Sources: Sony switches Twisted Metal reboot developer

PlayStation has changed its plans for the in-development Twisted Metal reboot, sources have told VGC.

Last year VGC reported that a new car combat instalment – which by release, would be the series’ first in over a decade – had started early development at the Liverpool, UK-based Destruction All-Stars developer Lucid games.

However, VGC has been told that the project has since ceased development at Lucid and, according to sources, Sony has decided to instead move the series revival to one of its first-party studios in Europe.

Sony Interactive Entertainment and Lucid Games did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

It’s understood Sony still intends to bring back the car combat series in time to coincide with an upcoming TV series in 2023, and early work has begun at the unnamed first-party studio.

Sources did not provide an explanation for the change of developer. However, one person suggested that the poor reception to Lucid’s PS5 title Destruction All-Stars could have contributed to the decision.

Destruction All-Stars released early last year to highly critical reviews. It was originally planned as a full-price PS5 launch game, until Sony delayed its release by three months and announced it was going to be free to PlayStation Plus members for two months, before being sold for $20.

Despite its PS Plus launch, Destruction All-Stars struggled to find an audience and its developer even added AI-controlled drivers to the game to help players find matches when there weren’t enough opponents online.

Sony expressed its commitment to the Twisted Metal franchise just last week, when it reiterated on stage at CES 2022 that a TV series is in development and displayed artwork on screen.

The Twisted Metal television project was officially announced in May 2019 and is in the works at Sony’s PlayStation Productions movie and TV studio.

According to Variety, the live-action adaptation of PlayStation’s vehicular combat series will be an action comedy penned by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, the writers of the Deadpool films and Zombieland.

Avengers star Anthony Mackie will play the lead role in the series. It will focus on an outsider tasked with delivering a mysterious package across a post-apocalyptic wasteland roamed by bandits in deadly vehicles, including the series’ trademark character, Sweet Tooth, a psychotic clown who drives a modified ice cream truck.

Speaking during a live stream discussing earlier rumours about Twisted Metal, original creator David Jaffe had said he believed that Lucid was an unlikely fit for the series due to the poor reception to Destruction All-Stars.

“I enjoyed what I played of Destruction All-Stars. I didn’t absolutely love it, because I didn’t think it was sticky enough… I played about four or five rounds and I was good for a while… I’d like to think they’ll learn from that,” he said.

“You really need a really fucking smart designer to sit down and understand the pros and deficiencies of Twisted Metal, and I haven’t seen anything from any developers including Lucid that suggests that they would know how to solve it. I know I wouldn’t. I would hope a good idea comes, but that’s a tough one.”