Solid Snake may be returning in both the upcoming Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain and its standalone prequel Ground Zeroes, but it won’t be Snake as we know it. That’s because David Hayter the man made famous for voicing the gravelly-toned stealth specialist hasn’t been asked to return for either of the new games.

"I heard that recording sessions for MG:V were being put together, but I didn’t hear anything about whether I’d be needed or not so I got in touch with someone involved in the production," he wrote on Twitter."We got together for lunch, and he told me that they wouldn’t be needing me on this game. No reason, or explanation was given beyond that. And that was it. If it were my choice, I would do this role forever. To hear anyone else’s voice coming from Snake’s battered throat, makes me a little ill, to be honest. But the truth is it’s not my choice. Any and all casting decisions are the sole purview of Hideo Kojima, and Konami itself. And that’s fair."

Fans of the series have reacted with hostility to the news, setting up a token online petition and bombarding the Twitter feed of creator Hideo Kojima.I am far from the most die hard Metal Gear fan out there. This man was the main driving force behind the legendary series and this is how he is treated?