French publishing house Focus Entertainment has announced a new 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, as it combines Focus’s extensive publishing expertise with Maverick’s fresh creative vision for an open‑world racing experience. The origins of Clutch trace back to 2024, when Maverick first entered into a publishing arrangement with Amazon Game Studios.
At that time the game was still under wraps, and the two parties were working together to shape its development. However, Amazon chose to dissolve the agreement earlier in the year, citing a strategic shift toward initiatives that better align with the company’s unique capabilities and scale. In a statement, Amazon explained that it needed to concentrate on projects that could fully exploit its proprietary technology, distribution network, and cloud services, and therefore decided to step away from the partnership. Following Amazon’s departure, Maverick’s co‑founder and chief operating officer Harinder Sangha spoke to GamesIndustry.biz about the studio’s next steps.
Sangha emphasized that Maverick remains actively engaged in talks with potential publishing partners who share a long‑term vision for the Clutch intellectual property. He hinted that further details about the new partnership would be revealed later in the year, underscoring the studio’s commitment to finding a collaborator that matches its ambitions for the franchise.
Focus Entertainment has now filled that role. The publisher highlighted that adding Clutch to its catalogue will diversify its portfolio by entering the open‑world racing segment for the first time. Focus’s publishing division believes that the game’s blend of expansive environments, high‑octane competition, and innovative mechanics positions it to become a standout title and a flagship property for the company.
In a press release, Focus’s deputy CEO of publishing, Vincent Chataignier, said, “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.” Maverick’s founder and chief executive officer, Mike Brown, echoed this sentiment, explaining the studio’s founding purpose: “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, and he, along with several former Playground Games alumni, established Maverick in 2023 with a clear goal of delivering a next‑generation racing adventure. Clutch is slated for a spring 2027 launch across the major current‑generation platforms, including PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
The game promises an expansive, seamless world where players can freely explore diverse terrains, from coastal highways to mountainous passes, while competing in a variety of race formats. Early teasers suggest a focus on player choice, allowing racers to customize vehicles, join dynamic events, and engage in a persistent online ecosystem that evolves over time.
The partnership also benefits Focus Entertainment by expanding its reach within the broader Pullup Entertainment family. Pullup, the parent company, operates 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.
By adding an open‑world racing title to its slate, Focus diversifies the types of experiences it can offer, complementing its existing portfolio of action‑adventure, narrative‑driven, and indie titles. Industry observers note that the shift from Amazon to Focus could signal a strategic realignment for Maverick. While Amazon brings massive infrastructure and a global storefront, Focus offers a more hands‑on publishing approach with deep roots in the European market and a track record of nurturing mid‑size studios. This alignment may provide Maverick with the creative freedom and targeted marketing support needed to fully realize Clutch’s potential.
In summary, the new alliance between Maverick Games and Focus Entertainment sets the stage for a bold entry into the competitive racing genre. With a release scheduled for spring 2027 on the leading consoles and PC, Clutch aims to deliver an immersive, open‑world driving experience that could redefine expectations for future racing games.
Both companies are optimistic that their combined expertise will bring the project to fruition and establish Clutch as a lasting, beloved franchise in the years to come.