By Sagar V. Mankar 
A canceled Twisted Metal game that was in development at PlayStation studio Firesprite was designed as a battle royale title, combining both vehicular combat and third-person shooting elements. The project, known internally as “Project Copper,” was scrapped in early 2024 alongside significant layoffs at the studio.
Now, new details about this unreleased game have emerged, thanks to the portfolio website of Hugo Silva, a former UI lead who worked at Firesprite between 2022 and 2023. Although the screenshots on Silva’s portfolio are blurred and marked with “UNDER NDA,” they reveal important details of the game’s design and direction.
Spotted by MP1st, Silva’s description describes Project Copper as “a 3rd-person vehicular action combat game based on a classic IP owned by PlayStation.” The game would have combined traditional Twisted Metal vehicle combat with on-foot shooting mechanics, with the primary objective being “the last one standing” – clear language indicating a battle royale format.
The timing of the game’s development is particularly interesting, as it was reportedly intended to tie in with the Twisted Metal live-action series that premiered on Peacock. The TV show has proven successful enough to be renewed for a second season, suggesting there remains public interest in the franchise despite the game’s cancellation.
The blurred screenshots from Silva’s portfolio show early environments where players could fight both in and out of vehicles. One image reveals UI elements including a note to “Earn credits to avoid elimination,” hinting at possible in-game mechanics. Health bars for both the player and what appear to be teammates are also visible.
The canceled project was being developed using Unreal Engine 5, a technology that Firesprite is familiar with and is using for their upcoming horror game (rumored to be Until Dawn 2).
This Twisted Metal cancellation came amid PlayStation’s broader shift away from live service games. In early 2022, Sony had announced plans to launch over 10 new live service titles in the coming years, with then-Sony executive Jim Ryan expressing confidence that such games represented gaming’s future. However, the company has since pulled back from this vision, canceling multiple proposed live service projects.
The Twisted Metal franchise has been dormant in gaming since 2012, when a reboot simply titled “Twisted Metal” was released for PlayStation 3. The series, which began in 1995, has long been known for its vehicular combat gameplay. This canceled battle royale version would have represented a significant evolution for the franchise by incorporating third-person shooting mechanics alongside the traditional vehicle combat.
While fans of the series may be disappointed by the game’s cancellation, the renewal of the TV adaptation suggests that Sony hasn’t completely abandoned the Twisted Metal IP, leaving open the possibility of future gaming projects set in this universe.