RIP Twisted Pixel June 18, 2026

Posted by Maniac in Editorials.
Tags: twisted pixel
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Back in 2010, “Angry” Joe Vargas did a video review of an independently produced Xbox Live Arcade game done by a company called Twisted Pixel. The game he reviewed was called Comic Jumper: The Adventures of Captain Smiley, a 2D action game for the Xbox 360. The game had a unique art style that was charming to my sensibilities, and based on Angry Joe’s positive review, I picked up the game for the Xbox 360 and it absolutely opened my eyes. Here was a game by a small independent studio that absolutely grabbed my attention with fun gameplay, unique humor and a hilarious main character. If you haven’t played it yourself, here’s the trailer.

In the mid-to-late 00s, I was a fan of various comic book art styles, so a game like Comic Jumper was able to hook me quickly. I downloaded the demo on Xbox Live Arcade and I thought the game’s art style perfectly meshed with the gameplay, but I was not prepared for just how well polished this independent game was. The game’s epic story and larger than life characters had me gripping my controller tight in every attempt to make it to the next level. I just had to see what the next level was going to become, so I could see how different the art style was going to be, and hear the next witty joke.

After enjoying Comic Jumper so much, I went back to take a closer look at Twisted Pixel’s earlier titles, and found the universally praised Splosion Man and its sequel Ms. Splosion Man. While they played much differently than Comic Jumper, all the humor I knew the studio was capable of was still present, and the original songs produced by Chainsaw absolutely slapped. To this day, I believe that if I was able to sneak the song Badonkadonk into the setlist of my sister’s wedding, not a single guest would’ve questioned it.

Twisted Pixel’s next major game was called The Gunstringer, and it was a title for the Xbox 360’s Kinect. In it, you played as a puppeteer in a stage show. The game was heavily inspired by classic westerns, revenge flicks, and had a unique art style that invoked Mexico’s heritage. Here’s a video of me playing the demo on original hardware back in the day.

When I was invited to attend PAX East 2012 as press, I made a line straight for the Twisted Pixel booth, and got to meet the team behind the game. I am beyond grateful to have had that privilege. I got to speak to the man in charge of the company, who I was able to recognize from Gunstringer’s opening cinematic. I also got to meet Chainsaw, who was responsible for some of the most iconic songs in video game history. I was lucky enough to record this live performance of the song “It’s Brad”.

As Microsoft prepped to launch the Xbox One console, despite Microsoft’s intentions to showcase their next console as ANYTHING BUT a game’s console, I was excited for three major launch titles. Dead Rising 3, Killer Instinct, and Twisted Pixel’s game, Lococycle. In fact, I remember going to an Xbox One preview event, hosted by Major Nelson, with my (future) wife, where we got a hands on two-player demo for Killer Instinct. Shortly after we finished our match, I went over to the side stations and asked for a demo of Lococycle.

Lococycle was both a launch title and initially an exclusive for the Xbox One. It underperformed, but I honestly believe that was due to the fact that Microsoft had embittered most gamers into avoiding the Xbox One. I remember making it the first game I played on the console, and having a blast with it. Twisted Pixel’s humor was back in full force. The game’s live-action cinematics, which featured an incredible cast, were HILARIOUS, and became a massive incentive for me to beat each level.

After Lococycle, things began shifting for Twisted Pixel. I had trouble keeping up with the news about them, but I had heard that there was talk of the company being acquired around this time. When I next heard from them, it was shortly after Microsoft’s E3 showcase. Spike TV was broadcasting a follow up preview showcase featuring new titles, and the first company profiled in this show was Twisted Pixel. That was when I discovered that Twisted Pixel was shifting focus to Virtual Reality, and their first VR title would be for the Oculus Rift and was called Wilson’s Heart.

While I was initially impressed by this game (as well as its star-studded cast), I was concerned about the investment I would need to make to play it. At the time, I could not afford a gaming PC capable of Virtual Reality, and had not taken the PCVR plunge. Because of that, I completely missed out on any experiences with the Oculus Rift, something I tremendously regret. Eventually, I got into VR gaming with the Quest Pro, and later on the Quest 3, but as of the time of writing Wilson’s Heart has not been ported to either platform. A tremendous shame, as I think standalone VR is the best gaming experience currently available.

Years passed, and we entered 2024. I had absolutely fallen in love with VR gaming two years earlier thanks to games like Iron Man VR. I now had the Quest 3, which was the top standalone gaming headset. Then, this game got announced at The Game Awards.

Deadpool VR…is literally my favorite VR game of all time. If there was EVER a developer who felt like it would be a perfect match for the character, it would be Twisted Pixel. All the original humor I remembered Twisted Pixel was responsible for was on display in this game. As I write this I am currently on my fourth playthrough of the game and I plan to do at least five before I put my headset back down. I am not alone in my opinion, the game received phenomenal reviews, and I’ve heard it sold very well, despite being locked to just the Quest 3 platform. Regardless, shortly after the game’s release, Meta made the decision to shutter Twisted Pixel.

For the life of me, I cannot imagine why Meta would make the decision to close one of their most successful game studios alongside other studios that were responsible for their best selling games. Deadpool VR had great reviews, and there was a demand for a sequel. People BOUGHT a Quest 3 just to play Deadpool VR, and now they will not be able to see further support from the studio responsible for it. Rest in Peace, Twisted Pixel. You Will Be Missed.