Keeping us waiting, huh: Konami says the Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater multiplayer mode won't launch until fall

For a very specific type of sicko, the most compelling part of the Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater remaster is Fox Hunt, a new multiplayer mode hearkening back to the bygone era of combative sneakery in Metal Gear Online. Unfortunately, it looks like we'll have to wait a bit longer to relearn the art of mid-combat cardboard box tech, because Konami says Fox Hunt won't be hitting until after MGS Delta's launch.

In a tweet this morning from the Japanese official Metal Gear account, Konami said that Fox Hunt is "scheduled for release in Fall 2025."

"Centered around elements from the main game such as 'Camouflage' and 'Survival,' enjoy a new 'hide-and-seek strategy' experience," Konami said via machine translation. "Stay tuned for more updates!"

Details are still a bit thin about what exactly Fox Hunt will offer. Konami has only released a handful of short preview clips showing the multiplayer mode's gameplay, which seems like it's leaning heavily into Metal Gear stealth mechanics. In particular, footage we've seen so far has emphasized a ghillie suit that mimics not just the surface appearance of nearby terrain, but also changes its shape and texture for heightened camouflage. It's OctoCamo++, essentially.

On Konami's Metal Gear site, it says Fox Hunt is "based on the Sneaking rule from Metal Gear Online," and utilizes "the latest graphical enhancements that amplifies the tension of hide-and-seek to a whole new level."

In a two-minute "extended" look video Konami released in April, however, Fox Hunt director Yu Sahara said we shouldn't just expect a reprise of MGO. "When we say Metal Gear multiplayer, many fans will probably think of Metal Gear Online, but Fox Hunt will be its own, new type of mode," Sahara said. "We very much appreciate all the longtime fans of MGO who have always wanted to see it make a comeback. But the landscape of multiplayer games has changed a lot since MGO."

Suffice to say, the messaging around Fox Hunt makes it hard to know what to expect when the multiplayer mode officially launches. My hope is that—even if it is "its own, new type of mode"—it'll feel a bit like revisiting a time when multiplayer offerings didn't feel as uniform as they do today.

Ideally, it would also be fun, but we'll see.

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater releases on Steam on August 28. Fox Hunt, presumably, will launch sometime in the following months.