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

Newly surfaced images reveal details about Sony's canceled 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.

The cancellation, part of Sony's February 2024 layoffs, occurred before the game received official approval. This decision aligns with Sony's apparent retreat from the live-service model, following setbacks like the poorly received Concord and the cancellation of other unannounced live-service titles, including a God of War game. The failure of Concord, described as one of PlayStation's biggest video game disasters, contributed significantly to this shift in strategy. Naughty Dog's decision to halt development on The Last of Us Online also reflects the challenges and resource commitments associated with maintaining live-service games. While Helldivers 2 proved a resounding success, the overall experience with live-service titles appears to have prompted a reassessment of Sony's approach.

Despite the game's cancellation, fans can still look forward to the ongoing Twisted Metal TV series on Peacock, which received an 8/10 rating from IGN.

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