Twisted Metal creator David Jaffe returns to car combat with Autoduel

David Jaffe, best known for creating the Twisted Metal and God of War franchises, is joining indie developer Pixelbionic to work on its latest Kickstarter-funded title, vehicular combat game Autoduel, according to a press release.

Jaffe will join a team of veteran game developers — including the lead designer of Interstate ‘82 and designer on Interstate '76, Scott Kramarich — as a creative advisor for Autoduel. Also on Pixelbionic's board is Interstate '76 creator Zack Norman.

Autoduel is planned as an online multiplayer game that takes place in a post-apocalyptic future where players battle one another in decked out vehicles. Pixelbionic says players will be able to customize cars with upgrades ranging from drivetrain and suspension, to "a broad array of powerful weapons and protective armor." The game features team-based combat and more than 20 different vehicle choices that can be further customized through paint and decals.

Pixelbionic promises RPG-influenced persistence and progression in the game, which is currently being developed for Windows PC.

The Kickstarter campaign will be "released shortly," according to the press release, with additional development team members and the money they're asking for set to be revealed then.

A rep for Pixelbionic tells Polygon that Autoduel has no relation to the 1985 Origin Systems game of the same name, which was based on Steve Jackson Games' Car Wars.

"We are aware of the old Atari title, however there is no relation between that game and ours outside of the name 'Autoduel'. Pixelbionic acquired and currently owns the trademark, as we felt it was most descriptive of the title we wanted to make."