MGS2 has been modified in three hundred (!) places so that it doesn’t resemble real events, Hideo Kojima recently said.

Hideo Kojima found himself in a problematic situation in September 2001. The Arsenal Gear crashes into Manhattan at the end of Metal Gear Solid 2. In the game, the scene simply jumps from a boat speeding across the ocean to one lying between several ruined New York buildings.

A few behind-the-scenes details that have been revealed over the years have made it clear that the scenes of the Arsenal Gear crashing into the city were removed because of 9/11.

In a recently translated interview with Weekly Toyo Keizai magazine, Kojima said, “The depiction of [the] game’s themes and its numerous similarities with the real-world events on September 11 rendered it unfit for release at the time. After consulting with lawyers, the end result was that the game required revisions in 300 spots. It goes without saying that we were in crisis mode and it was threatening the release and sale of the game.”

Kojima said he was called in for a meeting with Konami’s board of directors. There he explained to them the details of the story of MGS2. “Everyone’s facial expression had a look of ‘this is not good’,” Kojima said.

At the time, the director thought “the game shouldn’t be released at this period in time. I have no other choice but to take responsibility and resign from the company.” Two people changed Kojima’s mind. One was the then president of Sony Computer Entertainment, Ken Kutaragi, who told him that “this is not a matter you should be ashamed of. You should go ahead and release the game.”

Kojima also “reached out to Kagemasa Kozuki, the founder of Konami through email. He responded with, ‘I have made up my mind. The game should be released. What are your thoughts?’ I was moved by the words and I too made up my mind.”

Although the game’s release was “postponed by a few weeks”, Metal Gear Solid 2 was finally released in November 2001 to critical acclaim and is still loved by fans today.

MGS2 wasn’t the only 2001 game that went through changes after September 11, 2001. Grand Theft Auto 3 changed the design of Liberty City’s police cars to make them look less like real New York City police cars. Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro, released on PS1, has been delayed. This was necessary to change the final track. It was set on top of the World Trade Center.

Source: Twitter

After the tragic events of 9/11, Metal Gear Solid 2 was in serious danger of not being released, and Kojima at the time thought he would have to step down from the company over it. What you're about to read is an excerpt from an interview Kojima did with Weekly Toyo Keizai.… pic.twitter.com/rYvFzuPpzi

— Metal Gear Solid MGN (@MGSMGN) May 30, 2023