Recently, intriguing images of Sony's canceled Twisted Metal game have surfaced online, revealing that developer Firesprite was working on a live service title that combined the iconic vehicular combat of the series with battle royale elements. These images, shared by a former UI developer at Sony-owned Firesprite on their online portfolio, are blurred and marked "Under NDA," but are tagged with the codename Project Copper, believed to be the internal name for this unannounced Twisted Metal game.
Twisted Metal, a beloved vehicle combat franchise that originated on the PSone and last saw a release on the PlayStation 3, was being reimagined as a "third-person vehicular action combat game based on a classic IP owned by PlayStation and developed by Firesprite." According to the developer, Project Copper featured "third-person shooter mechanics wrapped with third-person vehicle combat with the objective of being the last one standing."
Sony reportedly canceled this Twisted Metal project amid mass layoffs announced in February 2024. Although the game had not yet been officially greenlit, it was in development at the UK studio Firesprite, 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 initial push to develop more titles in this genre. Naughty Dog, for instance, halted development on The Last of Us Online in December 2023, citing the need to dedicate all resources to post-launch content, which would have hindered future single-player game development.
Despite some successes, such as Arrowhead’s Helldivers 2, which sold 12 million copies in just 12 weeks and became the fastest-selling PlayStation Studios game, Sony faced setbacks with other live service endeavors. The hero shooter Concord was a notable failure, lasting only a few weeks before being taken offline due to low player numbers, ultimately leading to its complete cancellation and the closure of its developer.
In January, Sony also canceled two other unannounced live service games, one from Bluepoint working on a God of War title, and another from Bend, the developers of Days Gone.
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 gave it an 8/10, praising it as "a miraculously enjoyable blend of comedy, violence, and thoughtfulness," despite its occasionally excessive humor.
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