Earlier this year reports surfaced regarding Hideo Kojima and his departure from Konami shortly after the release of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. This came as a surprise seeing as Kojima has been a part of developer for almost three decades now.

The Kojima controversy was brought to light in March, 19th 2015 after his name had been effectively removed from the branding of the upcoming MGS title, as well as the company’s executive positions. There was also the name change of Kojima Productions Los Angeles, to Konami Los Angeles. Even though it was confirmed via the game’s official Twitter that Kojima was still working on the project, the question a lot of gamers still have is: What is going to happen to Metal Gear?

While Konami has publicly announced its continued support for the franchise, it still stands to reason that something is about to change. During a conversation between George Weidman, aka Super Bunnyhop, and an unnamed source working at Konami, claims were made that the company was going to “burn the entire MGS franchise to the ground.” While these claims cannot be verified they still are enough to stir fear into the hearts of the game’s most die-hard fans.

Another aspect that is making fans nervous is that the Metal Gear series is widely regarded as Hideo Kojima’s baby, and now that he will no longer be a part of it, what will be its fate? Konami has already stated that they are hiring for a new MGS title, but they are doing so outside the company. While history has shown that a fresh take on an idea is often what’s required to reinvigorate it, it is still met with skepticism, and that is exactly what will most likely happen here.

The bright side, however, is that the Metal Gear name carries a significant amount of relevance. This was discovered when Platinum Games, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, did surprisingly well even as it completely disregarded the stealth and somewhat “realistic” approach that previous games had embraced, in favor of a completely over-the-top character brawler similar to the developers’ previous titles. The success of this game proves that even if MGS: TPP is the last game in the canonical storyline, it probably will not be the last game in the Metal Gear universe.