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Clutch Maverick Games Reveal Puts Former Forza Horizon Talent Back In The Spotlight
Maverick Games may not yet be a household name, but racing fans have had plenty of reasons to watch the UK studio closely. The studio was founded by Mike Brown, the former creative director of Forza Horizon 5, and includes developers with experience across major driving franchises. That background immediately made its mystery debut title one of the more intriguing racing games in development.
Now, Maverick Games has finally revealed that project. Clutch is a cinematic open-world action driving game coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC in spring 2027.
Clutch Survived A Major Publishing Setback
The reveal is a positive step for the studio, as Maverick Games’ earlier publishing deal with Amazon Games ended earlier this year. At the time, there were understandable concerns around what that would mean for the studio’s debut title.
Development continued, however, and Clutch has now emerged with a clearer identity. Instead of leaning purely into open-world racing, Maverick Games is blending professional circuit competition, underground street racing, cinematic chases, and narrative-driven sandbox gameplay. It is not only about asking players to drive fast, but also about existing in a world where status, danger, style, and story all appear to matter.
Sibling Prodigies Lead The R1K Story
Clutch centres on two gifted siblings chasing success through R1K, a legendary racing series described as a proving ground for the world’s best drivers. That professional circuit side is contrasted against the Midnight Collective, an underground racing scene built around style, speed, and risky escapes.
That dual structure gives the game a clear, dramatic foundation that is not just about winning races. It is about moving between public competition and illegal street culture, with the player caught between reputation, ambition, and danger.
The cinematic focus also stands out. Racing games have often struggled to balance story with freedom, but Maverick Games appears to be placing narrative at the centre of the experience rather than treating it as a loose wrapper around events.
Customisation And Action Driving Could Define The Game
Clutch is being built on Unreal Engine 5, with Maverick Games promising a high level of detail across its vehicles. Early footage and reports point to deep exterior and interior customisation, including wheels, spoilers, underglows, seats, steering wheels, and smaller cockpit details.
That level of personalisation could become one of the game’s strongest hooks. The more unusual element is its action driving. Teaser footage has shown cinematic pursuits, police chases, dramatic destruction, and even a grappling hook system attached to a Nissan Skyline during a sharp cornering move. If those systems work naturally in play, Clutch could sit somewhere between open-world racing, action cinema, and sandbox driving.
Summer Game Fest Will Show More
Maverick Games is expected to share more on Clutch during Summer Game Fest on June 5, where fans should get a better look at its world, story, and gameplay systems.
For now, Clutch looks like more than a familiar racing project with a new logo. Maverick Games is clearly trying to push the genre toward something more cinematic, more narrative-led, and more action-focused. Whether that ambition lands will depend on how well the studio can make speed, story, and chaos work together.
