Metal Gear Solid: Social Ops (officially abbreviated MGS SOP) was a 3D mobile game. It was released exclusively in Japan for the iPhone and Android smartphones on December 6, 2012. The game involved gameplay and re-enactment from the games Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. Social Ops was similar to the Metal Gear Acid series in terms of character movement and its use of items and weapons via trading cards.

The trading cards involved characters and enemies from Metal Gear, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance and Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes. Besides cards relating to the Metal Gear series, there were also cards related to Zone of the Enders, another series of games by Kojima Productions and collaboration cards with other GREE game series such as Cerberus Jihad and Dragon Collection.

The game's official website was launched on August 30, 2012.[2]

On October 2013, Konami announced via the Social Ops website that the servers of the game would come to an end. The final mission was downloadable on October 31, 2013 til November 13, 2013. The game was then removed from being downloaded on December 13, 2013 and the service ended for good on January 31, 2014. All players unused credits from the "Metal Gear Solid Coin" bank was refunded.

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Gameplay

The main game was free to download, with a ability to purchase downloadable content. The contents were usually new campaigns or limited edition cards to use during the game.

Each campaign usually involved certain missions between either story, rendezvous, stealth, hold up, elimination, or rescue, as well as a boss battle at the end of every mission. Each campaign and mission awarded the player new cards to use. The awarded card varied on the ranking the player gets at the end of the mission.

Cards were also awarded via co-op and versus game play as well.

There were 3 types of card in the game; Airborne (Air), Infantry (Land) and Marine (Sea). Each card had their own special abilities of attack, defense and movement, as well as being combo'd with certain cards to deal double damage and defense. Each card also had a set of stars above signifying their rarity. 1 Star (N), 1 & Half Stars (N+), 2 Stars (R), 2 & Half Stars (R+), 3 Stars (SR) and 3 & Half Stars (SR+).

Certain cards like Metal Gear Mk. II & III and Little Gray allowed players to gain experience points. The Dwarf Gekko cards allowed the player to restore cards used in the mission, the blue background Dwarf Gekko cards allowed the player to restore a character card, whilst the red background cards restored mechs and Metal Gear unit cards.

"Raid Event", "Battle Event" and "Mission Event" 3 special cards that only last a week of their announcement. These special cards allow the player to boost up their attack and defence up to what ever is printed on the card as well as having their own unique abilities. Although unlockable, these cards can only be used in the missions from which they've been unlocked from.

Story

Main article: Operation Snake Eater

Main article: Peace Walker Incident

Missions

Raid Event Vol. 1 - "First Campaign!" (December 6, 2012 - December 13, 2012)

Sneak through Bananal Fruta de Oro, and then fight against the Pupa.

Battle Event Vol. 1 - "1st Battle Ops!" (December 14, 2012 - December 16, 2012)

Using your current cards and skills, create a team and battle against a player using Wi-Fi.

Raid Event Vol. 2 - "Christmas Campaign!" (December 17, 2012 - December 25, 2012)

Sneak through the rainforest and ruins, then fight against the Chrysalis.

Battle Event Vol. 2 - "MGS x Dragon Collection 2nd Battle Ops!" (December 26, 2012 - January 14, 2013)

Using your current cards and skills, create a team and battle against a player using Wi-Fi.

Battle Event Vol. 3 - "MGS x Cerberus Jihad 3rd Battle Ops!" (January 15, 2013 - January 22, 2013)

Using your current cards and skills, create a team and battle against a player using Wi-Fi.

Raid Event Vol. 3 - "Counter Attack! The Return of Ocelot!" (January 23, 2013 - January 31, 2013)

Fight against Ocelot and the Ocelot Unit.

Raid Event Vol. 4 - "Super Troopers! Cocoon's Invasion!" (February 1, 2013 - February 17, 2013)

Defeat the armored troops and fight against the Cocoon.

Battle Event Vol. 4 "4th Battle Ops!" (February 18, 2013 - February 28, 2013)

Using your current cards and skills, create a team and battle against a player using Wi-Fi.

Raid Event Vol.5 - "Psyched Up For Peace Walker!" (March 1, 2013 - March 21, 2013)

Get to the Control Tower without being detected then fight against Peace Walker.

Battle Event Vol. 6 - "MGS x ZOE! 6th Battle Ops!" (March 14, 2013 - March 21, 2013)

Using your current cards and skills, create a team and battle against a player using Wi-Fi.

Mission Event Vol. 1 - "Hunt for the Gold Organism: El Dorado!" (March 22, 2013 - March 31, 2013)

Scout the rainforest then battle the "Golden" Pupa.

Raid Event Vol.6 - "ZEKE Invasion!" (April 1, 2013 - April 14, 2013)

Metal Gear ZEKE has appeared! Defeat it!

Battle Event Vol. 8 - "8th Battle Ops!" (April 15, 2013 - April 21, 2013)

Using your current cards and skills, create a team and battle against a player using Wi-Fi.

Mission Event Vol. 2 - "Mysterious Golden Invaders!" (April 22, 2013 - April 29, 2013)

Scout the rainforest then battle the "Golden" Chrysalis.

Raid Event Vol. 7 - "Peace Walker Strikes Back!" (April 30, 2013 - May 12, 2013)

Fight against the much stronger than before Peace Walker.

Battle Event Vol. 10 - "Metal Gear EXCELSUS Appears! 10th Battle Ops!" (May 13, 2013 - May 21, 2013)

Using your current cards and skills, create a team and battle against a player using Wi-Fi.

