This appears to be our first look at the new AAA open-world driving game from ex-Forza Horizon 5 developers.
Amazon Game Studios announced yesterday that it will no longer publish the debut driving game in development at Maverick Games.
In a post on X responding to the companies parting ways, the Leamington Spa-based studio assured that development of its unannounced project “continues to progress as strongly as planned” and is in “active dialogue with partners who share our long-term ambition for the IP.”
Accompanying the post is an image that appears to be the first in-engine screenshot of the studio’s secret AAA open-world driving game.
It shows a Porsche 718 Spyder parked next to a classic Porsche 911 Turbo 930. Notably, the Spyder is sitting on aftermarket HRE-branded wheels. It’s also adorned with an aftermarket bonnet and carbon wing mirrors, hinting at potential in-game customisation options.
Both cars are parked in a coastal, European-esque setting with cobblestone streets and seafront in the backdrop, which could provide clues about where the open world is set. The sunny locationcertainly gives early Forza Horizon and Test Drive Unlimited vibes.
As it happens, the team visited the south of France in July 2024 on a road trip from Warrick, chronicled in a video blog last year. While it was presented as a road trip to “inspire staff” to “make the best driving games in the world,” it’s plausible that the team may have captured reference data for the game on-location.
Maverick Games was founded in 2022 by former Playground Games, Electronic Arts and Sumo Digital veterans, including Forza Horizon 5’s former Creative Director Mike Brown.
Its debut driving game is set to release on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S with a narrative led by Skins co-creator Jamie Brittain.
While the project has yet to be unveiled, the studio will share more about its mystery driving game “later this year.”