Everyone’s favorite demolition derby is making a comeback, and by the time the game reaches us, it will be over a decade since we got behind the wheel. According to reports, PlayStation has handed the bloody and beloved Twisted Metal series to UK-based developer Lucid Games, known for their work on PlayStation 5’s Destruction AllStars.
The title is currently in early development, and it’s been suggested that the game will be free-to-play, due to the response of Destruction AllStars becoming a PlayStation Plus title after initially being billed a premium game. AllStars struggled upon release, though despite poor reviews, Lucid has a decent track record when it comes to racing games. This supports Sony’s statements made earlier this year, in which the company made it clear that increasing its foothold in the live service games market was a priority going forward.
The game is aiming for release sometime in 2023 and will coincide with a new TV series, which was officially announced in May 2019. The action-comedy will be written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, the writers behind Deadpool and Zombieland. The lead role will be played by Anthony Mackie, the face behind Falcon in the MCU, who is tasked with traveling across a post-apocalyptic wasteland to deliver a mysterious package. Of course, he’ll have to fend off Sweet Tooth–basically, think Mad Max, but with more chaos.
Twisted Metal began as a franchise in 1995, with the main series consisting of eight games. The most recent, simply called Twisted Metal, was released for the PlayStation 3 in 2012. Two spin-off games, Small Brawl and Black Online, were released in 2001 and 2002. Three games being developed for the franchise were canceled.
In 2012, Sony PIcture Entertainment hired Brian Taylor to write and direct a Twisted Metal film, but five years later, it was confirmed that the project had been canceled due to the high budget it would take to bring the idea to life on the big screen.