In its pre-E3 conference today, Konami revealed that Kiefer Sutherland will play Snake in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.

"I wanted Snake to have a more subdued performance expressed through subtle facial movements and tone of voice rather than words," Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima said. "Furthermore, the game takes place in 1984 when Snake is 49 years old. Therefore, we needed someone who could genuinely convey both the facial and vocal qualities of a man in his late 40s. It's different from anything we've done before."

"It's an honor to be able to play this character," Sutherland said. "This character has an unbelievable legacy. There's a real personal quality to the character that I've connected to. I'm not a gamer, and I even knew about this game. I was certainly keenly aware of the legacy of these games, the unbelievable success of these games."


Sutherland, of course, is best known as the star of 24, and most recently the short-lived Fox series Touch. He replaces long-time Snake voice actor David Hayter, who was revealed to not be reprising his role at the Game Developer's Conference in March.

Metal Gear Solid V will combine prologue Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes with The Phantom Pain, but exactly how its release structure will work has still not been announced.