Akio Otsuka Wants Konami to Make Another Metal Gear, Even Without Hideo Kojima

Akio Otsuka, the actor whose voice has defined Snake for Japanese players across much of the Metal Gear Solid saga, has called for Konami to make another entry in the series even if creator Hideo Kojima is not involved.

It is a notable change in emphasis from Otsuka, who had previously expressed reluctance about returning to the franchise without Kojima's participation. In a recent interview, however, the actor explained that his earlier feeling was rooted in pride over the work he and Kojima had done together. Now, he believes the scale and patience of the series' worldwide fanbase make a new game worth pursuing.

"There are Metal Gear fans all over the world, and they have been waiting patiently for it," Otsuka said. "So, for their sake, let's make one more Metal Gear."

Otsuka also acknowledged that Kojima is busy making his own projects, including the Death Stranding series and the newly announced action-espionage game Physint. With Kojima charting a separate path, Otsuka's view is that Konami continuing Metal Gear does not have to be treated as a contradiction. "Why not?" he said of the prospect. "It's okay to do it."

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A voice closely tied to every era of Snake

For many English-speaking fans, David Hayter remains the voice most immediately associated with Solid Snake and Big Boss. Otsuka holds an equally important position for Japanese audiences, and his body of work is unusually broad even by the standards of a series built around recurring identities, cloned soldiers, codenames, and inherited legacies.

Like Hayter, Otsuka performed both Solid Snake and Naked Snake, the latter better known as Big Boss. His connection to the franchise went further than the principal protagonists, however. He also voiced Solidus Snake in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, a role performed in English by the late John Cygan. Later, Otsuka played Venom Snake in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, whose English performance was provided by Kiefer Sutherland.

That means Otsuka has portrayed an extraordinary share of the franchise's central Snake figures. There is one particularly fitting exception: Big Boss's appearance in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. That version of the character was played by Chikao Otsuka, Akio Otsuka's father. The casting gave a major late-series moment an added familial resonance for Japanese players.

Because of that history, Otsuka's comments carry weight beyond a conventional request for a sequel. He is not simply a performer who worked on a single famous game. His voice has accompanied the series through its most influential chapters and across several distinct incarnations of its defining character.

The difficult question hanging over Metal Gear

A new mainline Metal Gear made without Kojima remains one of the most complicated possibilities in modern gaming. Kojima's separation from Konami in 2015 was followed by the release of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, and the franchise has not received a wholly new canonical mainline installment since. The series has remained visible, but largely through legacy-focused projects rather than an entirely fresh chapter built around a new creative direction.

Konami's upcoming Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater demonstrates that the company still sees enormous value in the property. The remake returns to Metal Gear Solid 3, one of the most admired entries in the series, rather than attempting to immediately resolve the question of what a post-Kojima sequel should look like. That approach gives players a modernized route back to a foundational story while avoiding the enormous pressure that would accompany a new numbered game.

But a remake and a new installment answer different needs. A remake can preserve and refresh a classic experience, introduce it to players who missed it, and revisit the tactical stealth systems that made the original memorable. A new Metal Gear, meanwhile, would need to establish why the franchise should continue narratively and mechanically in an era when its original creator is developing new espionage projects elsewhere.

Otsuka's remarks focus on the fans rather than on ownership of that creative legacy. His argument is not that Kojima's contribution was unimportant; on the contrary, he explicitly framed his older hesitation as an expression of respect and pride in their collaboration. Instead, he is suggesting that the series has a life in the memories and expectations of its audience as well. For him, the long wait itself is reason enough to consider moving ahead.

Kojima's future is moving in another direction

Kojima continues to collaborate with Otsuka outside the Metal Gear universe. Otsuka voiced Die-Hardman in the Japanese version of Death Stranding, maintaining a professional connection between the actor and director after their years together on Konami's espionage series.

Asked whether he had spoken with Kojima about working together again, Otsuka reportedly responded with a laugh and left the answer to the imagination. That leaves plenty of room for fans to speculate, particularly as Kojima Productions develops Physint.

Physint has attracted attention because Kojima has described it as a new action-espionage experience, a genre closely connected to his past work. It is not Metal Gear, and there is no indication that it will be a continuation of Konami's series. Still, its existence highlights an unavoidable reality: players hoping for a new stealth-espionage epic now have two separate possibilities to watch. One is Kojima's original project; the other is whatever Konami may eventually choose to do with Metal Gear.

There are obvious reasons to be cautious about imagining Otsuka in Kojima's forthcoming game. He is 66, while Bill Skarsgård is 36, and a direct match between Otsuka's familiar voice and Skarsgård's character might not necessarily suit the role. Yet Otsuka's continuing relationship with Kojima Productions means his involvement in future work cannot be entirely ruled out. For now, though, there has been no announced role for him in Physint.

What a new Metal Gear would need to prove

Any future Metal Gear would face expectations that go far beyond stealth mechanics. The series is remembered for elaborate political conspiracies, anti-war themes, unconventional fourth-wall humor, lengthy cinematic storytelling, and an enduring fascination with the ways people inherit the ideals and mistakes of those who came before them. It is also remembered for gameplay that repeatedly redefined what stealth-action games could be, from sneaking through enemy facilities to building forward operating bases and recruiting personnel.

That combination is difficult to replicate. A new team would have to decide whether to preserve the series' dense, idiosyncratic storytelling style or take a cleaner and more accessible approach. It would have to balance nostalgia for familiar characters with the need to avoid endlessly revisiting the same timeline. And it would need to show that a new Metal Gear can be more than an imitation of the games that came before it.

At the same time, Otsuka's perspective points to an opportunity. The franchise has survived for decades because players connected with more than one person's role in its creation. Artists, actors, designers, composers, producers, and fans all helped make Metal Gear a lasting institution. The continued affection for Snake, whether Solid, Naked, Solidus, or Venom, is part of that shared legacy.

Konami has not announced a brand-new mainline Metal Gear game, so Otsuka's comments should not be read as confirmation that one is currently in production. They are, however, a clear endorsement from one of the series' most important voices. After years of uncertainty, he believes there is room for another mission--and that the people who have kept waiting deserve to see where it could lead.