French publisher Focus Entertainment has entered into a publishing partnership with Maverick Games to bring the studio’s inaugural racing title, Clutch, to market. The collaboration marks a significant step for both companies: Focus expands its catalog with a first‑ever open‑world racing entry, while Maverick secures a seasoned partner to help launch a game that has been in development for several years.
The road to this agreement began in 2024, when Maverick first struck a deal with Amazon Game Studios to co‑publish the as‑yet‑unnamed title. That arrangement was dissolved earlier in the year when Amazon decided to re‑align its publishing strategy, stating that it wanted to concentrate on projects that could fully exploit Amazon’s unique technological strengths and massive scale. The termination left Maverick searching for a new publishing home for its ambitious open‑world racer. Harinder Sangha, co‑founder and chief operating officer of Maverick Games, told 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 comment underscores the studio’s determination to find a partner whose vision aligns with the lofty goals set for Clutch, a game that aims to redefine the racing genre by blending high‑octane competition with a richly detailed, persistent world.
Focus Entertainment’s publishing division welcomed the opportunity, emphasizing that adding Clutch to its slate 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 title as a chance to diversify beyond its existing catalog, which includes a mixture of narrative‑driven adventures, action‑oriented titles, and indie‑style projects. The game is slated for a spring 2027 release on the major current‑generation platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. This timeline gives both the development team and the publisher ample runway to fine‑tune the gameplay mechanics, polish the expansive world, and execute a robust marketing campaign that will introduce the Clutch universe to a broad audience of racing enthusiasts. Vincent Chataignier, deputy chief executive officer of Focus Entertainment Publishing, elaborated on the partnership’s strategic fit.
"At Focus, we look to partner with creators who are redefining their genre," he said. "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 mutual respect between the two companies and suggest that Focus sees the collaboration as a flagship project that could set a new benchmark for open‑world racing games. Mike Brown, founder and chief executive officer of Maverick Games, echoed this enthusiasm.
"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," he said. Brown’s background includes a stint as creative director on the acclaimed Forza Horizon series, a credential that brings considerable credibility to the project.
His vision for Clutch is to merge the freedom of an open world—complete with dynamic weather, day‑night cycles, and a living ecosystem of traffic and events—with the precision and excitement of high‑performance racing. The partnership also benefits from Focus Entertainment’s broader corporate structure. Focus is a French publishing house owned by Pullup Entertainment, a holding company that oversees three core divisions: Focus Entertainment Publishing, the Arcade Crew, and a collection of development studios.
Among the studios under Pullup’s umbrella are Deck13, known for titles such as "The Surge" series; Streumon, the creators of "Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2"; Twelve Tenths, which produced "The Last Campfire"; Leikir Studio, Blackmill, Dovetail, and Carpool Studio. This network provides a deep well of technical expertise, production resources, and cross‑studio collaboration opportunities that Maverick can tap into as Clutch moves toward launch. Maverick Games itself was founded in 2023 by a group of former Playground Games developers.
The team’s collective experience includes work on the Forza Horizon franchise, which set a high bar for open‑world racing with its blend of realistic car physics and vibrant, explorable environments. By leveraging that heritage, Maverick aims to push the envelope further—introducing more granular vehicle customization, a narrative layer that ties together disparate race events, and a persistent world that evolves based on player actions. In addition to the core gameplay loop, Clutch is expected to feature a robust online component. Early statements suggest a seamless integration of single‑player and multiplayer experiences, allowing players to drop into races hosted by friends or join large‑scale community events that span the entire map.
This design philosophy aligns with current industry trends where live services and ongoing content updates keep player engagement high long after launch. The decision to target a 2027 spring release also reflects a strategic positioning within the console generation’s lifecycle.
By that point, both PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S will have matured, with developers having a deep understanding of the hardware’s capabilities. This timing allows the Clutch team to fully exploit features such as ray‑traced lighting, high‑speed SSD streaming, and advanced haptic feedback, delivering an immersive racing experience that feels both visually stunning and mechanically precise. Overall, the Maverick‑Focus partnership signals a promising future for Clutch.
With a seasoned publishing partner, a seasoned development team, and a clear vision for an open‑world racing experience that blends narrative depth with high‑speed thrills, the title is poised to become a notable entry in the genre. Fans of racing games and open‑world adventures alike can look forward to more details as the development milestones progress, culminating in a launch that could reshape expectations for what a modern racing game can achieve.