Ex-Forza Horizon devs reveal Clutch, an open-world racer with a crime story attached
The team behind some of Forza Horizon's best years has a new game — and it looks like a direct challenge to their old employer. Maverick Games, founded in 2023 by former Forza Horizon creative director Mike Brown in Leamington Spa, UK, has officially announced Clutch, an open-world racing game targeting a Spring 2027 release on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
The pitch
Clutch is story-driven, set on a sun-drenched French Riviera open world, and built around two competing racing cultures. The main narrative follows a brother and sister trying to climb the ranks of the prestigious R1K circuit. Running parallel is the Midnight Collective — an underground street-racing scene where style and car customization matter more than prize money. At some point, circumstances push one of the siblings into that shadier world. The story is written by Jamie Brittain, co-creator of the British TV drama Skins, per GTPlanet.
Gameplay blends structured story races with spontaneous, handcrafted missions inside a PvPvE open world — meaning you share the map with both real players and AI opponents at the same time. Gangs form alliances dynamically, and Maverick says no generative AI was used in mission design.
The details
Car customization goes deeper than most racing games dare. You can tune the exterior with custom paint and body kits, but also dress the interior — choosing seat shapes, dropping parking tickets on the dash, hanging an air freshener from the mirror. The debut trailer even shows a grappling hook: swing it around a lamppost mid-corner to change direction at high speed. It's a Fast & Furious move in a genre that usually plays it safer, notes The Drive.
The whole thing runs on a custom build of Unreal Engine 5. Physics appear arcade-leaning — no visible damage model in early footage — which puts Clutch closer to Forza Horizon than to a simulation title.
What's still missing
Maverick assembled veterans from Playground Games and Codemasters, both of which are based nearby in Leamington Spa — arguably the UK's racing-game capital. Amazon Games was originally lined up as publisher but walked away in 2024 as part of a broader retreat from third-party projects. Who is funding or publishing Clutch now has not been disclosed.
Pricing, a firm release date, and full gameplay details are all still unconfirmed. Summer Game Fest on June 5, 2026 is expected to reveal the full story setup and cast. Spring 2027 lands after the anticipated 2026 release of Forza Horizon 6, giving Clutch some room — though the open-world racing genre is already crowded, with Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown having launched in 2024.
