Longtime Metal Gear Solid fans may or may not know the name David Hayter. He has been the voice of series hero Snake since the first Metal Gear Solid game in 1998. That is until now, as it has been revealed that Hayter will not be reprising his role for the upcoming Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes or The Phantom Pain, which together make up the whole of Metal Gear Solid 5.
Hayter spoke recently to Gamespot about how he found out he was no longer needed for the series that he had contributed so much time to. Hayter explains that, after returning from a movie shoot, he found out that Konami was beginning to put together the voice over sessions for Metal gear Solid 5, but he had not been contacted about the game. Once Hayter himself contacted the team, he found out unceremoniously that he would no longer be part of the franchise.
"We got together for lunch, and he told me that they 'wouldn't be needing me' on this game'...No reason, or explanation was given beyond that. And that was it...If it were my choice, I would do this role forever...to hear anyone else's voice coming from Snake's battered throat, makes me a little ill, to be honest," Hayter said.
Hayter decided to speak out about this news so that fans of the series do not think that he had left the series intentionally, and he wants them to know he will miss being part of the storied series.
"But I didn't want anybody to think that I was intentionally abandoning them. And know that I will miss this job, and this character, very much," he said.
In a previous interview with Gamspot, franchise creator Hideo Kojima explained that replacing Hayter was a reflection of the fresh new start for the series, saying, "It's a new type of Metal Gear game and we wanted to have this reflected in the voice actor as well."
No word yet on who will play Snake in either game that make up Metal Gear Solid 5.