New images have surfaced online revealing details about Sony's canceled Twisted Metal game, suggesting that developer Firesprite was working on a live service title that combined the series' iconic vehicular combat with battle royale elements. A former UI developer at Sony-owned Firesprite shared a few screenshots on their online portfolio. Although the images are blurred and marked "Under NDA," they are tagged with the codename Project Copper, believed to be the internal designation for the unannounced live-service Twisted Metal game.
Twisted Metal, a beloved vehicle combat franchise that originated on the PSone and last saw a release during the PlayStation 3 era, was reportedly being reimagined by Firesprite as a "third-person vehicular action combat game based on a classic IP owned by PlayStation." The developer described Project Copper as featuring "third-person shooter mechanics wrapped with third-person vehicle combat with the objective of being the last one standing" (thanks, MP1st).
Sony canceled Twisted Metal amid widespread layoffs announced in February 2024. At the time of cancellation, the game "wasn't yet greenlit" but was being developed at the UK-based Firesprite studio, which was affected by the layoffs.
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The cancellation of Twisted Metal reflects a broader shift away from live service games at Sony, following an aggressive push to develop more of these titles. For instance, Naughty Dog halted work on The Last of Us Online in December 2023, citing concerns that maintaining the game would consume all their resources and hinder future single-player projects.
Despite some successes, like Arrowhead’s Helldivers 2, which sold 12 million copies in just 12 weeks to become the fastest-selling PlayStation Studios game ever, Sony faced significant challenges. The live service hero shooter Concord was a major disappointment, lasting only a few weeks before being taken offline due to dismal player numbers. Sony eventually decided to cancel the game and close its developer.
In January, Sony also canceled two other unannounced live service games: one a God of War title at Bluepoint and another at Days Gone developer Bend.
While fans may not see a new Twisted Metal game in the near future, the Twisted Metal TV series starring Anthony Mackie is set to return for a second season on Peacock. IGN's review of Season 1 awarded it an 8/10, praising it as "a miraculously enjoyable blend of comedy, violence, and thoughtfulness," despite occasional overuse of humor.
