Militaires Sans Frontières

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Militaires Sans Frontières was established by Big Boss as a mercenary unit operating out of Mother Base, an Offshore Training and Equipment Center (OTEC) platform in the Caribbean. Originally a U.S. Coast Guard facility, it was taken over by Big Boss and serves as the player's headquarters throughout Peace Walker, where up to 200 soldiers can be recruited and assigned to combat, medical, intelligence, and technology research teams. The unit's growth is fueled by the Fulton Recovery System, which airlifts subdued enemies and prisoners directly to Mother Base for recruitment. MSF's military capabilities expand through research and development based on blueprints obtained from missions, with new items and weapons requiring sufficient GMP (Gross Military Product) and appropriate division levels. The unit can capture up to 50 military vehicles, including armored personnel carriers, tanks, and attack helicopters. A unique feature is Outer Ops, where players deploy combat unit soldiers and captured vehicles on automated missions against computer opponents, generating income and experience for the team. The ultimate goal of MSF's development is constructing Metal Gear ZEKE, a bipedal mech built from parts of AI weapons, designed through a collaborative effort involving Big Boss, Dr. Emmerich, and the MSF R&D team. ZEKE can be employed in Outer Ops and influences the difficulty of the final storyline mission.

In Their Own Story

In 1974, Snake runs the mercenary unit Militaires Sans Frontières from Mother Base in the Caribbean. The organization's operations in Costa Rica form the core of Peace Walker's narrative, as Snake confronts advanced AI-controlled vehicles code-named PUPA, CHRYSALIS, COCOON, and the titular Peace Walker. Each of these weapons contains an AI pod that players must infiltrate after sufficient damage, removing AI boards to shut down the AI and fully defeat the boss. The parts and AI boards harvested from these encounters are used to build Metal Gear ZEKE, a bipedal mech designed by Dr. Emmerich to protect MSF from foreign aggression. The level of ZEKE's development directly influences the difficulty of the final mission of the storyline, making the unit's technological advancement a critical narrative element.

Reader's Guide

To build a powerful MSF, focus on the Mother Base management mode. Recruit soldiers using the Fulton Recovery System by subduing enemies non-lethally during missions. Assign personnel to the four primary divisions—combat, medical, intelligence, and technology research—as well as the mess hall crew to maintain morale. Rebellious or injured personnel can be sent to the brig or sickbay respectively. Develop new items and weapons by collecting blueprints from missions and ensuring your R&D division has reached the required level. Use GMP earned from missions and Outer Ops to fund development. For combat, choose your loadout carefully from four primary uniform types: Jungle Fatigues for balance, Naked for speed at the cost of defense, Sneaking Suit for silent movement and high camouflage, or Battle Dress for heavy armor and an extra primary weapon. In missions, prioritize stealth and non-lethal takedowns to achieve higher ranks and increased heroism. Use the Fulton Recovery System on every subdued soldier and prisoner to expand your army. For boss battles against AI weapons, focus on damaging the vehicle to expose the AI pod, then infiltrate and remove AI boards to secure vehicle parts for Metal Gear ZEKE construction.

Did You Know?

• The name Militaires Sans Frontières translates to 'Soldiers Without Borders' in French.
• MSF can recruit up to 200 soldiers and capture up to 50 vehicles over the course of the game.
• The Fulton Recovery System replaces the truck recruitment from Portable Ops, airlifting subdued enemies directly to Mother Base.
• Metal Gear ZEKE, built from parts harvested from AI weapon bosses, is a collaborative design involving Big Boss, Dr. Emmerich, and the MSF R&D team, and directly influences the difficulty of the final storyline mission.
• The cardboard box is available in two-man versions called Love Boxes, which have different variants.

Gameplay Architecture

Peace Walker consists of two primary gameplay modes: "Mission" and "Mother Base." Missions are the actual action sequences where the player infiltrates enemy territory or fights bosses, while Mother Base is an army management mode similar to the briefing screen in Portable Ops. Players choose missions from the "Mission Selector" screen, with two main types: Main Ops are primary story-based missions that must be played in strict order, while Extra Ops are optional missions with elaborate goals ranging from target practice to obtaining secret documents. After each mission, performance is evaluated with scores penalized for excessive killing and frequent detection, while stealthy non-lethal play is rewarded. The game adopts mechanics from Metal Gear Solid 4 including crouching walk, over-the-shoulder shooting, CQC system, and the ability to search held-up soldiers. The Fulton Recovery System replaces the truck from Portable Ops for recruiting subdued enemies. The cardboard box is available in two-man versions called Love Boxes with different variants. Players can also use marking devices to call in artillery strikes or resupply drops.

Strategic Base Management

Mother Base is an abandoned OTEC research platform in the Caribbean serving as MSF's headquarters. Players manage combat, medical, intelligence, and technology research teams, and can assign personnel to the mess hall crew to feed troops and maintain morale. Rebellious or injured personnel can be brought to the brig and sickbay respectively. Up to 350 soldiers can be recruited, with excess staff caught in missions discharged. Up to 50 vehicles can be captured over the course of the game. Items and weapons are developed by the R&D division based on blueprints obtained from missions, requiring sufficient GMP and required division levels. Outer Ops is a new mechanic where players deploy combat unit soldiers and captured vehicles on missions against computer opponents. Each assault force (codenamed Alpha through Hotel) has eight slots for vehicles or soldiers, who can gain combat bonuses and generate income. Defeated MSF soldiers can die or be brought to sickbay, while damaged vehicles show damage unless repaired and decommissioned vehicles are stricken from inventory.

Character Customization and Loadouts

Before starting a mission, players choose a character and weapon loadout determined by wardrobe. Players can control Snake or any MSF soldier assigned to the combat unit, with male and female members available. Each soldier has combat stats measuring offensive and defensive capabilities. Some main missions are only available to Snake, while certain extra ops require MSF soldiers. Carrying capacity is limited, with excessive items transferred to Mother Base's inventory. Four primary uniform types exist: Jungle Fatigues (default, balanced stealth/defense/weapons/inventory), Naked (shirtless, faster movement but lower camo index, weaker defense, fewer items; MSF soldiers wear a brown tank top), Sneaking Suit (silent movement, higher camouflage while moving, but restricts to five items and six secondary weapons; MSF soldier design differs slightly), and Battle Dress (heavy armor, third primary weapon, but lower item capacity, slower mobility, lower camouflage; variant with metal headband for Snake or helmet for MSF soldiers). Other outfits include t-shirts, swimsuits, tuxedo, and outfits inspired by supporting characters.

Legacy and Platform Evolution

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker was released in 2010 as a PlayStation Portable game developed by Kojima Productions and published by Konami. It is the seventh Metal Gear game written, directed, and designed by Hideo Kojima, the fifth installment of the Metal Gear Solid series, and the fourth Metal Gear game made specifically for the PSP. The game received critical acclaim, but the PSP version failed to match the commercial success of its console predecessors due to declining support for the system. A remastered version titled Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker — HD Edition was released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 as part of the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection in North America and Europe, and as a stand-alone retail release in Japan. The HD Edition will be included in the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2 compilation for Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on August 27, 2026.