Japanese Snake actor wants new Metal Gear — but he won't return without Kojima
Snake himself says Metal Gear should carry on without him.
Akio Otsuka, the Japanese voice behind Solid Snake, Naked Snake, Solidus Snake and Venom Snake in the Metal Gear Solid series, says Konami should still make another game. He does not plan to take part in it himself. His position was reported by Video Games Chronicle based on an interview with Japanese publication Bunshun.
For anyone new to the series, that voice credit matters. Metal Gear Solid is a long-running stealth-action series, games built around sneaking, gadgets and tangled espionage plots. Otsuka has voiced its central soldiers in Japanese across multiple entries, so for many players his delivery is Snake.
His stance is tied to director Hideo Kojima. Otsuka previously said on the YouTube show Mori no Su that he never wanted to work on another Metal Gear Solid game if Kojima was not involved. It was a personal vow made after Kojima's departure from the series.
He restated it in the Bunshun interview. “I don't want to do any Metal Gear that doesn't involve Director Kojima,” he said. Having said it, he added, he cannot back down.
Yet Otsuka separated his own future from the future of the property. He said Konami should make another Metal Gear Solid game even without Kojima's input. The reason was simple. Fans around the world are eagerly waiting for it, according to the same interview account.
Video Games Chronicle did not present the remarks as its own interview. It attributed them to Bunshun, the Japanese publication that spoke to Otsuka. Readers seeking the full Japanese text can find it via Bunshun.
What makes this stand out is the separation between one actor's decision and the life of a series. He is holding his position on Kojima. He is also asking for new work to be made for others and for players.
For fans, this means no return is expected from the long-time Japanese Snake. It also means the actor most identified with the role is publicly backing a new entry for the audience, with loyalty to a director on one side and loyalty to players on the other.
