Metal Gear Solid 4’s DLC might only be saved thanks to the uncelebrated work of fan preservationists

Metal Gear Solid 4’s new re-release in Master Collection Vol 2 features a reference to a fan-made Metal Gear Online project.

Back in the days of the Xbox 360 and PS3, it felt like every game had a multiplayer mode added on, even if it didn’t need it. This resulted in some shockingly great multiplayer experiences like Naughty Dog‘s Uncharted and The Last of Us online modes, Capcom‘s forgotten Bionic Commando reboot, and Bioshock 2. Metal Gear Online actually debuted with Metal Gear Solid 3 Subsistence on the PS2, but the Metal Gear Online 2 featured in Metal Gear Solid 4 was a legendary experience, which led to the creation of the SaveMGO project which allows players to play the multiplayer to this very day.

Metal Gear Online went offline in 2012, and Konami hasn’t included the mode in Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol 2, however, SaveMGO has played a vital role in the game’s revival. The SaveMGO Twitter account (via Time Extension) posted SaveMGO member Marko’s reaction to a post in the Discord community for the project, in which someone found references to SaveMGO in the files of Metal Gear Solid 4’s new port.

While nothing is confirmed, the theory among fans is that Konami used SaveMGO to access some of the now-deleted DLC for the game which consisted of Camouflage patterns for Snake. Marko says, “That is awesome! So the only way they could get that stuff is thanks to the preservation potential of SaveMGO.” While the Tweet itself reads, “The original DLC might only exist today because SaveMGO kept it available all these years,” adding that they are “feeling proud.”

While DLC camo wouldn’t be the end of the world if it were missing from Metal Gear Solid 4, this just proves the importance of preservation, and more specifically fan-made preservation projects. Because not only is it fantastic I can use these camo, but even better than that I can still play Metal Gear Online almost a decade and a half since the servers shut.

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Scott has been freelancing for over four years across a number of different gaming publications, first appearing on GamesRadar+ in 2024. He has also written for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, VG247, Play, TechRadar, and others. He’s typically rambling about Metal Gear Solid, God Hand, or any other PS2-era titles that rarely (if ever) get sequels.