Though the Metal Gear franchise has stagnated in recent years, it stands as one of the most memorable collections of media out there. These philosophical stealth-action games have boasted millions of sales throughout their history, introducing numerous players to the world of Solid Snake and other iconic characters. Today, fans still have no idea if a new game in the series is even being considered, even as they find themselves continually drawn to the franchise. For any die-hard fan or anyone simply interested in getting into the series, it can be interesting to see which Metal Gear games performed best when it comes to sales.
To simplify the selection process, this article will only consider the first release of each Metal Gear title. HD collections, remakes, and standalone expansions won’t be considered, though re-releases will be included if they occurred within a year or two of the original release. All sales information was taken from
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List of The Best Metal Gear Games of All Time Ranked by Copies Sold
10. Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (includes Plus) 9. Metal Gear 8. Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes 7. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (includes HD Edition) 6. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance 5. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (includes Subsistence) 4. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots 3. Metal Gear Solid (includes Integral) 2. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
- Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
10. Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops — ~920,000 Copies Sold
Portable Ops was an experiment for Metal Gear fans that didn’t have time to get fully immersed in the franchise’s story for hours on end. The game was the first to let players fight alongside teammates in tactical, stealth-based missions. It also featured online capabilities, letting players battle real-life rivals for the chance to recruit new teammates. Unfortunately, it was only ever released on the PSP, and its main story is only questionably canon at best. It shouldn’t be left completely forgotten, but it’s unlikely to be remembered in the eyes of most.
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9. Metal Gear — ~1 Million Copies Sold
The original Metal Gear featured many elements that would become series staples. Hiding in boxes, evading alert systems, and destroying giant robots were among the many actions players could take in accomplishing their stealth-based missions. Though it’s likely that few modern fans actually played this title, Metal Gear’s influence on the rest of the series has undoubtedly been present even in the latest releases. It also managed to edge out its sequel — Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake — in terms of sales, likely due to its worldwide, multi-platform release.
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8. Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes — ~1 Million Copies Sold
Ground Zeroes suffered from some controversy upon its release. It wasn’t the “true” Metal Gear Solid V, but rather an introduction to the full game using a single map and similar gameplay. This title also made some big changes that not all fans were happy with, such as the replacement of Snake’s voice actor. Despite this, Ground Zeroes provided the groundwork that allowed The Phantom Pain to truly shine, introducing a darker tone to the franchise while giving players a touch of more gameplay freedom. It likely sold more than just 1 million copies as of today, especially with it later being included in a bundle with The Phantom Pain, but limited sales information keeps it near the bottom of this list.
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7. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (and HD Edition) — ~1.2 Million Copies Sold
Peace Walker, a direct sequel to Metal Gear Solid 3, marked the first unquestionably-canon Metal Gear title on a portable device. It included a few altered mechanics from another handheld game, Portable Ops, while carrying some changes over from MGS4 and introducing new features of its own. One such feature, the Fulton system, ended up becoming a huge part of the final canon Metal Gear game. This game also laid story foundations for the whole of Metal Gear Solid V, making it much more important than some fans might think.
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6. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance — ~1.2 Million Copies Sold
The Metal Gear games were always pretty off-the-rails with psychic commandos and immortal vampires, but Revengeance turns the “crazy” meter up to its maximum. It features its own storyline following Raiden, the protagonist of Metal Gear Solid 2, as he fights against mad cyborgs and massive drones with nothing more than a sword and his own mechanical body. There are still plenty of stealth elements and callbacks to previous titles, but Revengeance is all about the action. Once more, a lack of sales information keeps this game from reaching the top spot of this list, but it would almost certainly be higher if that info was available.\
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5. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (and Subsistence) — ~4 Million Copies Sold
Metal Gear Solid 3 is widely considered as one of the greatest games of all time, and it’s not hard to see why. This massive title featured stealth missions focused around survival in the jungle, forcing players to take drastic actions with themselves and the wildlife around them. MGS3 also let players explore the story of Naked Snake, sharing an emotional experience that hundreds of fans still remember to this day. Should it finally receive its long-awaited remake, it would likely become the best-selling Metal Gear game of all time.
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4. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots — ~6 Million Copies Sold
Acting as the conclusion to Solid Snake’s story, Metal Gear Solid 4 focused on the futility of war and an old, dying man that fought too many battles to keep himself together. It was somewhat controversial for how far it took some philosophies and how it used many cutscenes and on-rail events in place of full gameplay sequences. Even so, numerous fans wanted to see how Solid Snake’s story came to an end. Judging by this game’s success, it seems that not many of them were displeased.
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3. Metal Gear Solid (and Integral) — ~6 Million Copies Sold
The first “Solid” game of the franchise was beloved by many thanks to its revolutionary 3D gameplay and in-depth story. It launched the series into the “Tactical Espionage Action” it’s known for today while introducing some of the most iconic characters of Metal Gear including Liquid and Ocelot. True to its name, Metal Gear Solid is inarguably a solid title, and it’s no wonder it’s still considered to be one of the best games of the series.
2. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain — ~6 Million Copies Sold
The Phantom Pain refined the gameplay of Metal Gear to its greatest point, allowing players to tackle missions in hundreds of unique ways. It also bridged the gap between Big Boss and Solid Snake, letting fans know the truth about the very first game’s story. It was arguably unfinished and stood as the last game the original director would have a hand in, but it still gave fans a thrilling conclusion to the Metal Gear saga. This title is still available today unlike most titles in the franchise; hopefully, the rest of them will join The Phantom Pain in being widely accessible one day.
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1. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty — ~7 Million Copies Sold
The sequel to the first Metal Gear Solid has an interesting story behind it. Many fans felt like they were tricked into purchasing it thanks to trailers showing Solid Snake in most footage. Instead, players would explore the story of Raiden, a new protagonist with his own backstory. Though this disappointed numerous fans, the game itself was still technically impressive, with many gameplay improvements and extra goodies for everyone to enjoy. It might not be the most popular Metal Gear title if the entire franchise was re-released today, but it’s not too hard to believe it being on top of the rest of the series in terms of sales.
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Final Thoughts
It’s unknown if the Metal Gear franchise will continue, even with some of the best games still being requested by fans for re-releases and remakes today. Hopefully, Konami will hear the call and allow this series to shine in the spotlight one more time!