Metal Slug Is Back! SNK Teases New PS5 Game for Series' 30th Anniversary

SNK is “reigniting and rebooting” its legendary run-’n’-gun series Metal Slug, as the classic celebrates its 30th anniversary.

A special, celebratory website is online now teasing a “mission reboot”, and supporting material on the page says players should “strap in and stay tuned for what lies on the horizon”.

Here’s an excerpt from the full message:

"Players have been spellbound by the game’s vibrant graphics ever since — whether it be comically expressive soldiers and their nuanced movements, or giant war machines whose destruction shakes the entire screen. Coupled with its simple, intuitive controls and fast-paced gameplay, it’s little wonder this SNK classic garnered acclaim not just in the arcade but on home consoles as well."

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The iconic Japanese dev also set up new social media accounts for the franchise on X (or Twitter), which you can find below:

We reckon it’s pretty clear a new entry is in development for modern consoles, but it’s worth remembering that the franchise has never truly gone away.

While Metal Slug XX was the last mainline entry to release on a PlayStation console (the PSP, in that instance, although it was later ported to the PS4), various spin-offs have released more recently, including Metal Slug Tactics on the PS5 in 2024.

As fun as that was, though, clearly it’s a return to the classic Metal Slug gameplay that fans have been itching for.

You can buy the Metal Slug Anthology on the PS5, the port of a PS2 collection first released in 2007. This features all six of the original games and Metal Slug X, but not the aforementioned Metal Slug XX.

And don’t forget, many of the original arcade versions are also available on the PS Store, via Hamster’s ACA Neo Geo line.

There’s a good 30 years worth of classic run-’n’-gun action to master before SNK reveals whatever it’s got planned next, then.

We hope it sticks with the tried and trusted pixel art and brings us a true mainline successor to the Metal Slug series, but is that something you’d be interested in? Let us know below.