Earlier this week, Konami revealed that Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain had shipped with a game-breaking bug: by using an ally known as "Quiet" during certain missions of the game, players could corrupt their save files beyond repair.
It's not one of the game's earlier bosses, either: both missions in question are unlocked well beyond the 30-hour mark. Considering that Snake's allies are one of the game's best and most popular features, it was a shock that a glitch of such scale could have made its way into the game.
Thankfully, there's actually some good news: Konami has already determined what causes the glitch in question and is working on a patch to fix the issue entirely. While it won't fix a previously-corrupted save file, Konami did offer a workaround for those who want to take Quiet into the final fight against the Skulls.
Basically, there are two separate ways to ensure that bringing Quiet to the boss fight won't ruin your save file: the first is to max out your relationship with Quiet before entering the boss fight. To do this, simply bring her along on other missions and use her abilities — the more you do, the stronger her bond will become. Secondly, you can use the Butterfly Emblem as part of your Mother Base's emblem. Again, this is unlocked by simply using Quiet in battle, then updating the emblem with her unlockable reward.
The following speculation has to do with LATE-GAME SPOILERS — so, if you haven't beaten the game yet, you may want to turn back now.
Konami has yet to issue any official reason for the glitch, but it appears as if it may have something to do with progression during Quiet's storyline. Late in the game, Quiet will leave Mother Base after triggering her vocal cord parasites. There is a way to prevent this, however: by using the Butterfly Emblem in Mother Base, the quest that triggers Quiet's departure never appears.
Considering that the glitched missions in question take place near the end of the game (the first ending, at least), it's possible that something about the fight triggers something with Quiet that it's not supposed to, thus resulting in a corrupted save file. Again, Konami has yet to release anything official, but their mention of the Butterfly Emblem lends credence to the idea that bringing her to the boss fight messes with her storyline somehow.
Thankfully, Konami has confirmed that a patch is in the works that may help restore lost save files — we'll have an update as soon as the publisher makes a statement.
Of course, if you still haven't managed to recruit Quiet just yet, we've got a handy guide for doing just that.
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