Cancelled Twisted Metal Reboot for PS5 Was Reportedly a Battle Royale Title

Sony’s canceled Twisted Metal game was reportedly a third-person shooter in which the player’s goal was to be the “last survivor,” much like a battle royale game. The live-streaming service game, developed by UK-based Sony studio Firesprite, was reportedly canceled by PlayStation parent company last year as part of wider layoffs at the company. The last Twisted Metal game was released in 2012 as a PS3 exclusive.

Twisted Metal is a battle royale game canceled

According to reports, the “Twisted Metal” live broadcast service restart plan was developed for PS5, and the project was canceled in 2024. Sony hasn’t revealed any details about the game, but an online portfolio from a former Firesprite developer has revealed new information about the now-canceled project.

According to the developer’s website discovered by MP1st, they work as lead UI programmers at Firesprite, a division of PlayStation Studios. The portfolio doesn’t mention Twisted Metal directly, instead referring to the game as “Project Copper.”

The developer’s portfolio describes the game as a third-person vehicular combat action game based on the popular PlayStation IP, and says its gameplay objectives are similar to those of a battle royale game.

“Project Copper is a third-person vehicular action-fighting game based on the classic PlayStation-owned IP developed by Firesprite (PlayStation Studios). It features third-person shooter mechanics and includes third-person vehicular combat with the goal of being the last one standing,” the website reads.

The developer also shared four blurry screenshots of the game, showcasing UI design and gameplay elements. The images showcase vehicular combat and third-person shooting visuals.

In February 2024, Firesprite’s Twisted Metal reboot was canceled after Sony cut 900 jobs in its PlayStation division and closed a studio in London. The layoffs affected 8% of PlayStation employees in different regions at the time. The layoffs also affected Firesprite and resulted in the cancellation of the Twister Metal field services title, according to Bloomberg.

Earlier this year, Sony canceled two more projects as it further backed away from its push for live-streaming services. Bend Studio and Bluepoint Games are developing an unannounced live service project.