Metal Gear Solid 5 Playable Publicly for First Time at Gamescom 2015

Konami on Monday announced its plans for Europe's big gaming convention, Gamescom, confirming that it will bring Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain and Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 to the show. What's particularly noteworthy here is that this will be the first time both games are playable to the public.

In a statement, Konami general manager Martin Schneider said Gamescom represents the "most important consumer exhibition in the world." Unlike E3, Gamescom is open to the public.

Gamescom is absolutely massive. Last year, more than 335,000 people attended the show. This year's event is scheduled for August 5-9 in Cologne, Germany.

The Phantom Pain release date is set for September 1, while PES 2016 is slated for September 17. Both games will be playable at Konami's booth on the show floor, while additional plans for the event will be announced later, the publisher said.

There is some amount of controversy surrounding The Phantom Pain. According to GameSpot's sources, Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima will leave Konami after the game ships. Just recently, a voice actor for the series claimed that the game's developer, Kojima Productions, had disbanded.

In other Gamescom news, Microsoft will hold its own briefing this year on August 4 where it will talk about Xbox One exclusives that were not shown at E3. Sony, on the other hand, will not hold a Gamescom briefing this year, instead choosing to make announcements at Paris Games Week in October.