Mission Event Vol. 3 - "Man with the Golden Guns!" (May 20, 2013 - May 30, 2013)

Scout the rainforest then battle against Ocelot and his golden guns.

Raid Event Vol. 8 - "Cobra Assault!" (May 31, 2013 - June 12, 2013)

Fight against The Pain and The Fear.

Battle Event Vol. 12 - "Metal Gear D Appears! 12th Battle Ops!" (June 13, 2013 - June 18, 2013)

Using your current cards and skills, create a team and battle against a player using Wi-fi.

Raid Event Vol. 9 - "Cobra Assault! II" (June 28, 2013 - July 11, 2013)

Fight against The End and The Fury.

Battle Event Vol. 13 - "July Battle Ops!" (July 12, 2013 - July 30, 2013)

Using your current cards and skills, create a team and battle against a player using Wi-Fi.

Raid Event Vol. 10 - "Pupa Strikes Back!" (July 17, 2013 - July 25, 2013)

Challenge the Pupa, once again.

Raid Event Vol. 11 - "A Warrior's Feast!" (July 31, 2013 - August 11, 2013)

Fight against Ocelot and The Boss.

Battle Event Vol. 14 - "August Battle Ops!" (August 12, 2013 - August 29, 2013)

Using your current cards and skills, create a team and battle against a player using Wi-Fi.

Raid Event Vol. 12 - "Chrysalis Strikes Back!" (August 16, 2013 - August 26, 2013)

Defeat the Crysalis once again.

Mission Event Vol. 14 - "The Moving Fortress Looming!" (August 19, 2013 - August 27. 2013)

Scout the rainforest then battle the "Golden" Cocoon.

Raid Event Vol. 13 - "Cocoon Strikes Back!" (August 30, 2013 - September 8, 2013)

Defeat the Cocoon once again.

Battle Event Vol. 15 - "September Battle Ops!" (September 9, 2013 - September 29, 2013)

Using your current cards and skills, create a team and battle against a player using Wi-fi.

Raid Event Vol.14 - "The Return of Metal Gear ZEKE!" (September 13, 2013 - September 25, 2013)

ZEKE has returned! Defeat it!

Raid Event Vol. 15 - "Peace Walker Counter Attack!" (September 30, 2013 - October 10, 2013)

Peace Walker is back for another round! Finish it off for good!

Battle Event Vol.16 - "October Battle Ops!" (October 11, 2013 - October 30, 2013)

Using your current cards and skills, create a team and battle against a player using Wi-fi.

Raid Event Vol. 16 - "Metal Gear RAY Invasion!" (October 15, 2013 - October 27, 2013)

A army of Metal Gear RAY has attacked! Defeat them all!

Raid Event Vol. 17 - "Troops vs. Shagohod!" (October 31, 2013 - November 13, 2013)

Build a team and take on your final battle against the Shagohod.

Unlisted Missions

These are official missions. However, they were never listed on the game's official website. When these missions started and ended are unknown for now.

Battle Event Vol. 5 - "5th Battle Ops!"

Using your current cards and skills, create a team and battle against a player using Wi-Fi.

Battle Event Vol. 7 - "7th Battle Ops!"

Using your current cards and skills, create a team and battle against a player using Wi-Fi.

Battle Event Vol. 9 - "9th Battle Ops!"

Using your current cards and skills, create a team and battle against a player using Wi-Fi.

Battle Event Vol. 11 - "11th Battle Ops!"

Using your current cards and skills, create a team and battle against a player using Wi-Fi.

Promotions

On December 14, 2012, 8 days after its launch, Konami had announced that Social Ops had reached and surpassed 500 thousand downloads. In celebration a new campaign was open up to download.

On January 23, 2013, Konami stated that Social Ops reached and surpassed 100 million downloads. To celebrate, a new campaign was open to download as well as new card which featured a never before seen CGI concept art featuring the Metal Gear Solid version of Solid Snake.

On February 21, 2013, Konami announced that anybody who pre-ordered Metal Gear Rising from 6 selected stores would receive a code to download 1 of 6 special Raiden cards into the game.

On July 2, 2013, Konami announced a Metal Gear Solid: The Legacy Collection based promotion to commemorate the release of the collection. All players had to do was collect a special Legacy Collection flyer found in various game stores across the country and enter the code located at the back of the flyer onto the game. Players would be awarded with a special new card featuring Snake in his MSF Sneaking Suit. The code was valid until August 31, 2013.

Promotional images

Screenshots

Trading cards

Super Rare+

Super Rare

Rare+

Rare

Normal+

Normal

Raid Event Collection

Battle Event Collection

Mission Event Collection

Promotional merchandise

Promotional images

Character Bios

On the main website, there wee character bios for each of the appearing characters, barring the MSX2 game characters and characters from Metal Gear Rising. Note that all of these are in Japanese only due to the game's exclusive release in Japan.



An example of weapons replacement, compared to their earlier renders.

Behind the scenes

For cards with rendered art (art not pulled straight from a game), with few exceptions, the weapons are replaced with a counter-part from Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain. For example, Old Snake from Metal Gear Solid 4 is seen holding a SVG-76 instead of a AK-102 or a AM-69 instead of a M4 Custom, and Peace Walker-era Snake is seen holding a AM-69 rather than a M16A1.

Trailers and demos