While individual squad members can be revived with reinforcement points during battle, players will be returned to the outpost if all characters are defeated, and must start the campaign again.

[7] Following the success of games such as Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap and Streets of Rage 4, SNK invited Dotemu to revive one of its dormant franchises.

[8] Into the Breach served as an important inspiration for the studio, and paying homage to the franchise's action roots, the gameplay is speed-oriented despite being turn-based.

The team introduced a variety of difficulty options for both fans of the turn-based tactics series, and players of the older games who are not familiar with this style of gameplay.

[10] Initially set to be released in 2023, the game's release date was subsequently delayed to late 2024 for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S.[11] Metal Slug Tactics received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to the review aggregator website Metacritic.

Charlie Wacholz from IGN praised Metal Slug Tactics for its faithful adaptation, impressive pixel art, and engaging soundtrack.

[21] Likewise, Abbie Stone from GamesRadar+ commended Metal Slug Tactics for its engaging gameplay and art style but noted that limited tutorials and technical issues, including crashes, affected its overall reception.