Report: Unannounced Twisted Metal Live-Service Title Shelved After Recent PlayStation Layoffs

While a dormant IP for more than a decade, PlayStation’s Twisted Metal was met with a resurgence since 2023. During the summer, the live-action show aired on Peacock bringing a new flavor to the classic series. Enough so that the airing of the TV series was met with record numbers in viewership for the service at the time.

Additionally, it would also be met with further longevity from Peacock. At The Game Awards, star Anthony Mackie announced season two for Twisted Metal is on the way. What’s more, there was reports of a tie-in video game also in development. Video Game Chronicle reported on the matter in 2021 sharing that Firesprite Studios is helming the project.

However, in recent developments of another wave of layoffs landing at the beaches of Sony Interactive Entertainment, the unannounced project has been shelved completely. Bloomberg indicates that the forthcoming title was closed as a byproduct of the layoffs that faced Firesprite Studios among other PlayStation developers at a first-party level.

One moving piece of this story is the ongoing refocus at Sony Interactive Entertainment. Speaking to Video Game Chronicle, sources tell its due to the approach for live-service that is to blame for its demise. Similarly, the game would be compared to Destruction All-Stars – a title that launched for the PlayStation 5 which did not perform to Sony’s liking.

Regarding 2024, the live-service approach is in Sony’s hand for its releases. In a recent earnings report, corporate Sony confirmed that there are no planned titles to ship on PlayStation pertaining to its legacy IPs – suggesting its new IP business model is to be shipped for this fiscal year. You can read the full report by heading here.

What are your thoughts on Sony shuttering a Twisted Metal project?

Source: Bloomberg, Video Game Chronicle