Why do Metal Gear Solid fans talk about April 30? 

If you were a video game enthusiast on social media last week, chances are you saw a lot of Metal Gear fans post about April 30. What seemed like a last-minute April Fools’ joke is a reference to multiple fictional and non-fictional happenings. Numerous characters in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty constantly mention April 30, leading to the date’s almost meme-like nature. 

Metal Gear Solid 2’s Raiden, Rose, and the romance at April’s end 

Rosemary asks Jack (codename Raiden) about the importance of April 30 as soon as she gets a hold of him on his Codec frequency. Jack, being the loving boyfriend that he is, does not remember – prompting Rose to pester him about the date throughout his mission on the Big Shell. It is only when Jack lands smack dab on top of Federal Hall after fighting on the massive Arsenal Gear that the soldier realizes April 30 is the day he first met Rosemary. 

Rose, who was a spy for the shadow organization known as the Patriots, met Jack in front of Federal Hall under the guise of being an intelligence analyst for the United States Armed Forces. She initially planned for a false romance to blossom between her and Jack but ended up falling in love with him for real. Rose eventually tells Jack that she is carrying their unborn child which prompts him to propose to her at the same place they met after his mission. 

Solidus Snake and the quest for independence 

Another main character from Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty with ties to April 30 is former United States president George Sears, better known by his codename Solidus Snake. The third and only perfect clone of the legendary soldier Big Boss, Solidus adopted the young Jack after killing the child’s parents during a civil war in Liberia. Jack eventually became separated from his adoptive godfather and would block his childhood memories until a later date. April 30 is important to Solidus as it is the day George Washington took office as the first president of the United States. According to Solidus, the first inauguration day marked a turning point in America’s history as it marked the nation’s independence from British rule. 

Solidus, too, wanted to liberate America on the same date in his own way by using Arsenal Gear to draw out the twelve core members of the Patriots. With its almost limitless resources, the Patriots essentially controlled all aspects of the United States of America – including the establishment of Solidus as the nation’s 43^rd president. Solidus planned to kill the Patriots, thereby freeing America and himself from their grasp. 

Unfortunately, Solidus’s plan was also staged by the Patriots, as was his defeat at the hands of Jack and Solid Snake. Solidus was defeated by Raiden at Federal Hall – the same place George Washington took his oath of office. 

Metal Gear’s lore often mixes fact and fiction in strange ways. In Metal Gear Solid 2, April 30 not only holds personal significance to Rose and Jack, but it also symbolizes the ideas of independence that Solidus holds dear. Combine these themes with the outlandish ways the characters deliver their lines and it’s no wonder April 30 is still fondly remembered by Metal Gear fans to this day. 

Metal Gear Solid 2 is available as part of the Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 1 on PS4/PS5, Xbox Series S|X, Nintendo Switch and PC (Steam).