Metal Gear Solid V won’t have a pre-load period on PC

Upsetting news for those with less than amazing internet connections, minor irritation (at worst) for those with rapid download speeds; Metal Gear Solid V won’t have a Steam pre-load.

There does sound like a way to get it a bit earlier than 10am Pacific time on 1 September though.

Here’s a series of tweets from Metal Gear community manager Robert Peeler on the subject of the lack of pre-load, which give a few more details about how things are going to work with Metal Gear Solid V’s unlock time.

I think there's a misunderstanding with the PC release. So the pre-purchase option, which gives you Ground Zeroes for free and some DLC p1/3

— Robert Allen Peeler (@popcicle) August 19, 2015

Is available to 10 AM PT 9/1, but if you already pre-purchased, you can dl and play before that time, earliest 9/1 New Zealand time p2/3

— Robert Allen Peeler (@popcicle) August 19, 2015

Pretty common practice for PC/Steam users, but I apologize if it wasn't clear p3/3

— Robert Allen Peeler (@popcicle) August 19, 2015

What he seems to be saying here is that those who have pre-purchased Metal Gear Solid V will be able to start downloading it as soon as it unlocks in New Zealand at 12.01am on 1 September.

That would be around 1.00pm on 31 August in the UK, and 5.00am on 31 August on the west coast of the US. Easily enough time for those with quicker internet connections to download and start playing before the official launch date of 1 September.