French publisher Focus Entertainment has entered into a publishing partnership with Maverick Games to bring the studio’s inaugural open‑world racing project, titled Clutch, to market. The collaboration marks a significant step for both companies: it gives Focus its first foray into the open‑world racing genre, while providing Maverick with a seasoned publishing partner after an earlier arrangement with Amazon Game Studios fell through. In early 2024, Maverick Games originally signed a publishing agreement with Amazon Game Studios for the game, which at the time had not been publicly announced. However, Amazon decided to end the partnership earlier this year, stating that it needed to "focus on projects that leverage Amazon's unique strengths and scale." The decision left Maverick searching for a new publishing home for its ambitious title, and the studio quickly began discussions with other potential partners who shared its long‑term vision for the IP.
Harinder Sangha, co‑founder and chief operating officer of Maverick Games, 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 conversations ultimately led to the agreement with Focus Entertainment, a publisher known for supporting a diverse slate of games across multiple platforms. Focus Entertainment’s leadership expressed enthusiasm about the partnership. The company announced 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." Deputy CEO of Focus Entertainment Publishing, Vincent Chataignier, added, "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." 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 freely explore a richly detailed landscape filled with diverse racing events, customizable vehicles, and dynamic weather systems. According to the developers, the title will blend the high‑octane thrills of traditional circuit racing with the freedom of off‑road exploration, allowing players to chart their own routes and discover hidden challenges across a living world. Mike Brown, founder and chief executive officer of Maverick Games, explained the studio’s motivation behind the project: "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, where he helped shape the franchise’s signature blend of realistic driving physics and expansive, visually stunning open environments. His experience in that role informs the design philosophy of Clutch, which aims to push the boundaries of immersion and player agency within the racing genre. The partnership also benefits Focus Entertainment by expanding its catalog beyond its traditional strengths in narrative‑driven and action‑adventure titles. As a subsidiary of Pullup Entertainment, Focus operates alongside 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.
Adding an ambitious open‑world racer to its lineup diversifies the publisher’s portfolio and positions it to capture a broader segment of the gaming market, particularly among players who enjoy both competitive racing and exploratory gameplay. Maverick Games itself was founded in 2023 by a team of former Playground Games developers, a studio best known for the critically acclaimed Forza Horizon series. The founders, including Brown, sought to create a studio that could pursue original ideas without the constraints often found in larger, more established companies. Their vision for Clutch reflects that independent spirit: a game that not only offers high‑speed thrills but also encourages players to engage with a living world, discover secret routes, and personalize their racing experience through deep vehicle customization and progression systems.
While the core gameplay loop centers on racing, the developers have hinted at additional layers of content that will enrich the player experience. These may include a narrative component that follows a protagonist navigating the underground racing scene, dynamic events that change based on player actions, and multiplayer modes that support both competitive races and cooperative exploration.
The team also plans to leverage next‑generation hardware capabilities, such as ray‑traced lighting, high‑resolution textures, and advanced AI traffic, to create a world that feels both realistic and exhilarating. The decision by Amazon Game Studios to step away from the project opened the door for Maverick to align with a publisher whose strategic priorities more closely match the studio’s creative goals.
Focus Entertainment’s commitment to championing innovative IPs and its willingness to invest in a long‑term development cycle gave Maverick the confidence to move forward with Clutch under a new publishing banner. In summary, the collaboration between Maverick Games and Focus Entertainment represents a convergence of seasoned publishing expertise and visionary game development. With a release window set for spring 2027 across major consoles and PC, Clutch aims to redefine what players can expect from open‑world racing, delivering a blend of high‑speed competition, expansive exploration, and deep customization. Both companies are eager to see how the title will be received and anticipate that it will become a flagship property for the racing genre in the years to come.