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

Brand new images of Sony's canceled Twisted Metal game have surfaced online, suggesting developer Firesprite was crafting a live-service title that uniquely blended the franchise's signature vehicular combat with battle royale mechanics.

A former Firesprite UI developer, working at the Sony-owned studio, shared several screenshots on their online portfolio. While intentionally blurred and marked "Under NDA," these images are categorized under the codename "Project Copper," widely believed to be the internal designation for the unannounced Twisted Metal live-service game.

Despite Twisted Metal's history as a vehicle combat franchise, originating on the PSone and last seen on the PlayStation 3, the developer described Project Copper as a "third-person vehicular action combat game based on a classic PlayStation IP and developed by Firesprite." They further elaborated, stating: "It featured third-person shooter mechanics integrated with third-person vehicle combat, with the ultimate objective being the last one standing" (via MP1st).

Sony's reported cancellation of Twisted Metal was part of the significant layoffs announced in February 2024. At the time, the game "wasn't yet greenlit" but was under development at the UK-based Firesprite studio, which Sony confirmed was affected by the job cuts.

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Twisted Metal's demise aligns with Sony's apparent retreat from live-service games following a significant internal push towards this model. Naughty Dog halted development on The Last of Us Online in December 2023, citing the need to dedicate substantial resources to post-launch content for years—a commitment that would severely hamper future single-player game development.

While Arrowhead's Helldivers 2 proved a resounding success, becoming the fastest-selling PlayStation Studios game ever with 12 million copies sold in just 12 weeks, Sony's live-service hero shooter, Concord, stands as one of PlayStation's biggest gaming disasters. It lasted only a few weeks before being taken offline due to incredibly low player numbers, ultimately leading to its cancellation and the closure of its developer. Furthermore, in January, Sony canceled two unannounced live-service games—one a God of War title from Bluepoint, and the other from Days Gone developer Bend.

Although a new Twisted Metal game seems unlikely in the near future, the Twisted Metal TV series starring Anthony Mackie continues with Season 2 on Peacock. IGN's review of Twisted Metal Season 1 awarded it an 8/10, stating: "Though overloaded with jokes at times, Twisted Metal is a surprisingly enjoyable blend of comedy, violence, and thoughtfulness."