Clutch Racing Game Announced From Ex-Forza Horizon Staff

Maverick Games, a new video game development studio headed by former Playground Games creative director Mike Brown, just announced Clutch, a racing game with a focus on narrative storytelling.

Brown formerly worked on several Forza Horizon titles before deciding to leave Playground Games and form his own game studio in 2023. Several former staff members of Playground Games and Codemasters also joined Maverick Games.

Maverick Games had signed a deal with Amazon Game Studios for publishing rights in 2024, but both companies split up in February 2026. Clutch will then be moving forward without the involvement of the commerce giant.

Clutch will tell the story of two racing prodigy siblings looking to make their name in what is presumably a region inspired by Southern France. The siblings will compete in the R1K tournament, a melting pot of the best drivers around the world.

Meanwhile, they also have a run-in with Midnight Collective, a street racing gang who refuse money and fame to embrace speed and thrill in unsanctioned race events.

The siblings’ involvement in R1K and Midnight Collective will not only lead them to stardom but also uncover the dirty secret behind the R1K.

The story is written by Jamie Brittain, co-creator of the Skins TV series, and is also an advisor/writer for the Netflix series Kiss Me First.

Based on little information provided, as well as accounts from content creators who were invited to test the game earlier, Clutch might fill the void left by Need for Speed, whose development was halted indefinitely by Electronic Arts.

The game took some influence from Need for Speed in terms of narrative storytelling, action driving presentation, and also car customization. Maverick Games describes the game world as a living PvPvE environment, built on a bespoke version of Unreal Engine 5.

Aside from racing, players will also complete action-oriented driving missions. In a scenario, players are given access to a grappling hook that aids car cornering. In another scene, a car is seen driving indoors, blasting through various rooms while being chased by police.

Car choices look solid enough with licensed brands such as Porsche, BMW, Aston Martin, Nissan, and many others. Some older cars will have signs of wear and tear.

Cars will also feature extensive customization ranging from body kits, exhaust, spoilers, branded rims, and even neon underglows. Car interiors can also be customized down to the tiniest details, from changing seats and steering wheels to adding miscellaneous objects like a Red Bull can in the cup holder or even old receipts on the dashboard.

“Our mission from day one is for Clutch to push the genre into a new era, innovate through new types of open-world sandbox gameplay, and deliver a generational leap on the staples of why we love driving games,” said Mike Brown.

More info about Clutch will be revealed during the Summer Game Fest 2026, where Maverick Games will share more details about the world setting as well as the cast of the game.