- PlayStation has recently laid off around 8% of its workforce.
- A credible insider has revealed that the Twisted Metal reboot has also been canceled.
- The game was in the works at Firesprite, the UK-based studio among those impacted by the job cuts.
Layoffs in the gaming industry have been on the rise since 2023. Thousands were laid off in the first two weeks of 2024 alone, and Microsoft multiplied the total count after it announced up to 1,900 job cuts for Xbox and Activision Blizzard employees.
The latest one to follow this concerning trend is Sony’s gaming division. It has laid off around 8% of all employees, leading to the closure of PlayStation London Studio. Meanwhile, various games have also been canceled.
Among those games, the Twisted Metal reboot is no longer in development.
Why it matters: Twisted Metal was expected to return as one of PlayStation’s live-service titles soon. The game was rumored for several years, hinting that Firesprite and PlayStation invested plenty of time and budget on the project.
NEW: As part of today's mass layoff, Sony has canceled a Twisted Metal live-service game that was in development at UK-based studio Firesprite, Bloomberg has learned.
Firesprite will also lay off an unspecified number of people. https://t.co/pvCDsS7yxe
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) February 27, 2024
Jason Schreier, an insider who has proven to be credible, has revealed that PlayStation has canceled Twisted Metal. Previously, Naughty Dog canceled The Last of Us Multiplayer.
While Naughty Dog claimed it did so to focus on single-player titles, the studio has faced a few layoffs, so it should not be too difficult to connect the dots. However, the Twisted Metal reboot going through this fate is arguably even sadder.
Many fans have been anticipating the reboot of this series, even if it was going to be a live-service entry. As one of PlayStation’s most beloved IPs, its release was always expected to serve as a huge comeback.
However, with developer Firesprite impacted by the layoffs, Twisted Metal might never be revived.
Sony has officially confirmed that multiple projects have been canceled. However, the gaming giant has yet to reveal how many games were scrapped following the 900 job cuts.
PlayStation confirms that it will make several changes to the business after the layoffs. The gaming giant is heading toward a bigger PC and mobile gaming push, leading to a different approach for the future.
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[News Reporter]
Obaid is pursuing a Law degree, while working as a content writer. He has worked as a gaming writer for over a year because of his passion for the medium and reporting the latest updates in the industry. Having played hundreds of games, Obaid finds himself coming back to Elden Ring and Red Dead Redemption 2, with these games being among his favorites. He has also been mentioned on highly regarded websites, such as Wccftech, Metro UK, PS Lifestyle, GamePressure, VGC, and Gamespot.
