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 appears to reference a fan-made Metal Gear Online project in its files, suggesting Konami relied on the project for DLC.

Back in the days of the Xbox 360 and PS3, it felt like every game had a multiplayer mode, even if it didn’t need it. Nonetheless, this trend 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.

Then, though Metal Gear Online debuted with Metal Gear Solid 3 Subsistence on the PS2, it took the Metal Gear Online 2 featured in Metal Gear Solid 4 to make the series’ multiplayer a legendary experience. That brings us to the SaveMGO project, which allows players to play Metal Gear multiplayer to this very day.

Officially, Metal Gear Online went offline in 2012. However, SaveMGO has played a vital role in Metal Gear Solid 4’s enduring appeal.

Now, it seems like Konami is acknowledging fan efforts. The SaveMGO Twitter account (via Time Extension) recently shared SaveMGO member Marko’s reaction to a post in the Discord community for the project, in which someone shares references to SaveMGO in Metal Gear Solid 4’s new port files.

The working 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.” SaveMGO says in its own tweet, “The original DLC might only exist today because SaveMGO kept it available all these years,” adding that the team is “feeling proud.”

While it wouldn’t be the end of the world if DLC camo were missing from Metal Gear Solid 4, Konami’s possible reliance on SaveMGO proves the importance of preservation, and more specifically, fan-made preservation projects. Because it’s fantastic that I can still use cool Metal Gear Solid 4 camo, but it’s even better that I can still play Metal Gear Online almost a decade-and-a-half since the servers shut.

91.8% of Metal Gear Solid 4 players immediately got the achievement for ripping a statue’s privates clean off.

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.