French publisher Focus Entertainment has entered into a publishing partnership with Maverik Games to bring to market the studio’s inaugural open‑world racing title, Clutch. The collaboration marks a significant step for both companies: it gives Focus its first foothold in the open‑world racing genre, while providing Maverik a seasoned publishing ally after a recent shift in its development alliances. In early 2024 Maverik Games had initially secured a publishing agreement with Amazon Game Studios for the game, which at the time was still under wraps and had no public title.
However, Amazon chose to end that partnership earlier in the year, citing a strategic decision to concentrate on projects that more directly leverage the company’s unique technological capabilities and massive scale. The termination left Maverik seeking a new partner that could support its vision for a large‑scale, immersive racing experience. Harinder Sangha, co‑founder and chief operating officer of Maverik, explained to GamesIndustry.biz that the studio has been "in active dialogue with partners who share our long‑term ambition for the IP and look forward to sharing more later this year." This statement underscored Maverik’s commitment to finding a publishing partner whose goals align with the studio’s own aspirations for Clutch, and it hinted that the new partnership with Focus would be announced publicly in the near future.
Focus Entertainment’s own statement emphasized the strategic fit of the deal. The publisher said 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." In other words, Focus sees Clutch not only as a single product launch but as the foundation for a potentially long‑running intellectual property that could compete with established franchises in the racing arena.
The game is slated for a Spring 2027 release across the current generation of consoles—PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S—as well as on PC. This timeline gives Maverik ample development time to polish the open‑world environments, refine vehicle handling physics, and integrate the expansive multiplayer and single‑player features that the studio has hinted at in past interviews. Vincent Chataignier, deputy CEO of Focus Entertainment Publishing, added his perspective on the partnership: "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." Chataignier’s remarks highlight the respect that Focus holds for Maverik’s founder, Mike Brown, whose previous work on the Forza Horizon series earned him a reputation for pushing the boundaries of open‑world racing design.
Mike Brown, founder and chief executive officer of Maverik Games, echoed this enthusiasm. He said, "We founded Maverik 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 comment reinforces the idea that the partnership is built on a shared vision rather than a purely transactional arrangement. Focus Entertainment is a French publishing house that operates as a subsidiary of Pullup Entertainment. Pullup’s corporate structure includes 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 of studios gives Focus access to a broad range of development talent and technical expertise, which can be leveraged to support Maverik’s ambitious open‑world design goals. Maverik Games itself was founded in 2023 by a team of former Playground Games developers. The studio’s leadership includes Mike Brown, who previously served as creative director on the critically acclaimed Forza Horizon series. Brown’s experience with open‑world racing, combined with his desire to create a new, more expansive racing universe, forms the creative backbone of Clutch.
The transition from Amazon to Focus as the publishing partner may also reflect broader industry trends. Large tech‑focused publishers like Amazon often prioritize titles that can integrate tightly with their cloud services, AI tools, or subscription ecosystems. In contrast, traditional game publishers such as Focus tend to concentrate on nurturing strong IPs and providing dedicated marketing, distribution, and post‑launch support.
For a project like Clutch, which aims to deliver a richly detailed, persistent world and a deep community experience, the latter approach may be more suitable. Looking ahead, the collaboration between Maverik and Focus is expected to involve joint marketing campaigns, co‑development support, and possibly shared technology pipelines. Focus’s experience with publishing a diverse portfolio—from narrative-driven adventures to action‑packed shooters—means it can bring seasoned expertise in launch planning, community engagement, and post‑release content updates. Maverik, on the other hand, brings a clear creative vision and a proven track record in designing engaging racing experiences that blend high‑octane action with exploration.
In summary, the partnership signals a promising future for Clutch. With a launch window set for Spring 2027 on the major console platforms and PC, and backed by a publisher that is eager to expand into the open‑world racing niche, the game is positioned to attract both fans of the genre and newcomers looking for a fresh, expansive racing adventure.
As development progresses, both Maverik Games and Focus Entertainment have pledged to keep the community informed, promising further details on gameplay mechanics, world design, and the competitive features that will define Clutch as a standout title in the racing landscape.