Of Konami’s diverse and wonderfully eclectic roster, the two franchises that always seem to strike a chord with European audiences is Metal Gear Solid and Pro Evolution Soccer, and the publisher has confirmed plans to unveil major advances in both franchises during the Gamescom event in August.
According to the Japanese publisher, the Cologne-based trade show will welcome both Pro Evolution Soccer 2015 and the eagerly-anticipated open-world sequel, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, with Konami planning to unveil “major advances” in the latter title.
“[These games] will perfectly demonstrate the versatility and power of Kojima Productions’ Fox Engine, whilst delivering a new experience in visual quality and the power of the new wave of console systems”.
Though it’s by no means confirmed at this stage, it seems likely that the studio will finally pin a release date on The Phantom Pain — or, at the very least, narrow down the game’s vague 2015 launch window. Moreover, it’ll be interesting to see whether the publisher showcases more of the open-world gameplay and how exactly it expands upon this year’s Ground Zeroes.
In terms of Konami’s footie simulator, though, this year’s Gamescom event will mark the first occasion that Pro Evolution Soccer 2015 is playable at a large public event ahead of its release in the fall. In truth, not much is known about the next iteration in the company’s evergreen series, but it’s understood this year’s entry will be the first to harness the new in-house FOX engine on next-gen systems.
Gamescom is set to take place across August 13th to August 17th. We’ll be sure to keep you updated with all the news for Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain and Pro Evolution Soccer 2015 as it appears.