Canceled Twisted Metal Game Was Part Vehicular Combat, Part Shooter, Part Battle Royale, Dev Says

Newly surfaced images reveal details of Sony's cancelled Twisted Metal game, developed by Firesprite. The leaked screenshots, though blurred and marked "Under NDA," suggest a live-service title blending the franchise's signature vehicular combat with battle royale elements. The project, codenamed "Project Copper," is described by a former Firesprite UI developer as a "third-person vehicular action combat game based on a classic IP owned by PlayStation," with the goal of being the last player standing.

These revelations come after Sony's February 2024 layoffs, which impacted Firesprite and resulted in the cancellation of Twisted Metal, a game that was reportedly "not yet greenlit."

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The cancellation aligns with Sony's apparent scaling back of live-service game development following both successes and significant failures. While Helldivers 2 proved a massive hit, Concord, a live-service hero shooter, flopped spectacularly. Furthermore, Sony also cancelled two other unannounced live-service titles earlier this year, including a God of War project. Naughty Dog's decision to halt development on The Last of Us Online further illustrates the challenges and resource commitments associated with this model.

Despite the game's cancellation, fans can still look forward to the continuation of the Twisted Metal TV series on Peacock, with Season 2 currently in the works. IGN's review of Season 1 awarded it an 8/10, praising its "miraculously enjoyable blend of comedy, violence, and thoughtfulness."