French publisher Focus Entertainment has entered into a publishing partnership with Maverick Games to bring the studio’s inaugural racing project, titled Clutch, to market. The collaboration marks a significant milestone for both companies, as it gives Focus its first foray into the open‑world racing genre and provides Maverick with a seasoned publishing ally after an earlier partnership fell through.
In early 2024 Maverick Games began working with Amazon Game Studios on the same, as‑yet‑unnamed, racing title. However, Amazon decided to end the arrangement earlier this year, citing a strategic shift toward initiatives that better exploit the company’s unique capabilities and scale.
The decision left Maverick searching for a new partner that could share its long‑term vision for the intellectual property. Harinder Sangha, co‑founder and chief operating officer of Maverick, told GamesIndustry.biz that the studio is now in “active dialogue with partners who share our long‑term ambition for the IP and look forward to sharing more later this year.” Those discussions ultimately led to the agreement with Focus Entertainment, a publisher with a growing portfolio of high‑profile titles across multiple platforms.
Focus Entertainment’s statement emphasized that publishing Clutch will “strengthen [its] portfolio with its first entry into the open‑world racing space, driven by a shared ambition to deliver a standout experience and establish Clutch as a major new racing IP.” The publisher sees the project as an opportunity to diversify its offerings and to showcase its commitment to supporting innovative creators. Clutch is slated for a spring 2027 release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The game promises an expansive, open‑world environment where players can explore diverse landscapes, customize vehicles, and engage in high‑octane races that blend realistic driving physics with arcade‑style freedom.
While details remain under wraps, the developers have hinted at dynamic weather systems, a robust progression mechanic, and a narrative thread that ties the races together, setting it apart from more traditional circuit‑based racers. Vincent Chataignier, deputy CEO of Focus Entertainment Publishing, explained the publisher’s philosophy: “At Focus, we look to partner with creators who are redefining their genre.
Mike Brown and his team are regarded as one of the defining creative voices in the racing genre, and Clutch embodies exactly the creative ambition Focus Entertainment wants to champion.” This endorsement underscores the confidence Focus has in Maverick’s leadership and design direction. Maverick’s founder and chief executive officer, Mike Brown, echoed the sentiment, noting, “We founded Maverick Games to build the open‑world racing experience we’d dreamed about for years. Focus shares our creative bar and our ambition for Clutch, and we can’t wait for players everywhere to discover this world.” Brown’s background includes a tenure as creative director on the acclaimed Forza Horizon series, a role that gave him deep insight into what makes open‑world racing compelling for both casual and hardcore audiences. The partnership also situates Clutch within the broader ecosystem of Pullup Entertainment, the parent company of Focus Entertainment.
Pullup operates three core divisions: Focus Entertainment Publishing, the Arcade Crew, and a collection of development studios such as Deck13, Streumon, Twelve Tenths, Leikir Studio, Blackmill, Dovetail, and Carpool Studio. This network provides Maverick with access to a wealth of technical expertise, marketing resources, and distribution channels that can help ensure Clutch reaches a global audience. Maverick Games itself was founded in 2023 by a group of former Playground Games developers, a studio renowned for its work on the Forza Horizon franchise.
The founding team, led by Brown, set out to create a studio that could push the boundaries of open‑world racing, blending the series‑defining polish of Horizon with new ideas around player freedom, world interactivity, and narrative integration. Their ambition is to deliver a title that feels both familiar to fans of the genre and fresh in its execution. The transition from Amazon to Focus as a publishing partner reflects a broader trend in the industry where developers seek publishers whose strategic priorities align closely with their creative goals. While Amazon’s decision was framed around focusing on projects that leverage its own strengths, Focus’s commitment to expanding into new genres and supporting visionary creators made it a natural fit for Maverick’s aspirations.
Looking ahead, both companies anticipate a collaborative development process that will see regular updates, beta testing phases, and community engagement initiatives. Focus plans to leverage its marketing muscle to build hype around Clutch, while Maverick aims to involve fans early through developer diaries, livestreams, and possibly early access windows. In summary, the alliance between Maverick Games and Focus Entertainment promises to deliver an ambitious open‑world racing experience that could set a new benchmark for the genre. With a release targeted for spring 2027 on the latest console and PC platforms, Clutch is positioned to attract both longtime racing enthusiasts and newcomers seeking a richly detailed, immersive driving adventure.
The combined expertise of Maverick’s seasoned development team and Focus’s publishing infrastructure creates a compelling prospect for a successful launch and a lasting impact on the racing game landscape.