"Canceled Twisted Metal Game Blended Vehicular Combat, Shooting, and Battle Royale: Dev"

Exciting yet disappointing news has surfaced regarding Sony's Twisted Metal franchise. Recently leaked images from a former UI developer at Firesprite, a studio owned by Sony, have given us a glimpse into what could have been a thrilling new addition to the series. Codenamed "Project Copper," this unreleased game was set to revolutionize the classic vehicular combat of Twisted Metal by integrating it with battle royale elements in a live service format.

The images, although blurred and marked "Under NDA," were part of the developer's online portfolio. According to the developer, Project Copper was designed as a "third-person vehicular action combat game" rooted in a beloved PlayStation IP. The game aimed to blend third-person shooter mechanics with vehicle combat, with the ultimate goal of being the last player standing, as reported by MP1st.

Unfortunately, Sony decided to cancel this ambitious project as part of widespread layoffs announced in February 2024. At the time of cancellation, Project Copper had not yet been officially greenlit but was under development at Firesprite, which was affected by the layoffs.

This cancellation is part of a broader shift at Sony, moving away from live service games after a significant internal push towards this model. The decision follows other high-profile cancellations, such as Naughty Dog's The Last of Us Online in December 2023, which was halted to preserve resources for future single-player titles. Additionally, Sony canceled two other unannounced live service games in January, including a God of War project at Bluepoint and a title from the developers of Days Gone at Bend Studio.

While Sony's live service efforts have seen mixed results, with Helldivers 2 becoming a massive success and Concord a notable failure, the future of Twisted Metal remains uncertain. Fans of the franchise can still look forward to the continuation of the Twisted Metal TV series on Peacock, starring Anthony Mackie, which has been renewed for a second season. IGN's review of Season 1 praised the show, awarding it an 8/10 and describing it as a "miraculously enjoyable blend of comedy, violence, and thoughtfulness," despite occasional overindulgence in humor.

The 100 Best PlayStation Games of All Time

100 Images