When Does the Novel "Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker" (2014) Take Place?
"Metarugia soriddo pīsuu~ōkā"/"Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker" is a spy science fiction novel written by Kenji Yano a.k.a. Hitori Nojima [adapting "Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker" (2010) by Hideo Kojima with Shuyo Murata] that released March 20th, 2014. So when is "Peace Walker" set?
It takes place on an alternate timeline of the fictional Metal Gear universe in the year:
We know this because during a conversation with Kazuhira Miller, Naked Snake/Big Boss says, "That professor, he's probably KGB." and the KGB was the main intelligence agency of the Soviet Union and it was dissolved on December 3rd, 1991 AD. So it must be before December of 1991 AD.
1974 AD
We know this because during a conversation with Kazuhira Miller, Naked Snake/Big Boss says, "That professor, he's probably KGB." and the KGB was the main intelligence agency of the Soviet Union and it was dissolved on December 3rd, 1991 AD. So it must be before December of 1991 AD.
More specifically, very early in chapter one of part one the unnamed narrator says, ..."in 1964, exactly 10 years ago"... and later a character asks Snake, "Now, let's hear it. What happened then? 10 years ago, on August 24th, 1964, what did you do in Tselinoyarsk?"
1,964 + 10 = 1,974.
Specifically, at the start of chapter thirteen in part four the narrator directly tells us, "It was the afternoon of November 23rd, 1974." So it is most likely November of 1974 AD.
Furthermore, as the main action begins at the start of chapter one (and at the start of many other early chapters) there is a sub-heading that reads simply "1974".
Additionally, there's a prologue in which Naked Snake stands at a graveyard and the narrator gives us a window in Snake's thoughts: "Thinking back on the strange and twisted journey he had taken with her just a few weeks ago, he wept again.", certainly referring to the events of "Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater" (2014), which begins in late August of 1964 AD. Much later in the story, Snake says. "In September of 1964, you"..., referring to the end of "Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater". So it must be late September of 1964 AD.
Furthermore, the prologue begins with a heading that reads "Prologue" and "1964".
Also, there's also four flashbacks to the events of "Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater" after Snake is asked about Tselinoyarsk and when other characters from that story appear. These flashbacks must be to August of 1964 AD and, later, to September of 1964 AD and those chapters opening with a different sub-heading of "1964 / 1974" solidifies this.
Finally, the epilogue quickly covers a variety of facts and quick details over a wide spread of dates from 1976 AD ("In 1976, an email was sent"...) to 1980 AD ("In 1980, Dr. Emmerich a.k.a. Huey was blessed with his long-awaited first child.").
It is a chronologically early novel in the Metal Gear universe and can be read at its timeline point before "Metal Gear Solid: The Phantom Pain" (2015) and after "Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater" (2014).
