Board Thread:Metal Gear Solid V/@comment-5038094-20140907035114/@comment-25366375-20140907104204

It's probably a safe bet to suspect that most of the game will be set in 1984, but as has been discussed in numerous other discussions, the possibility of a time-skip epilogue to "close the loop" isn't all that unlikely.

Perhaps we'll see some Side Ops set in different years. Definitely think that 1984 will be the predominant setting for Phantom Pain, though I don't think I'd necessarily mind a time-skip. Though that could cause some potential issues for Mother Base customisation.

In short; it's possible and I don't think I'd necessarily mind it, as long as the crucial stuff doesn't happen off-camera.