Brand new images of Sony's canceled Twisted Metal game have surfaced online, suggesting developer Firesprite was creating a live-service title that combined the franchise's signature vehicular combat with battle royale elements.
A former Firesprite UI developer, in their online portfolio, shared several screenshots. While intentionally blurred and marked "Under NDA," the images are associated with the codename "Project Copper," widely believed to be the internal designation for the unannounced Twisted Metal live-service game.
Although the Twisted Metal franchise, known for its vehicle combat, originated on the PSone and hasn't seen a new installment since the PlayStation 3 era, 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 explained the gameplay as "third-person shooter mechanics combined with third-person vehicle combat, with the objective of being the last one standing" (via MP1st).
Sony's reported cancellation of Twisted Metal was part of the February 2024 layoffs. At the time, the game was "not yet greenlit" but 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 coincided with Sony's scaling back of live-service game development following a significant internal push in that direction. Naughty Dog halted development on The Last of Us Online in December 2023, citing the years-long commitment to post-launch content required, which would have severely hampered their ability to create future single-player titles.
While Arrowhead's Helldivers 2 was a massive 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, proved a major setback, lasting only a few weeks before being shut down due to extremely low player numbers. Sony subsequently cancelled the game entirely and closed its developer.
In January, Sony canceled two more unannounced live-service games: a God of War title from Bluepoint and another from Days Gone developer Bend Studio.
Although a new Twisted Metal game seems unlikely in the near future, the Twisted Metal TV series starring Anthony Mackie will continue with Season 2 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 being "overloaded with jokes at times."
