Ex-Forza Director Reveals Clutch, Open-World Driving for PS5

Maverick Games, led by former Forza Horizon creative director Mike Brown, announced Clutch, a cinematic open-world driving action game that follows two sibling racers. The game is scheduled for release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC in Spring 2027.

Maverick describes Clutch as an immersive narrative that combines professional circuit racing with underground race-and-chase sandbox gameplay. The studio says players will take part in formal racing events alongside open-world pursuit scenarios.

In a press release, Brown wrote, “Maverick has assembled a dream team of car lovers and driving fans with decades of experience building genre-defining open-world racing games. 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.”

Maverick released an initial reveal trailer and confirmed it will share more about Clutch’s story and world on June 5 during Summer Game Fest 2026. The event runs through June 8. The studio has not announced a specific release date beyond the Spring 2027 window.

Brown founded Maverick Games after working on the Forza Horizon series at Xbox Game Studios. The studio says its team includes developers with experience on prior open-world racing projects and that it plans to refine core driving-game features rather than reproduce existing formulas.

Further gameplay details, story context and additional visuals are expected at the Summer Game Fest presentation on June 5.