Newly surfaced images from Sony's scrapped Twisted Metal game reveal a live-service title in development at Firesprite. The game, codenamed "Project Copper," blended the franchise's signature vehicular combat with battle royale elements.
Screenshots, intentionally blurred and marked "Under NDA," appeared on a former Firesprite UI developer's online portfolio. Firesprite described Project Copper as a "third-person vehicular action combat game based on a classic PlayStation IP," aiming for a "last one standing" objective incorporating third-person shooter mechanics.
Sony's cancellation of Twisted Metal, announced alongside February 2024 layoffs, followed a company-wide scaling back of live-service projects. The game, while in development at Firesprite, lacked final approval.
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This decision aligns with Sony's retreat from live-service games, following both significant internal investment and setbacks. The failure of Concord, a PlayStation Studios hero shooter, underscored the risks involved. Similarly, Naughty Dog halted development on The Last of Us Online due to the extensive post-launch support required. In contrast, Arrowhead's Helldivers 2 achieved remarkable success, selling 12 million copies in 12 weeks. Furthermore, Sony canceled two additional unannounced live-service titles in January 2024.
While a new Twisted Metal game remains unlikely, the Twisted Metal TV series, starring Anthony Mackie, will continue with a second season on Peacock. IGN awarded the first season an 8/10, praising its blend of comedy, action, and surprising depth.
