Konami, who still seems completely committed to their multiplayer shooter Metal Gear Online, has announced two new game features, the first of which will be made available next week. From the post it appears that it might be free, but just because no price was listed doesn't mean there isn't going to be one.

The first, which will likely drop next Thursday, is called Race Mission! Race Mission! has two teams racing against each other, all the while attempting to protect their targets, creating an interesting dynamic that's a few steps beyond typical racing. Here's their official description:

This mode pits two teams against each other, with the Blue Team searching for and protecting the KEROTAN target, and the Red Team searching for and protecting the GA-KO target. Each time a team passes a check point with its target in hand, a new checkpoint will be generated. If a team drops its target and the target is not retrieved within a set period of time, the target’s position will be reset and the checkpoint will change.

The second mode seems a bit more interesting, and takes advantage of the game's ranking system and enthusiastic community. The new "Patriot" feature will select a few players each week, giving them access to an exclusive Hand Rifle with infinite ammunition and no reloading.

Any Gamervisioners still playing Metal Gear Online? It really didn't do anything for me, but I'm sure there are a few people out there still dropping porno magazines and laughing whenever an exclamation point pops up above someone's head.