Xbox has announced the METAL SLUG Ultimate Collection, a bundle that pulls together 10 titles from the run-and-gun series' three-decade history. The set is confirmed for Xbox, and a store page is already live for wishlisting, though Microsoft has not said when it will arrive or what it will cost.
The headline inclusion is an arcade location test build that was never officially released. According to the announcement, this version will be playable on a home console for the first time as part of the collection. The lineup otherwise draws from arcade originals, home console entries, and handheld releases, with the full title list still under wraps.
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The series began in arcades in 1996, and 2026 marks its 30th anniversary.
Beyond the games themselves, the collection adds a set of modern conveniences. Players will be able to adjust button layout, rapid-fire speed, difficulty, and time settings, while gameplay assists include infinite weapon ammo, mission selection, rewind, and quick save and load. Combat School Mode returns with instructor dialogue that shifts depending on how well a mission is played.
There are also extras aimed at longtime fans: a replay function, a visual gallery, and a sound player. Xbox cautions that the available features and modes differ from one title to the next.
The announcement leaves several questions open. No release date, no price, and no platforms beyond Xbox have been disclosed, and the complete list of included games has not been published. For now, the only concrete action available to players is adding the collection to a wishlist on the Xbox Store.
The reveal lands as Xbox continues to rebuild its release slate. At Summer Game Fest the company promised a reliable pipeline of console exclusives, naming Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution as Xbox exclusives for good at its earlier Games Showcase, under CEO Asha Sharma, who took over in February. The Metal Slug collection is a catalog play rather than an exclusive, but it fits the same effort to keep subscribers and console owners engaged between major first-party launches.
