Twisted Metal Studio Hit With Massive Layoffs

The developers who have worked on Twisted Metal series under David Scott Jaffe have had some tough news to swallow in recent times, as they've been hit with some massive layoffs. The news obviously wasn't the sort of thing that most of the employees wanted to see, nor was it something PlayStation fans were expecting to read across social media.

The news came courtesy of studio head David Scott Jaffe via Twitter, who explained that the outlet Bartlet Jones has been hit with massive layoffs. The layoffs were in response to the studio's most recent project being cancelled.

Jaffe doesn't say exactly what the studio was working on, only that the project has been canned. Was it a new Twisted Metal? Apparently not. Back on January 18th, Jaffe posted a nine minute video on YouTube discussing the state of Twisted Metal, where he explained that every day someone will ask him about a new version of the game, a reboot, a sequel, or a remaster. He explained that neither he nor his studio have the rights to Twisted Metal and that it belongs to Sony, so he stated that, for as far as he knows, Naughty Dog could be making the newest version of the game or anyone for that matter; assuming a new version is being made. However, he said that he doesn't know and hasn't heard anything about a new game in the franchise being in development.

So, in case you were wondering if Bartlet Jones was actually working on a Twisted Metal game under Sony, the answer is no.

The company doesn't have any major titles under its belt, and whatever project it was working on was cancelled. According to its LinkedIn page, there were around 20 employees working at the studio, but after the "massive layoffs" it's hard to tell exactly how many of them still remain.

Based on Jaffe's last video update regarding the other Sony titles being remastered, such as Crash Bandicoot and MediEvil, it didn't sound like Bartlet Jones was working on anything directly under Sony.

At this point, the studio will likely have to focus its efforts elsewhere. It's still possible that whatever was cancelled could make a return to form in the way of crowdfunding, assuming Bartlet Jones is willing to go the Kickstarter or IndieGoGo route. There's also sourcing through crowd-investments, similar to Fig or Start Engine.

However, maybe things could turn around if Jaffe and the remaining crew can cook up a worthwhile prototype and pitch an idea to a publisher. Jaffe is working with those on social media to help find new work and placement for some of the staff who worked at Bartlet Jones, so it's not all bad. Still, it's never easy to find out that a studio housing developers that were responsible for some of gaming's most noteworthy titles, such as God of War and Twisted Metal, is letting go of staff.