A couple of weeks ago, a Twitter account for fictional character Tom Olsen appeared online. Olsen was portrayed as an employee working at Big Shell, a facility that’s featured as the main setting in the 2001 game Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. The account gained significantly more attention when the official Metal Gear Twitter account interacted with it, fueling speculation that it could be part of a viral marketing campaign for a Metal Gear Solid 2 remaster or some other kind of Metal Gear Solid project.
Unfortunately for fans hoping that there was more to the Tom Olsen Twitter account, it seems as though it was simply made by a fan who was looking for a unique way to celebrate Metal Gear Solid 2’s 20th anniversary. In a video, mocked up to look like a Metal Gear Solid 2 CODEC conversation, they explain that they did not intend to mislead anyone or get their hopes up. However, with the Metal Gear series well-known for its bizarre marketing stunts, it’s understandable why many people were tricked by the Tom Olsen Twitter account.
Besides the official Metal Gear Twitter interacting with the Tom Olsen account, there were a few other factors that led people to believe it could be genuinely teasing a new Metal Gear Solid project. The timing of Tom Olsen’s Twitter debut was one of the big reasons why hardcore fans of the franchise thought that there could be hope it could be part of an MGS viral marketing campaign, as April 30 is the day that Metal Gear Solid 2’s story takes place. As it so happens, April 30 was when the Tom Olsen account revealed itself as being a fan project.
While the Tom Olsen Twitter account turned out to be nothing for Metal Gear Solid fans to get excited about, there is still some hope for fans of the franchise. Older leaks, from fairly reliable sources, have said that a Metal Gear Solid remake is in development, possibly at Bluepoint Games. Bluepoint is the studio that recently put out the critically-acclaimed Demon’s Souls PS5 remake, so it would definitely be exciting to see that team tackle Metal Gear Solid next.
Other rumors still claim that a new Metal Gear Solid collection is in the works, which would bring the previously-released games in the franchise to modern platforms. While some fans may appreciate the opportunity to replay classic Metal Gear Solid games on new systems, though, it’s safe to say others may be more interested in the rumored Metal Gear Solid remake or a brand new game entirely.
No official information on any Metal Gear Solid games have been announced, but Konami has confirmed it has multiple projects on the way. What exactly those projects are remains to be seen, but hopefully more information comes to light soon.
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty is out now for PC, PS2, and Xbox.
