French publisher Focus Entertainment has entered into a partnership with Maverick Games to bring the studio’s inaugural racing project, titled Clutch, to market. The collaboration marks a significant step for both companies: Focus expands its catalogue into the open‑world racing genre, while Maverick secures a seasoned publishing partner after an earlier arrangement fell through. In early 2024 Maverick Games initially signed a publishing agreement with Amazon Game Studios for the game, which at that time had not yet been publicly revealed.
However, Amazon chose to end the partnership earlier in the year, citing a strategic shift toward initiatives that better exploit the company’s unique capabilities and scale. The decision left Maverick seeking a new ally to help shepherd the title through development and eventual release. Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, Harinder Sangha, co‑founder and chief operating officer of Maverick, explained that the studio is now engaged in “active dialogue with partners who share our long‑term ambition for the IP.” He added that further details about the new partnership and the game’s progress will be disclosed later in the year.
This openness signals Maverick’s confidence that the new publishing deal will provide the resources and market reach needed to fulfill the team’s vision for Clutch. Focus Entertainment’s statement highlighted the strategic importance of the deal, noting that publishing Clutch will “strengthen [its] portfolio with its first entry into the open‑world racing space.” The company emphasized a shared commitment to delivering a standout experience and positioning Clutch as a flagship racing intellectual property. By adding an open‑world title to its slate, Focus aims to diversify its offerings beyond the narrative‑driven and action‑oriented games for which it is currently known.
Clutch is slated for a spring 2027 launch across the major current‑generation platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The timing aligns with the typical development cycle for ambitious open‑world titles, allowing the team to refine the game’s expansive world, vehicle physics, and multiplayer components. Vincent Chataignier, deputy CEO of Focus Entertainment Publishing, elaborated on the publisher’s philosophy, stating, “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 publisher’s belief that Maverick’s leadership can push the boundaries of what a racing game can be, especially within an open‑world framework. Mike Brown, founder and chief executive officer of Maverick Games, echoed the sentiment, saying, “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 remarks convey both a personal passion for the genre and confidence that the partnership will provide the necessary support to realize that vision. Focus Entertainment operates as a subsidiary of Pullup Entertainment, a larger conglomerate that manages three core divisions: Focus Entertainment Publishing, the Arcade Crew, and a collection of development studios.
Among the studios under Pullup’s umbrella are Deck13, Streumon, Twelve Tenths, Leikir Studio, Blackmill, Dovetail, and Carpool Studio. This network gives Focus access to a broad range of development talent and technical expertise, resources that can be leveraged to assist Maverick during the final stages of Clutch’s production. Maverick Games itself was founded in 2023 by a group of former developers from Playground Games, the studio behind the critically acclaimed Forza Horizon series. Mike Brown, who previously served as creative director on those titles, brings extensive experience in crafting large‑scale, visually stunning racing environments.
His background suggests that Clutch will aim to blend the open‑world freedom of Horizon with a fresh, original aesthetic and gameplay loop. The transition from Amazon to Focus as a publishing partner is notable within the industry, reflecting broader trends where developers seek publishers that can offer not only financial backing but also genre‑specific expertise and marketing muscle. While Amazon’s decision to discontinue the partnership was framed as a realignment of its internal priorities, the move opened the door for a publisher like Focus, which has a clear strategic interest in expanding into racing games.
Looking ahead, the collaboration between Maverick and Focus is expected to involve joint efforts in areas such as community engagement, live‑service support, and post‑launch content. Given the open‑world nature of Clutch, the game will likely feature a dynamic environment that evolves over time, necessitating ongoing updates and events—a model that Focus has successfully employed with other titles in its portfolio. In summary, the partnership between Maverick Games and Focus Entertainment represents a convergence of creative ambition and publishing capability. With a seasoned team led by industry veterans, a clear release window in spring 2027, and a commitment to delivering an innovative open‑world racing experience, Clutch is poised to become a noteworthy entry in the genre.
Players can anticipate a richly detailed world, a variety of vehicles, and the kind of freedom that has become synonymous with modern racing games, all backed by a publisher eager to make a mark in this competitive space.