An hour of Clutch gameplay shows what Forza's architect built next
Maverick Games has streamed an hour of opening gameplay for Clutch, the cinematic open-world racer it announced in early June. The studio was founded by Mike Brown, the creative director behind Forza Horizon 5, along with veterans from Playground Games and Codemasters. The footage is the clearest look yet at a game that wants to do things Forza never would.
The story
Clutch centers on siblings Theo and Cass Martial, and the gameplay reveal opens with a prologue set 15 years before the main plot. The two are orphans in a group home; a fight with caregivers pushes Theo to steal a car and break them both out. Several more flashbacks follow, each doubling as a tutorial — players get behind the wheel of a BMW M3 and a Jeep, and take a lap inside the prestigious Riviera 1K pro circuit. The script is by Jamie Brittain, co-creator of the UK drama Skins, with a voice cast that includes Tosin Cole, Little Simz, Gregory Montel, and Peter Serafinowicz.
A key story thread: a disaster during an official race prompts the R1K league's boss to mandate digital driver-assist systems and specially modified cars, a move that sets up the game's central tension between sanitized pro competition and raw street racing.
The game
Clutch runs on two tracks, literally. The official R1K circuit is the legitimate side; the Midnight Collective is the underground alternative, where style and car customization count more than prize money. The blend of day-legal and night-criminal racing echoes what Need for Speed Heat attempted in 2019 — The Drive notes the comparison directly — but Maverick is pushing further, adding police chases and grappling-hook gadgetry to the mix.
Brown has been explicit that this is an arcade racer, not a sim. Tire pressure, suspension tuning, and aerodynamics won't be on the menu. The focus is on the feel of speed and the bond between driver and car. A deep photo mode and a built-in video editor are both confirmed from day one — plus the ability to toggle turn signals and high beams mid-race to confuse rivals, a detail that feels very Clutch.
Per the BusinessWire official reveal, the game is set across Monaco and the French Riviera — Cannes, Saint-Tropez, and the Verdon Gorge among the confirmed locations. Maverick describes Monaco as slightly larger than its real-world counterpart.
Clutch launches Spring 2027 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store. No Game Pass release has been announced.
