Konami is working on and hiring for a new Metal Gear project

Konami is working on another Metal Gear game and hiring for the unannounced project, according to listings posted on the publisher's Japanese language website.

Those interested in working on the unnamed entry in the stealth-focused series should possess a "rich imagination," be able to generate "innovative ideas" and have a "strong passion" for making games, a job listing says.

A separate page on Komani's site, dated March 20, 2015, says that the publisher is "has resolved to embark on production of a new 'Metal Gear' series."

Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain is the next entry in the franchise. It is set for a September 2015 release on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and Windows PC.

The decades-old series is the brainchild of Hideo Kojima, who released the first game game in the franchise in in 1987 for the MSX2. Metal Gear gained widespread popularity with Metal Gear Solid, which was released in 1998 for the original PlayStation. In the years since the franchises's debut, sequels and spin-offs have appeared on consoles, handhelds and mobile devices.

Earlier this week, observers noted that Konami removed mention of Kojima and Kojima Productions from its Metal Gear website. His studio, Kojima Productions Los Angeles, has been renamed Konami Los Angeles Studio. Those two events led some to speculate about Kojima's employment at Konami. GameSpot reports that Konami and Kojima Productions had some sort of falling out, and Kojima could leave the company sometime this year, after The Phantom Pain's release.

Earlier this month, Kojima said that, with The Phantom Pain, he's "finally closing the loop on that saga."

"In that sense, this will be the final Metal Gear Solid," Kojima said. "Even if the Metal Gear franchise continues, to me, this is the last Metal Gear."