crap since he left , mgs5 wtf was that all about couldn't grab me.
I don't really care for metal gear like I used to, but I'm gonna need fromsoft to handle castlevania. It's literally cookies and milk, peanut butter and jelly, burgers and fries and whatever other food combinations you can think of. I'd like to see what other Japanese studio would do with it like cappy or team ninja even, but fromsoft NEEDS to be the ones to take over castlevania
I also wonder if this might be related to those rumors a while back about mgs1 remake and a new 3D castlevania 🤔
@Taylorzombie I told you why I mentioned him.
I would take a remake of the original Castlevania by FromSoftware, only in the style and gameplay of the Soulsborne genre. That would be amazing.
From Software for Castlevania(they would create a amazing atmophere for a new Castlevania game).
A lot of people are saying Kojima but isn't he done with Metal Gear? I doubt he wants to go back to that series.
No way will Kojima ever work on another MGS, and I can't see Konami out sourcing to them can you. If anything for that to happen would be Sony to get the license to a Metal Gear and they have the right to use whoever to make the game. If anyone was to do a new game Kojima only would be the right person but for a remake of MGS I would put my eggs in Blue Point Games
@JudasGoat Same. Tried to add them but poll is broken for other. Artplay all the way!!!
Voted for Kojima and From, but I believe this will be a no-name studio from Pakistan or elsewhere.
PlatinumGames have already made the hands down best Metal Gear game, so why not let them continue?
Platinum Games for Castlevania for sure; sorry but From's approach will be too Souls-like, and the formula doesn't always translate to other IPs all that well (looking at you, Fallen Order).
Platinum can bring back the ferocity that was seen in Lament of Innocence, combined with the open-ended experience of Nier Automata, it's a match made in heaven!
Bluepoint? Possibly?
I agree that Kojima Productions should get Metal Gear but I think either Arkane Studios, Ubisoft, Rocksteady or IO Interactive should reboot the series because I think Metal Gear needs a reboot after Metal Gear Survive that way Metal Gear can come back to greatness like how Tomb Raider returned to greatness after the Angel of Darkness Disaster.
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