Updated

Updated · Polygon · Jul 24

Steam Offers Free Metal Gear Solid Trial Until July 27 as Volume 2 Nears Aug. 27 Release

Updated

Updated · Polygon · Jul 24

Steam Offers Free Metal Gear Solid Trial Until July 27 as Volume 2 Nears Aug. 27 Release

Q: With Master Collection Vol. 2 dropping next month, is Steam's free weekend a generous gift or a clever trap to trigger your FOMO?

It is both a genuine freebie and a calculated FOMO play, with the marketing angle hard to miss. On the generous side, Steam is giving players full weekend access to Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 from July 24 to July 27, not just a trailer or stripped-down demo. That means people can try Metal Gear, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, Metal Gear Solid, VR Missions, and the included archival extras such as screenplay books and Master Books. For newcomers, that is a meaningful sample of the series and its lore at no upfront cost. But the timing makes the sales strategy obvious. Konami and Steam are pairing the free weekend with discounts on Vol. 1 while Master Collection Vol. 2 is due on Aug. 27, 2026. Vol. 2 is a high-interest release because it brings Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots to modern platforms alongside Peace Walker and Ghost Babel, plus more lore material and a restored MGS4 Database. Offering Vol. 1 for free now is an efficient way to reactivate old fans, hook curious players, and push them toward a purchase before the sequel collection arrives. So this is less a trap than a classic conversion funnel. If you have self-control, it is a generous chance to test whether the older games and this remaster style work for you. If you are already a Metal Gear fan, though, the free weekend is designed to remind you why you may want Vol. 2 the moment pre-launch hype peaks.

Q: Can you actually beat the legendary Metal Gear Solid games before your free trial vanishes, or will the cliffhanger force your wallet open?

Yes—most players can finish at least one, and likely several, of the classic Metal Gear games during Steam’s July 24–27 free weekend, but completing the whole package is much less certain unless you devote serious time. The key reason is length. The included titles are the early games: Metal Gear, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, and the original Metal Gear Solid, plus VR and Special Missions. The two MSX-era games are relatively short by modern standards and can often be completed in a handful of hours each, especially if you use guides or already know the series. The original Metal Gear Solid is longer, but still commonly beatable in a weekend for a focused player. What makes the offer feel dangerous to your wallet is not usually the main campaign length of one game, but the total stack of content. If you try to clear all three story campaigns and then sample VR Missions, bonus material, and the included lore books, the free period starts to look tight. Metal Gear Solid in particular is famous for lengthy cutscenes, backtracking, and boss sequences that can slow new players. So the realistic answer is this: if your goal is to beat one legendary Metal Gear, you probably can. If your goal is to finish the whole Master Collection Vol. 1 free trial before access disappears, many players will run out of time—and that is exactly where the sale and the upcoming Vol. 2 release on Aug. 27 may tempt a purchase.

3 articles · Updated · Polygon · Jul 24

July 24-27, Steam is letting users play Metal Gear Solid - Master Collection Version free as the centerpiece of a weekend trial event tied to discounts on the first three games.
The collection bundles Metal Gear, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, Metal Gear Solid, plus VR and special missions, along with digital screenplay and master books covering story, characters and maps.
Steam also opened limited-time trials for Icarus, Killing Floor 3, Firefighting Simulator: Ignite and Unrailed 2: Back on Track.
Two items are free to keep: Yet Another Zombie Defense HD and The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu — Lost Explorers' Swords Pack, a DLC for the co-op game released earlier this month.
The promotion lands a month before Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Volume 2 launches on Aug. 27 with Metal Gear Solid 4, Peace Walker and Ghost Babel.