You’d think with the massive success of the Peacock TV show, Sony would be tripping over themselves to get a new Twisted Metal game onto the PS5. Anthony Mackie is killing it as John Doe, Season 2 just wrapped up its run in late 2025, and the show even got renewed for a third season in November. It’s the perfect storm for a comeback, right?
Well, honestly, it’s complicated. And a bit depressing.
While fans were watching Sweet Tooth tear through the wasteland on screen, a secret project was actually in the works behind the scenes at Firesprite. It was supposed to be the glorious return of vehicular mayhem we’ve been waiting for since 2012. Instead, it became another casualty of Sony's massive pivot away from live-service games.
What Project Copper Was Actually Going to Be
For the longest time, we only had rumors. People whispered about Lucid Games (the Destruction AllStars team) starting it, then Sony allegedly moving the project over to Firesprite in the UK. But in early 2025, the floodgates finally opened.
A former developer’s portfolio leaked some blurred-out screenshots and a codename: Project Copper.
This wasn’t just going to be another demolition derby in a closed arena. It was basically a Twisted Metal battle royale. Think Fortnite but with more blood, rust, and guided missiles. The most jarring detail? You could actually get out of the car.
✨ Don't miss: Why the Burger King Pokémon Poké Ball Recall Changed Everything
The leak described a "3rd person vehicular action combat game" that mixed driving with on-foot shooting mechanics. Imagine rolling up to a suburb in Sweet Tooth’s ice cream truck, jumping out to grab a better rocket launcher from a house, and then getting back in to blast a rival. It sounds wild, maybe a little too ambitious, but it was definitely a huge departure from the classic PS1 formula.
Why Sony Pulled the Plug
So, why don't we have it? Why is there no new Twisted Metal game on our dashboards right now?
Basically, Sony got spooked.
In early 2024, PlayStation laid off about 900 people across the globe. During that bloodbath, they looked at their "12 live-service games by 2026" plan and realized it was a mess. They had just seen Concord turn into one of the biggest disasters in gaming history, and they decided to trim the fat.
Project Copper wasn't even greenlit yet. It was in early development, and when the axe fell on Firesprite, the Twisted Metal reboot went with it. It’s a classic case of corporate timing. If the game had been a single-player, narrative-driven experience like The Last of Us, maybe it survives. But as a live-service battle royale? In 2025? Sony clearly didn't think it could compete with the giants.
🔗 Read more: Why the 4th of July baseball Google Doodle 2019 is still the best game they’ve ever made
A History of Bad Luck
It feels like this franchise is cursed. Look at the track record of the studios that touched it:
- SingleTrac (TM1 & 2): Bought out and eventually shuttered.
- 989 Studios (TM3 & 4): Closed in the early 2000s.
- Incognito Entertainment (TM: Black): Gone by 2009.
- Eat Sleep Play (TM 2012): Effectively dead by 2017.
Every time someone tries to make this work, the studio ends up in the graveyard. Firesprite is still around, but they’ve been gutted by layoffs, and Twisted Metal isn't on their active board anymore.
Is There Still Hope for a Release?
Here is the nuance: Sony loves money. They see the TV show doing numbers. They see people still talking about Calypso and the tournament.
Right now, the only way to play "new" Twisted Metal is through the PS Plus Classics catalog, where they recently dropped the original PS1 titles. It’s a nice nostalgia trip, but it’s a bandage on a bullet wound.
There are no credible reports of a different new Twisted Metal game currently in production for 2026. Sony’s strategy has shifted back toward "quality over quantity," focusing on their heavy hitters like Ghost of Yōtei and whatever Naughty Dog is cooking.
💡 You might also like: Why Pictures of Super Mario World Still Feel Like Magic Decades Later
However, industry insiders like Jeff Grubb have hinted that Sony hasn't totally abandoned the IP. They just don't know what to do with it. Do they make it a $70 single-player game? Or a free-to-play shooter? Until they answer that, the series is stuck in the garage.
What You Should Do Instead
If you’re itching for car combat, the market is surprisingly thin. You’ve basically got a few options to fill the void while Sony figures their life out:
- Watch Season 2 of the TV show: It’s actually good. It introduces Calypso (played by Anthony Carrigan) and dives deep into the actual tournament lore.
- Play Twisted Metal: Black on PS5: It’s still the peak of the series. The atmosphere is grittier than anything modern developers would dare to make today.
- Keep an eye on indie titles: Games like Blood Wheels or Trail Out try to capture that spirit, even if they don't have the "Sweet Tooth" branding.
The reality is that we probably won't see a new Twisted Metal game until at least 2027 or 2028, assuming they start a fresh project soon. For now, the franchise exists as a really great TV show and a pile of "what could have been" screenshots from a canceled battle royale.
Actionable Insight: Don't hold your breath for a surprise 2026 release. If you see a "leaked trailer" on YouTube with a 2026 date, it's almost certainly fan-made AI garbage. Stick to the official PS Plus Classics if you need a fix, and hope that the Season 3 renewal of the show eventually forces Sony's hand to try one more time.