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 step for both companies, combining Focus’s distribution expertise with Maveric’s vision for an open‑world racing experience. The origins of Clutch trace back to early 2024 when Maverick Games first announced a partnership with Amazon Game Studios for a still‑secret title. That relationship was short‑lived; Amazon chose to end the agreement in the first half of the year, stating that its strategic priorities required a focus on projects that could fully exploit Amazon’s unique capabilities and scale.
The decision left Maverick searching for a new publishing ally that shared its long‑term aspirations for the IP. Harinder Sangha, co‑founder and chief operating officer of Maverick Games, explained to 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." This sentiment underscores Maverick’s commitment to finding a partner whose goals align with the creative direction and commercial potential of Clutch. Focus Entertainment welcomed the opportunity, emphasizing 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." By adding an open‑world racer to its catalogue, Focus aims to diversify its offerings beyond its existing titles and tap into a genre that has historically attracted large, dedicated fan bases.
The game is slated for a spring 2027 launch across the major current‑generation platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. This multi‑platform strategy is intended to maximize reach and ensure that players on any of the leading consoles can experience the expansive world that Maverick has envisioned. Vincent Chataignier, deputy CEO of Focus Entertainment Publishing, highlighted the company’s philosophy of partnering with creators who are pushing the boundaries of their genres.
"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." This endorsement from a seasoned publisher adds credibility to the project and signals confidence in its potential to resonate with both critics and gamers. Mike Brown, founder and chief executive officer of Maverick Games, echoed the excitement, 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 statement reflects the personal passion that drove the formation of Maverick after his tenure at Playground Games, where he contributed as creative director on the acclaimed Forza Horizon series. His background in crafting expansive, visually stunning racing environments informs the design philosophy behind Clutch. Focus Entertainment itself is a French publishing house operating under the umbrella of Pullup Entertainment.
Pullup’s corporate structure includes three primary 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 a robust support system for new titles, offering resources ranging from marketing and distribution to technical assistance and quality assurance. Maverick Games, founded in 2023 by a team of former Playground Games veterans, set out with a clear mission: to create a racing game that goes beyond traditional circuit‑based competition and immerses players in a living, breathing open world.
The studio’s founders believed that the racing genre could benefit from a richer narrative context, dynamic weather systems, and a sandbox environment that encourages exploration as much as speed. Clutch is intended to embody these principles, delivering a seamless blend of high‑octane racing and open‑world adventure.
In terms of gameplay, Clutch is expected to feature a variety of vehicle classes, from street‑legal hypercars to off‑road trucks, each customizable with performance upgrades and aesthetic modifications. The open‑world map will span multiple regions, each with distinct biomes, cultural landmarks, and hidden challenges. Players will be able to engage in traditional races, time trials, and free‑roam events, as well as story‑driven missions that reveal the lore of the game’s universe. Technical ambition is also a key focus.
Leveraging the power of next‑gen hardware, the developers aim to deliver photorealistic graphics, advanced lighting, and a dynamic weather engine that impacts vehicle handling in real time. The game will support high frame rates on both consoles and PC, with options for ray‑traced reflections and ultra‑high‑resolution textures for players seeking the ultimate visual experience. Community engagement will play a crucial role in the title’s development cycle.
Maverick and Focus plan to release regular developer updates, beta testing phases, and community challenges to gather feedback and refine the final product. This iterative approach is intended to ensure that the final release meets the expectations of both hardcore racing enthusiasts and newcomers to the genre.
The partnership between Maverick Games and Focus Entertainment represents a strategic alignment of creative vision and publishing muscle. With Focus’s established distribution channels and marketing expertise, and Maverick’s passion for redefining open‑world racing, Clutch is positioned to become a noteworthy entry in the racing genre when it arrives in spring 2027. The collaboration underscores a broader industry trend of indie‑style studios teaming up with larger publishers to bring ambitious, genre‑bending projects to a global audience. As the release date approaches, both companies have pledged to share further details about gameplay mechanics, story elements, and pre‑order incentives.
Fans of racing games and open‑world adventures alike can anticipate a fresh experience that aims to set a new benchmark for what a modern racing title can achieve.