Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence continues the Metal Gear Solid series tradition of follow-up enhanced, international version releases. Subsistence's online multiplayer component, titled Metal Gear Online, consists of five tournament-style game modes, each with a capacity of up to eight players.

The Limited Edition comes in a special keepsake box and includes a copy of the game and a bonus "Existence" disc. The Existence disc is a theater disc that presents the game's storyline and cutscenes edited to be suitable for a standalone movie-style release.